The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-05-29
Letter from Down East.

Correspondence of the Concord. n. H.. Monitor.
"Where Down East?" do you say? Well,
you wouldn't know where if should tell you
the name of the village, so | will tell you its
location. 1t is on the bank of the Penobscot
river near where the river enters the bay.
From hill near by fine view can be had.
Near at hand is Cape JeIlison (Fort PoinD.
Many romantic tales are connected with this
cape. At the present time near the old fort
site there stands fine building with spacious
grounds, known as the Fort Point House. This
is wooden building, costing S130,000. The
proprietor is a Boston man, and its guests are
mostly from the wealthy families of New York
and Boston. Across the bay some of the spires
of Castine can be seen. The mountains in the
distance and the numerous islands in the bay
make variety of beautiful scenery which
Maine people say cannot be surpassed In
deed, they say the famous Bay of Naples has no
finer scenery. Penobscot Bay is the largest of
the many inlets on the coast of Maine, and is 30
miles in extent, from north to south, and Is
from Owls Head, near Rockland, to Isle au
Haul. The bay affords great chance for nav-
CATION, and many of the vessels 60 up the river
to Bangor. Every day large steamer to BAN
gOr passes in sight of our house, and also one
to Boston, while smaller steamers 90 to Bar
liarbor, Castine, Islesboro, Northport. etc.
Tow boats often go by. towing a fleet of ves-
sells to or from Bangor. Sometimes there are
eight or ten vessels in ''the tow" Many of
them are three-masted schooners. with some
brigs, barques, and occasionally ship. A few
days ago "a four-masted schooner went by.
Last week we went by steamer to Bangor. ]
am somewhat familiar with the scenery of the
Connecticut, Merrimack, St. Lawrence, and
Hudson rivers, and with none have | been
more pleased than with the Penobscot. AT
Bucksport the river narrows, and on the op-
po>ite side Fort Knox commands the river for
some distance. Further up the river widens,
the land rises abruptly, some quarries are to be
seen. although most Of the heights are wooded,
and soon Winterport is reached. This is the
winter harbor of the Bangor steamers, and oc
caSlOnallv the river is frozen SO that this har-
Dor cannot be reached. From Winterport the
view down the river is fine. Many times we
wondered how we could 60 any farther, when,
10. a bend in the river showed Us the channel
and new beauties farther on. In some places
the river was so narrow 1t seemed hardly wide
enough for large steamers, while again il broad
ened INTO almost Il lake All along the river
We're weirs in which salmon are caught. .As we
neared Bangor. large ice houses We're seen. at
which vessels were loading; also lumber mills,
and many vessels loaded with lumber We're
passed. The line in the Geography came to
mind. "Bangor is noted FOR its lumber trade"
But, after all seeing is believing, and the eX-
tent of the trade was never appreciated before
we found Bangor to be "A pleasant city, with
many hills. ems, and churches. Across the riv
er is the town of Brewer. where we spent the
night. From Brewer a fine view was had of
Bangor We We're interested in noticing the
rocks along the river. The We're mostly strait
fed, but the strata were tilted at every conceiv
able angle. There must have been Il great up
heaval here sometime The strata near where
we are stopping are vertical,
All about are hills and pretty groves. There
are many picturesque bits of scenery, and we
long for the artists power to transfer some of
them to canvas. We have beer here over three
weeks, and haven't begun to exhaust the pleas
ant walks The quiet here is uelightfu We
tll-n infr for i NNIt