The Somerset reporter., 1908-05-28
Along Arnsld's Trail.
From Maine to Canada.
BY FRANK NJ. GOWES.


Nj y.
In the preceding article | left my
readers in sight Of Lake Megantic,
which is II miles Icing and one of the
principal lakes in the Province of
Quebec. After a short walk we
arrived at the head of this beautiful
sheet of water, surrounded as it is by
high cliffs of fountains and amidst
most charming scenery. We Dathed
our face and hands in its clear
waters, put on clean collars and
brushed our clothes, SO as to look a
little more presentable, and after ar
ranging our baggage carefully, so the
custom officials at Megantic could
examine it without too much trouble,
we walked forward to take steamer
for Megantic 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 III the
haImy atmosphere OF summer time.
After over a week in the wilderness
we were glad to get back to civiliza-
ton and enjoyed our trip across this
lovely 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 good bath and
a shave | went to the post office and
found a large mail which mad been
/ forwarded from home. We had near
ly 100 miles yet to travel before we
could reach Quebec, where the brave
soldiers under the leadership of
Montgomery and Arnold Redeemed
the snow with their blood. Megantic
village is a fine little Canadian town
with population of about 5000. 1t
is situated on the great Canadian
Pacific railway line, whose trains go
laundering along from ocean to
ocean, ana it is also the terminus of
the Megantic division of the Quebec
Central railway. The French Ian
/ guage is universally spoken, al
though the majority of the people can
speak English when necessary.
sunday was quiet and resttul day.
We attended church in the morning
and after dinner took good long
nap. Monday morning we aWOke TO
find 1t raining and were somewhat
disappointed, as we had planned to
visit the celebrated falls where Gen
eral Arnold and his picked men mar
rowly escaped death and where their
boats were smashed. These cata
racts' are only three or four miles
from Megantic village on the
Chaudiere and are easily reached by
carnage. At IL O'Clock 1t cleared
away, and we decided to engage a
guide and start out at 3 O'Clock in the
afternoon and spend one more night
in the woods and by the banks of this
historic river.
Promptly at 3 p. m. our landlord
took us in his blackboard to the ia
nous 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 a rough
camp for the night and my friend and
| carefully inspected these cataracts.
We found q succession of them alto
gether something like 100 feet high,
over which the waters of the
Chaudiere leaped and tumbled,
sprinkling their spray over us as we
stood on a big rock looking at this
scene of grandeur and listening to
the roar OF the water, as 1t plunged
and splashed over the falls. Here we
stood tor some time i'll deep thought
and meditation, and then shouting to
each otner above the roar of the
waters as we pointed out the high
rocks where probably General Ar
nold's boats were crushed.
After spending nearly two hours
around these cataracts we returned
/ to our camp, which our guide had
hastily built short distance from
the river in the woods. He had also
/ built good campti fire and was pre-
pairing 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 |, discussing
the calamity which overlook Arnold
and his army at this point. 81 don't
see," said my friend, chow General
Arnold and his army ever escaped
alive from these wild, angry waters"
This has always been a surprise to
me-" | replied. Having no guide or
/ knowledge of the Chaudiere, save in
a general way, from military map,
/ he and the brave Captain Morgan, as
well as their picked men, would GER
/ tainly have met death had it not been
/ tor 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 | said. 'Stlll |
am not sure about that. Anyway
Arnold and Captain Morgan and
nearly all of the soldiers escaped and
built great fire ON the banks OF the
/ river, probably not tar from where
we will camp tor the night, and dried
+ their clothing and refreshed them
selves 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
10 follow HIM until French settle
ment was reached, OF perish i'll the
attempt Nv hen tae army General
Arnold had left in great distress near
the month of the Dead River reached
here" said my friend, "they must
nearly all have been dead from star
vation.N Yes ! said. "They were
all starving and it must have been a
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 this river"
ut couldn't have rocked much like
an army said my friend. "Weil, |