Year: 1872

ahS9bo11 WV low iOuha GehbN "
eight young men with their teams taxing
the noon boat for Port Kent, intent on
camping out and game. Having halted
for supper at Ausable Forks, we drove
on in the evening few miles and pitch,
ed our tent for the first time, in the dark
We had just got things arranged and
were taking our first taste of camp life
around a blazing pine stump when a
passing team hailed us to know what we
were doing. Holding a camp-meet-
ing" was the answer; the choir at once
struck up" John the Baptist went a-fish-
ing for clam" and our interlocutor ex-
pressed himself satisfied and drove on.


Wednesday morning we drove to Sll-
yer Lake, at the head of which we camp
ed. One of the two boats here needed
repairs; and member of the party
while waiting for it, fished down the out
let of the lake and caught 21 trout
very small, it is true, but trout. Mean
while three others lost their way in the
attempt to walk from the lower to
the upper end Of the lake, explored
much country, got stuck in tamarack
swamp, and finally turned up at camp
tired and hungry, having spent six hours
in getting three miles.


We staid at Silver Lake till Friday
morning. Our luck was not good. AT
ter fishing the lake all over from end to
end, we caught one trout. We tried
running deer; ran a deer into rain
storm never saw him. We, however, ad-
ded to our trout one partridge just as we
were breaking camp Friday morning,
and that was all at Silver Lake. But
we were evidently in the wilderness for
we could hear the wolves in the distance
at night.


Friday evening at dusk, we reached
our next and last camp at Round pond,
six miles from Hunters Home the near
est habitable house, where oCr horses
were stabbed. Our wagons were three
miles from camp. We had boated our
luggage this distance, except that we had
backed it about 60 to rods the boats, and
had backed luggage and boats 20 or 30
rods around two dams.


While selecting the spot for camp, a
wolf only few rods off in the thicket,
gave us parting howl, and said no
more.


Fishing was better here. We made
one square meal of trout, with occasional
morsels at other times. We shot two
partridges and to crown our expedition
with success, we killed two fine buck
deer, weighing together over 800 pounds


These sports occupied us till the Sec
ond Thursday of our trip. Thursday
forenoon had been set apart for gather
ing gum by those SO inclined, but the ap-
proach of a storm induced Us to break
camp and move our luggage and venison
to an unoccupied shanty, near the wag-
ons, in readiness to start for home the
next morning. Accordingly Friday
morning, we loaded up in snow storm
and set our faces homeward. We had
intended to camp one night on the road
but the weather had become so cold and
stormy we decided to reach Port Kent if
possible to meet the evening boat. So
we pressed on, stopping at Ausable Forks
again for supper. 1t was four o'clock,
Pm. We had breakfasted at g. A. M,
and had been loading up and on the
road in e cold northeaster ever since.
Our supper was good. We think we ate
our moneys worth.


At about ten o'clock P. NJ, we reached
Burlington, and made partial distribu.
ton of our venison, and scattered home.
ward, tired and sleepy as you please, but
happy as clans.


We were gone eleven days. The near.
est approach to an accident was the pull.
ing off of an oar lock, which we fasten.
ed ON again. The weather might have
been better Two of the eleven days
were sunshiny; six were stormy more or
less-three more and three less. -Four
of the nights were frosty. Aud we had
one snow storm. One person was awak.
ed one night during rain storm, by the
attempt of a lizard to crawl down bis
back between his shirt and cuticle. He
had just time to seize the reptile by the
tip of the tail, drag him forth and ex-
anime him by the light of the lantern.


In general, we kept entirely clear OF
politics for eleven days. Two of the
party gained in weight five pounds
apiece. The avoirdupois gain of the rest
is not known. The trip cost us eight dol
lars apiece, and we brought home about
thirty pounds each of venison, and rec
objections of this October visit to the Ad-
irondack wood, which will linger long in
our memories.