Morning journal and courier., 1880-09-06
CORRESPONDENCE.
A Trip Through the Pemigewasset For
 est.

To the enterprising White Mountainers
 heartily recommend a trip through the Penn. igewasset forest am aware that the mountain enthusiast Ca weak-minded indivi- 1 dual who goes up Mount Washington by rail,
 and sneers at anything under five thousand feet, will not look with favor upon an un- dertaking SO ''stale, fiat and unproftable, '' but to the sportsman and artist, and Bo-
 hemian of every degree, plead the charms of Pemigewasset. It contains. indeed, no ] scenery that can properly be styled soul I stirring. The traveller who is ambitious of \ only such sensations must seek them on the crests of the presidential range, or in the | gloomy depths of the great ravines. The l journey is rich, however, in picturesque and charming effects and noble mountain views l are by no means wanting.
 One great advantage of the route through ! the wilderness is that both start and termi- nus are convenient. Having visited the
 Franconia Notch the tourist finds this di- rect and interesting way of reaching the l White Mountain range. The entrance is at Pollard's, about twenty-one miles north of Plymouth. This will be found plain, un- pretending house. with nothing of the hotel 1 about its appearance fittings. Judging, l however, from a sample meal, I am inclined l to think that one could spend a few days | commands a fine prospect toward the west,
 where Moosilanke, tipped with it's scarcely ] visible hotel, bounds the horizon.
 l The party to which the writer was attached l appointed Plymouth as a rendezvous, and having spent an afternoon in climbing Mt. l Prospect, proceeded next morning to Pol l lards. Before going further, let me say I that the before mentioned enthusiast l has travelled in Switzerland and been up the Rigi Kuhn, you know, and all that | sort ofiithing-will smile at the mere mention I of little hill scarcely two thousand feet l high. On the other hand, the really appre- | ciative and artistic mountaineer knows very l well that the best panoramas are not ob- 1 tained from the highest mountains. That | from Prospect is one of the most charming l have ever met with, and I advise every tour l ist possessed of sufficient funds and patience l to endure short stay at the Pemigewasset House for the sake of it. We reached the summit about p. m. The day was some what hay, just enough to soften, without marring the view To the south lay the country we had just travelled the lake dis trict of New Hampshire The gEttering sur faces of the lakes were contrasted with rich landscape of forest and meadow, while groups of farm houses, with here and there Q church, gave evidence of mans occupation. To the north, how different. Not house to be seen. Not a shadow of mans ravage." The forest-covered mountains extend on every side, growing continually higher until they culnlinate in the scared peak of Lafayette and the shadowy summit of Washington. But to return to the Pemigewasset. We started from Pollard's at about half past three, with an average of twenty pounds on our backs and attended by the younger Mir. Pollard as our guide. It gives me great pleasure to add that we found him, through all the vicissitudes of our tramp, and they were by no means few, exceedingly obhging and agreeable. He is probably as well ac- quainted as any man living with the ways and byways of this region. Yet, so difficult and ! extensive is this forest that even his knowl- edge is, in great measure, confined to the course of the east branch and it's principal tributaries. Our first stage was very short one. We camped on the banks of the river not more than mile from the house. Our guide. having pitched the tents and cut 8 quantity of firewood, returned to spend one more night in the bosom of his family.
 Our first night in camp was decided sue cess. The night was warm and dry, and everything, even to our meal of salt beef and pilot bread, bore the charm of novelty. The fire, that indispensable element of camp comforts, blazed gloriously, throwing a shower of sparks into the overhanging foli- age, and lighting up the forest with weird, fantastic glare A few yards away the river
 was rushing and plunging along, with its lit ClS csaSCdU6S duu pOO1S SledIlluB III bA0 uSnt of the crescent moon just sinking over dis tant Moosilanke. Altogether it was picture
 worthy of Gerard Dow-a scene to be re-
 membered rather than described. I remem-
 Der well the delightful sense of warmth and
 comfort with which I fell asleep. How fra
 grant, exclaimed mentally, this couch of
 balsam and hemlockl. How fresh and sweet
 the mountain air! I believe I finally
 dropped off with my head full of mad pro-
 jects for woods life in the future. Alas
 how transient is human happiness Scarce
 two hours later was crouching, miserable
 being. over heap of smouldering ashes,
 numb with cold and aching in every joint
 The bed of evergreen boughs had proved a
 delusion and snare, and that famous noun
 tain air had been whistling about my ears in
 most uncomfortable way. I looked out
 upon the river. The pale faced moon, like
 other pale faces, had gone west, and the Min
 nehaha laughing water'' had given place
 to a monotonous ''swish" that made my
 blood run cold. The rest of the night was
 spent in vain attempts to keep up the fire
 and sleep.
 In the woods one day is like another, and
 1t is not my purpose to give any detail of our
 pilgrimage, Four days were required to
 reach the White Mountain Notch, but the
 greater part of one was taken for vain at
 tempt to reach the summit of Mount Cani- gain, by way of Cedar Brook, an attempt against which warn the future explorer
 good pedestrian might doubtless go through in two days, and three would under ordinary circumstances be ample time. For the first eight or nine miles trail is followed; at first broad and plain, but growing at every step more difficult and intricate, until finally 1t is lost in the underbrush not far from Cedar Brook The traveller then takes to the bed of the stream, and for about eight miles more chambers slowly from rock to rock. It is here that the knapsacks tire. A step or leap Of from four to six feet easy for the unencumbered, becomes a genuine m1uoGts pas, and the slippery log a 9ones GsifaOratDa. Under such circumstances a partial ducking is inevitable, sooner or later, and perhaps the best way is to take a voluntary immersion at the very first. It is discouraging to be careful all day and slip just as you reach camp. However, as con- pensation for all these inconveniences, fine mountain views are obtained after leaving the woods. Potash Plume and Coolidge town in the ever receding distance, while Hancock and Canigain on the right, and Bond and Guyot on the left, nearly complete the en- vironment.
 The most interesting part of the journey commenced after leaving the Forks For l about two miles our course was northerly {; 1 then, turning toward the east, we began one long climb to Ethan's Pond. Beautiful cas- ] cades now marked almost every step. The | banks of the stream drew nearer together, and the tall, snow-Gke evergreens, sloping i athwart it's course, touched overhead, | fringing glorious views of Bond and l Guyot; the all but unvisited peaks of l the wilderness. Varying at every turn in the l brook and increasing at every step, the glory | cuIminated at the Thoreau Falls, cascade ! worthy of being chased with the Arethusa and 1 Glen Ellis, and surpassing both in the fine l prospect from its edges.
 The hardships and mishaps of our four | days in the wilderness are already forgotten; l but in the minds of all the party, believe, | the name ssPemigewasset' will always be | "Open Sesame" of pleasant | w. W. W.
 The Mango Trick.
 Ho.v it is Done-Not . Wonderful Per-
 Knrnance.