voyage of the paper canoe-第6部分

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〃Such　is　the　nature　of　the　navigation　between　tide…water　on　the　Hudson　and　St。　Lawrence　and　the　upper　lakes。　　The　magnitude　of　the　　commerce　of　the　Northwest　has　compelled　the　　enlargement　of　the　Erie　and　Oswego　canals　from　boats　of　seventy…eight　to　two　hundred　and　ten　tons；　while　the　St。　Lawrence　and　Welland　canals　have　also　been　enlarged　since　their　first　　construction。　　A　further　enlargement　of　the　Erie　and　Champlain　canals　is　now　strongly　urged　in　consequence　of　the　want　of　the　necessary　　facilities　of　transport　for　the　ever　increasing　western　trade。　　The　object　of　the　Caughnawaga　Ship…canal　is　to　connect　Lake　Champlain　with　the　St。　Lawrence　by　the　least　possible　distance；　and　with　the　smallest　amount　of　lockage。　　When　built；　it　will　enable　the　vessel　or　propeller　to　sail　from　the　head　of　lakes　Superior　or　Michigan　without　breaking　bulk；　and　will　enable　such　　vessels　to　land　and　receive　cargo　at　Burlington　and　Whitehall；　from　whence　western　freights　can　be　carried　to　and　from　Boston；　and　throughout　New　England；　by　railway　cheaper　than　by　any　other　route。

〃It　will　possess　the　advantage；　when　the　　Welland　Canal　is　enlarged　and　the　locks　of　the　St。　Lawrence　Canal　lengthened；　of　passing　vessels　of　eight　hundred　and　fifty　tons'　burden；　and　with　that　size　of　vessel　（impossible　on　any　other　route）　of　improved　model；　with　facilities　for　loading　and　discharging　cargoes　at　both　ends　of　the　route；　in　the　length　of　the　voyage　without　transshipment；　in　having　the　least　distance　between　any　of　the　lake　ports　and　a　seaport；　and　in　having　the　shortest　length　of　taxed　canal　navigation。　　The　Construction　of　the　Caughnawaga　Canal；　when　carried　out；　will　remedy　the　difficulties　which　now　exist　and　stand　in　the　way　of　an　　uninterrupted　water　communication　between　the　　western　states　and　the　Atlantic　seaboard。〃

From　Rouse's　Point　we　proceeded　to　a　　picturesque　point　which　jutted　into　the　lake　below　Chazy　Landing；　and　was　sheltered　by　a　grove　of　trees　into　which　we　hauled　the　Mayeta。　　Bodfish's　woodcraft　enabled　him　to　construct　a　　wigwam　out　of　rails　and　rubber　blankets；　where　we　quietly　resided　until　Monday　morning。　　The　owner　of　the　point；　Mr。　Trombly；　invited　us　to　dinner　on　Sunday；　and　exhibited　samples　of　a　ton　of　maple　sugar　which　he　had　made　from　the　sap　of　one　thousand　trees。

On　Monday；　July　20th；　we　rowed　southward。　Our　route　now　skirted　the　western　shore　of　Lake　Champlain；　which　is　the　eastern　boundary　of　the　great　Adirondack　wilderness。　　Several　of　the　tributaries　of　the　lake　take　their　rise　in　this　region；　which　is　being　more　and　more　visited　by　the　hunter；　the　fisherman；　the　artist；　and　the　tourist；　as　its　natural　attractions　are　becoming　known　to　the　public。　　The　geodetical　survey　of　the　northern　wilderness　of　New　York　state；　known　as　the　Adirondack　country；　under　the　efficient　and　energetic　labors　of　Mr。　Verplanck　Colvin；　will　cover　an　area　of　nearly　five　　thousand　square　miles。　　In　his　report　of　the　great　work　he　eloquently　says：

〃The　Adirondack　wilderness　may　be　　considered　the　wonder　and　the　glory　of　New　York。　It　is　a　vast　natural　park；　one　immense　and　silent　forest；　curiously　and　beautifully　broken　by　the　gleaming　waters　of　a　myriad　of　lakes；　between　which　rugged　mountain…ranges　rise　as　a　sea　of　granite　billows。　　At　the　northeast　the　mountains　culminate　within　an　area　of　some　hundreds　of　square　miles；　and　here　savage；　　treeless　peaks；　towering　above　the　timber　line；　crowd　one　another；　and；　standing　gloomily　shoulder　to　shoulder；　rear　their　rocky　crests　amid　the　frosty　clouds。　　The　wild　beasts　may　look　forth　from　the　ledges　on　the　mountain…sides　over　unbroken　woodlands　stretching　beyond　the　reach　of　sight　　beyond　the　blue；　hazy　ridges　at　the　horizon。　The　voyager　by　the　canoe　beholds　lakes　in　which　these　mountains　and　wild　forests　are　reflected　like　inverted　reality；　now　wondrous　in　their　dark　grandeur　and　solemnity；　now　glorious　in　resplendent　autumn　color　of　pearly　beauty。　　Here　　thrilling　sound　to　huntsman　　echoes　the　wild　melody　of　the　hound；　　awakening　the　solitude　with　deep…mouthed　bay　as　he　pursues　the　swift　career　of　deer。　The　quavering　note　of　the　loon　on　the　lake；　the　mournful　hoot　of　the　owl　at　night；　with　rarer　forest　voices　have　also　to　the　lover　of　nature　their　peculiar　charm；　and　form　the　wild　language　of　this　forest。

〃It　is　this　region　of　lakes　and　mountains　　whose　mountain　core　is　well　shown　by　the　　illustration；　'the　heart　of　the　Adirondacks'　　that　our　citizens　desire　to　reserve　forever　as　a　public　forest　park；　not　only　as　a　resort　of　rest　for　　themselves　and　for　posterity；　but　for　weighty　reasons　of　political　economy。　For　reservoirs　of　water　for　the　canals　and　rivers；　for　the　amelioration　of　spring　floods　by　the　preservation　of　the　forests　　sheltering　the　deep　winter　snows；　for　the　salvation　of　the　timber；　　our　only　cheap　source　of　lumber　supply　should　the　Canadian　and　western　markets　be　ruined　by　fires；　or　otherwise　lost　to　us；　　its　preservation　as　a　state　forest　is　urgently　　demanded。　To　the　number　of　those　chilly　peaks　amid　which　our　principal　rivers　take　their　rise；　I　have　added　by　measurement　a　dozen　or　more　over　four　thousand　feet　in　height；　which　were　before　either　nameless；　or　only　vaguely　known　by　the　names　given　them　by　hunters　and　trappers。

〃It　is　well　to　note　that　the　final　hypsometrical　computations　fully　affirm　my　discovery　that　in　Mount　Haystack　we　have　another　mountain　of　five　thousand　feet　altitude。　　It　may　not　be　　uninteresting　also　to　remark　that　the　difference　　between　the　altitudes　of　Mount　Marcy　and　Mount　Washington　of　the　White　Mountains　of　New　Hampshire　is　found　to　be　quite　eight　hundred　feet。　　Mount　Marcy；　Mount　MacIntyre；　and　Mount　Haystack　are　to　be　remembered　as　the　three　royal　summits　of　the　state。

〃The　four　prominent　peaks　are　　Mount　Marcy｛　Mount　Tahawus　　〃I　cleave　the　clouds；〃｝　5；402。65　Mount　Haystack；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　5；006。73　Mount　Maclntyre；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　5；201。80　Mount　Skylight；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　4；977。76。〃


If　the　general　reader　will　pardon　a　seeming　digression　to　gratify　the　curiosity　of　some　of　my　boating　friends；　I　will　give　from　the　report　of　the　Adirondack　Survey　Mr。　Colvin's　account　of　his　singular　boat；　　one　of　the　lightest　yet　constructed；　and　weighing　only　as　much　as　a　hunter's　double…barrelled　gun。

Mr。　Colvin　says：

〃I　also　had　constructed　a　canvas　boat；　of　my　own　invention；　for　use　in　the　interior　of　the　　wilderness　on　such　of　the　mountain　lakes　as　were　inaccessible　to　boats；　and　which　it　would　be　necessary　to　map。　　This　boat　was　peculiar；　no　more　frame　being　needed　than　could　be　readily　cut　in　thirty　minutes　in　the　first　thicket。　　It　was　twelve　feet　long；　with　thin　sheet　brass　prows；　riveted　on；　and　so　fitted　as　to　receive　the　keelson；　prow　pieces；　and　ribs　（of　boughs）；　when　　required；　the　canoe　being　made　water…proof　with　pure　rubber　gum；　dissolved　in　naphtha；　rubbed　into　it。〃

Page　43　of　Mr。　Colvin's　report　informs　the　reader　how　well　this　novel　craft　served　the　　purpose　for　which　it　was　built。

〃September　12　was　devoted　to　levelling　and　topographical　work　at　Ampersand　Pond；　a　solitary　lake　locked　in　by　mountains；　and　seldom　visited。　There　was　no　boat　upon　its　surface；　and　in　order　to　complete　the　hydrographical　work　we　had　now；　of　necessity；　to　try　my　portable　canvas　boat；　which　had　hitherto　done　service　as　bed　or　tent。　Cutting　green　rods　for　ribs；　we　unrolled　the　boat　and　tied　them　in；　lashing　poles　for　gunwales　at　the　sides；　and　in　a　short　time　our　canvas　canoe；　buoyant　as　a　cork；　was　floating　on　the　water。　The　guides；　who　had　been　unable　to　believe　that　the　flimsy　bag　they　carried　could　be　used　as　a　boat；　were　in　ecstasies。　　Rude　but　efficient　　paddles　were　hastily　hewn　from　the　nearest　tree；　and　soon　we　were　all　gliding　in　our　ten…pound　boat　over　the　waves　of　Ampersand；　which　　glittered　in　the　morning　sunlight。　　To　the　guides　the　boat　was　something　astonishing；　they　could　not　refrain　from　laughter　to　find　that　they　were　really　afloat　in　it；　and　pointed　with　surprise　at　the　waves；　which　could　be　seen　through　the　boat；　rippling　against　its　sides。　　With　the　aid　of　the　boat；　with　prismatic　compass　and　sextant；　I　was　able　to　secure　an　excellent　map　of　the　lake；　and　we　almost　succeeded　in　catching　a　deer；　which　was　driven　into　the　lake　by　a　strange　hound。　　The　dog　lost　the　trail　at　the　water；　and　desiring　to　put　him　on　the　track；　we　paddled　to　him。　　He　scrambled　into　the　boat　with　an　air　of　satisfaction；　as　if　he　had　always　travelled　in　just　such　a　thing。　　Soon　we　had　regained　the　trail；　and　making　the　mountains　echo　to　his　voice；　he　again　pursued　the　deer　on　into　the　trackless　forest。

〃Continuing　our　work；　we　passed　down　into　the　outlet；　where；　in　trying　to　effect　a　landing；　we　suddenly　came　face　to　face　with　a　large　　panther；　which　had　evidently　been　watching　us。　He　fled　at　our　approach。

〃Our　baggage　was　quickly　packed；　and　the　temporary　frame　of　the　canoe　having　been　taken　out　and　thrown　away；　we　rolled　up　our　boat　and　put　it　in　the　bottom　of　a　knapsack。　。　。　。　The　same　day　by　noon　we　reached　Cold　Brook　again；　here　navigable。　　In　an　hour　and　a　half　we　had　　re…framed　the　canvas；　cut　out　two　paddles　from　a　dry　cedar…tree；　had　dinner；　loaded　the　boat；　and　were　off；　easily　gliding　down　stream　to　the　　Saranac　River。　Three　men；　the　heaped　baggage　in　the　centre；　and　the　solemn　hound；　who　seemed　to　consider　himself　part　of　the　company；　sitting　upright　near　the　prow；　forming　in　all　a　burden　of　about　one　third　of　a　ton；　was　a　severe　test　of　the　green　boughs　of　which　we　had　made　the　frame。

〃Ascending　the　Saranac　River；　we　struck　out　into　the　broad　Saranac　Lake；　some　six　miles　in　length；　and　though　the　winds　and　the　waves　buffeted　us；　the　canvas　sides　of　the　boat　　responding　elastically　to　each　beat　of　the　waves；　we　got　safely　along　till　near　the　Sister　Islands；　when；　the　wind　blowing　very　fresh；　the　white…capped　　rollers　began　to　pitch　into　the　boat。　　The　exertions　of　the　guides　brought　us　under　the　lee　shore；　and　at　evening　we　disembarked　at　Martin's。〃

Geographies；　guide…books；　and　historical　works　frequently　give　the　length　of　Lake　Champlain　as　one　hundred　and　fifty；　or　at　the　least　one　hundred　and　forty　miles。　　These　distances　are　not　correct。　The　lake　proper　begins　at　a　p