The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1907-03-07
TIE LOST LAKE AND COPPER
COMET.
wnlbr ss1spasay ~ rht Nspssessss 'ssafAs'
~ Al GnNE,

dNu wealth, place w. Wfeu NJ aiiptss'
en-. They werv trained weshsnies,
haging ssaveisd and become experts -
their VARGAS trades and caliiugs. aud
vew possessed u wealth enough b
carry oai any sci,ems They might feel
tncliaed d venture 90 IN lhe early
spring they hade ihclr friends and
smseihearls good bye for they acre
al single men and took Steamer ~
0gdenssarR ior the upper Lake Supc-
nor region. They bad guns, clothes
ard medical stores. with tools u VAR
oas kinds which will be- described a.
tbs story aiynnccs. The trip through
ihc lakes occupied about eighi days
and was enjoyable, for some Of them
lad never made il before, When they
arrived ia the far north lake wsters
they left the steamer and ct an outfit.
ting lumber camp bought SIX sioni
river boats, filled them with every con
eeiyAble article they would need for .
iwo-yeArs' irip-ienis, cooking uten'
sis. fishing and hunting gear, earpen.
Ter aud wooderati tools, food of all
kinds ia waterproof cans and boxes. -
nothing was left out that would be use
ful. Then from among the hardy, es'
perienced river men they hired eight
cen stout young fellows, and Oh a tine
morning IN early May they pushed up
the river. headed for the unknown re-.
gions Of the north. The men they had
hired 10 20 with them and row and
push the boats knew that region, hay.
ing been lumbermen and river men
there for years. All through the day
they made good time, only stopping al
night, when they landed, built FIRE,
cooked good supper, aud, under tents,
rolled in blankets or sleeping bags, they
rested and slept comfortably. They
always took the larger stream where
the river parted, and after a week.
journey they came 10 where il was nee
essary 10 unload the boats and carry
their goods around rapids and haul the
heavy boats up around and load ny
again. This would happen every
twenty five or thirty miles and usually
took from ten to twenty hours. On
the tenth day out they came TO an In
dian camp, and, rs none OF the river
men knew the river above, they hired
four Indians and their old dugout cedar
canoe 10 pilot them on. After two
days they came 10 great rapids IN the
river, full of rocks and several miles
long, and there was no path cut through
the brush, showing that not even the
Indians had gone through that section
in canoes. The Indians did not know
the place and the Vermonters, in try
ing TO find good place to cut a road
TO haul the boats up around the rapids,
went up the left.hand bank of the river
and up steep hill covered with hard
timber without underbrush. Over this
hill they found still water, and they
concluded 10 haul their boats over this
hill and carry their goods over. This
required all day, and they camped on
The shore, and at sunrise were loaded
and pushed Off They noticed that the
water here was clear and good 10 drink,
while the water in the river where they
had left it was brown and bitter. The
four Indians in their old dugout canoe
took the lead. and good time was made,
but they soon discovered that they were
going slowly down stream, and before
they could stop the Indians they disap-
peared around ledge OF rocks, and as
the current was increasing rapidly
they hauled in shore, landing on the
left shore. two Of them running along
TO see where the Indians had disap-
peared; and they discovered that the
water shot down a steep racewsy be-
tween high. smooth rocks. They start
ed TO 90 around this falls, thinking
the Indians had gone to "Davy Jones
locker when they heard the report of
a gun 10 the left, and running out over
the rocks few rods they saw the In.
dams in the old canoe padding towards
shore, on a beautiful lake, full of is.
lands, that they could not see the ex.
tent Of. They fired gun to attract
the Indians, who came ashore and
told them that they went down the
rapids easily and into the lake without
shipping any water, and the Indians
came up the rocks and piloted the
first boats down. All went down the
straight, steep rapids and shot into the
impid lake safe aud sound. An island
of large size lay about two miles north
IN the lake and many more smaller
ones, on which there were no trees.
scattered around. They rowed 10 the
large island. which WAS rocky at the
northen end and covered with forests,
while the south end was low and com
posed Of black earth and appeared to
have recently been under water, as did
the smaller islands, the water in the
lake evidently being much higher in
the winter than in summer.
As they rowed along the west side
Of the islands scene OF most enchant-
ing grandeur was unfoided to their
view. On the west rose ridge upon
ridge OF cliffs OF granite and slate rocks,
capped with evergreen trees; 10 the
east stretched large plain covered
with forests; 10 the north was the big
ISLAND rising from the level plain in
The south 10 almost a mountain peak
IN the north. This island. as they af- !
forwards asceriained, was fifteen by
Ten miles in extent. They rowed along
he west side, and about halfway its |
eng,h they saw standing well up on a
smooth plateau, fifty feet above the
AXE, block house with other and |
smaller block buildings.