The Somerset reporter., 1908-06-11
Along Arnold's Trail.
From Maine to Canada.
BY FRANK w. GOWEN.

]
principal lakes in the Province of
! Quebec. After short walk we ar
rived at the head of this beautiful
sheet of water, surrounded as it is by
| high cliffs or mountains and amidst
most charming scenery We bathed
our face and hands in its clear waters,
put on clean collars and brushed our
clothes, SO as to look little more
presentable, and after arranging our
baggage carefully, so the custom Of
ficials at Megantic could examine it
without too much trouble, we walked
forward to take a steamer for Megan
tic village. There are many large,
fine camps around the lake and
summer tourists from the United
States and Canada come here TO gather
health and strength in the balmy at
mosphere of summer time. After
over a week i'll the wilderness we
were glad to get back to civilization
and enjoyed our trip across this love-
" lake, where the dusky warriors
used to paddle their birch canoes and
across whose waters Arnold hurried
with his boats to reach the Chaudiere
and French settlements that he might
secure food for his starving army.
On arriving at Megantic village we
were driven to the hotel and settled
with our guides, after which they both
shook us warmly by the hands and left
us. After a good bath and shave
went to the post Office and found a
large mail which had been forwarded
from home. We had nearly 100 miles
vet to travel before we could reach
Quebec, where the brave soldiers
under the eade rship of Montgomery
and Arnold Redeemed the snow with
their blood. Megantic village is fine
little Canadian town with a population
of about $1,000 1t is situated on the
great Canadian Pacific railway line,
whose trains go laundering along
from ocean to ocean, and it is also the
terminus of the Megantic division of
the Quebec Central railway. The
French language is universally spok
en-, although the majority of the
people can speak English when neces
sary. Sunday was quiet and restful
day We attended church in the
morning and after dinner took good
long nap. Monday morning we
awoke to find it raining and were
somewhat disappointed, as we had
planned to visit the celebrated falls
where General Arnold and his picked
men narrowly escaped death and
where their boats were smashed.
These cataracts are only three
or four miles from Meg antic
village on the Chaudiere and
easily reached by carriage. At IL
O'Clock it cleared away, and we de-
cided to engage guide and start out
at 8 O'Clock in the afternoon and
spend one more night in the woods
and by the banks of this historic river.
Promptly at p. m. our landlord took
us in his blackboard to the famous
rapids and told Us when he left that
he would send the team for us early
in the morning. Our guide went to
work to make us rough camp for
the night and my friend and | care
fully inspected these cataracts. We
found succession of them, altogether
something like 100 feet high, over
which the waters of the Chaudiere
leaped and tumbled, sprinkling their
spray over us as we stood on big
rock looking at this scene of grandeur
listening to the roar of the water as
it plunged and splashed over the falls,
Here we stood for some time in deep
thought and meditation, now and
then shouting to each other above
the roar of the water as we pointed
out the high rocks where probably
Generally Arnold's boats were
crushed. After spending nearly two
hours around these cataracts we re-
turned to our camp, which our guido
had hastily built short distance
from the river in the woods. He had
also built good camp fire and was
preparing supper, and while awaiting
it we sat down by the fire and dried
our clothing. After hearty supper
we sat by the camp fire, my friend and
l, discussing the calamity which over
took Arnold and his army at this
point. ~ don't see," said my friend,
show General Arnold and his army
ever escaped alive from these wild,
angry waters" "This has always
been surprise to me-" l replied.
"Having no guide or knowledge of
the Chaudiere, save in general way,
from a military map, he and the
brave Captain Morgan, as we'll as
their picked men, would certainly
have met death had it not been for
their boats being crushed on the big
rocks just above these cataracts.
That was their salvation" "Well,"
said my friend, Il should have
thought they would all have been
drowned in the icy waters" "Pro-
baby some were,h l said. "still,
| am not sure about that. Anyway
Arnold and Captain Morgan and
nearly all of the soldiers escaped
and built a great fire on the banks
of the river, probably not far
from where we will camp for the
night, and dried their clothing
and refreshed themselves with what
scanty food they could get, and
late in the afternoon these bold and
brave men pushed on up the river
with Arnold determined to follow
him until French settlement was
reached, or perish in the attempt"
"When the army General Arnold had
left in great distress near the mouth
of the Dead River reached here"
said my friend, "they must nearly all
have been dead from starvation
eyes" / said. "They were all
starving and it must have been
terrible sight. All their boats had
been broken on the rocks and the
army was now staggering ON as best
it could along the bank of the river"
sit couldn't have looked much like
an army said my friend. "Well, |
guess it did not, +" replied. at must
have looked more like miserable
wreck of starving, routed army. So
weak had the soldiers become when
they reached this river that they
were obliged to harness themselves
together in pairs so that they could
J,ou, ~ fau, IOOe md hrt1ah n huild