Woods and waters: or, The Sarancs and Racket

Front matter

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Chapter I

Camp of the Indian Carrying-Place. — The Saranac Club and Guides. — A Bear. — Seeking Deer and finding Musquitoes, 1

CHAPTER 11.

The Start from Home. — The Yankee's Story of the taking of Ticonderoga. — The Ausable Yalley. — The Driver's opinion of Deacon Brown. — Scenery on the road. — A quotation under difficulties. — Harvey Moody. — Scenery at Baker's, 13

Chapter III

The Saranac Boats. — The Buckboard. — Harvey kills a Deer. — The Song of Glencoe, 25

Chapter IV

The Lower Saranac Lake. — The Eagle. — Mount Tahawus. — The Loon. — The Gull. — Moose Mountain. — Cove Hill. — Mount Seward. — Whiteface, 31

CHAPTER Y.

Lower Saranac Lake. — A Talk on Trapping. — A Moose Story. — Saranac River. — Moose Mountain. — Middle Falls. — Round Lake. — Umbrella Point. — Bartlctt's. — Upper Saranac Lake, 43

Xll CONTENTS.

CHAPTER YL

PAGE

Sunrise. — Indian Legend. — The Saranac Wizards. — Mode of Carrying the Boats.— The Beaver-Pond Hunt.— The Stony Ponds, 55

CHAPTER YIL

Stony Creek. — Origin of the Indian Plume. — The Kacket River, — Moose Talk. — Panther Story. — Palmer Brook. — Racket-Ealls Camp, . . G9

CHAPTER VIII.

Floating for Deer. — Night Scenery on the Racket, — Owls, — A Camp Scene, 82

CHAPTER IX.

Carry at Racket Falls. — Up the Racket. — Cold River. — Bowen's Camp. — Long Lake. — The River Driver. — Harvey's Woods. - Almanac, 97

CHAPTER X.

Camp Sketches in a Rain Storm. — Lumbering and River Driving, 104

CHAPTER XL Camp Sketches.— Racket Falls Camp Left,— Down tl^e Racket to Calkins, — An onslaught of Musquitoes upon the Saranac Club. — Mart's imitations, 118

CHAPTER XIL A Rainy Day on the Racket.— Down to Folingsby's Brook.— Folingsby's Pond.— Bingham and the Ducks.— Captain Fohngsby, 131

CHAPTER XIII.

Down the Racket.— Old Ramrod.— Trout Fishing at Half-Way Brook.— A Water-Maple.— Cloud Pictures.— Woods in the Wind.— The Great Oxbow.— Ramrod's Shanty; and Chase by Indians.— A Talk on Fishing, with the Opinion of the Guides about it.— A Night Scene on the

River.

CHAPTER XIV.

Simon's Pond.— Harvey's Story of Old Sabele, the Indian.— Driving Deer.— The Simon's Pond Pirate.— Tupper's Lake.— Night Sail on ^^^^' 163

CONTENTS. Xm

CHAPTER XV.

PAOB

Tupper's Lake. — Old Sabele continued. — The Devil's Pulpit. — Its Legend. — A Deer's Leap, — The Camp. — Trout Fishing, lit

CHAPTER XYI.

Bingham Kills a Deer in the Lake. — The Indian Park. — Leo, the Indian. — The Loon. — Showers on the Lake. — In Camp, 188

CHAPTER XVIL Thunder-storms. — Lightning Island. — Thoughts at the Indian Pass. — A high Wind. — Captain Bill Snyder. — Night Sail in the Wind. — Cove at the Devil's Pulpit. — Mist on the Water. — Harvey's Indian Story, . . 202

CHAPTER XVIII.

The Sabbath.— Preaching at the Indian Park.— The Pool.— The Sky.— Pontics.- The Constitution, 224

CHAPTER XIX.

Sail up Tupper's Lake. — Jenkins' Clearing. — The Shanty of the Spring. — Bog River Falls. — Head of the Lake. — Up Bog River, — Leo. — Track of the Moose. — Roar of the Moose. — Mud Lake. — Death of the Moose, 233

CHAPTER XX.

Back to Tupper's Lake, — Night Sail down the Lake, — The Echo. — Deserted Camp. — Message, woods fashion, — Tupper's Lake left, — Down the Racket, — Indian Camp, — The Water-lily, — Legend of its Origin, — The Mink. — News of the Party, — The Eagle-nest. — Through Racket Pond. — The Island, — The Irish Clearing. — Captain Peter's Rocks. — Camp at Setting-Pole Rapids, 248

CHAPTER XXL Fish-Hawk Rapids. — Perciefield Falls. — Death of Sabele. — Beaver Trip agreed upon, — Floating, — The Dark Woods, — The Foot-Tread. — The Indian Jack-Light, 267

CHAPTER XXIL Setting Pole Rapids behind,— Wolf Brook.— Little Wolf and Big Wolf Ponds. — Lumber-Road in the Rain, — Picture Pond, — Beaver Meadow. — Maine Shanty, 277 xiv CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXIII.

PAQB

Path Resumed.— The Medal.— Musquito Pond.— Rawlms Pond.— Floodwood Pond.— The Sable.— A. Network of Ponds.— Long Pond.— The Cranes.— Slang Pond.— Turtle Pond.— Hoel's Pond.— Boat Left.— Through the Woods. — Beaver Meadows.— Beaver Signs. — Beaver Pond.— Beaver Houses. — A Beaver. — The Bivouac 285

CHAPTER XXIV.

Return Path. — Clamshell Pond.— Song-bu"ds. — Beaver-dam. — Beaver-talk. — Absence of Serpents. — Hoel's Pond. — Carry. — Green Pond. — UPPER SARANAC— Eagle.— Water-thatch.— Tommy's Rock.— Goose Island. — Harvey's Opinion of Neighbors. — Phin's Idea of Subordination.— The Loons.— Loon Talk, 299

CHAPTER XXV.

Up Fish-Creek Waters. — Old Dam at Floodwood Pond. — Big Square Pond. — Maine Shanty. — Beaver-dam. — Wind on Upper Saranac. — Bear Point. — The Narrows.— Deer in Lake. — Camping on Point. — Moonlight Scene. — Dawn. — Trail in the Woods. — Down Lake to Bartlett's. — Moonlight Sail through Lower Saranac. — Baker's, 313

CHAPTER XXVI.

Whiteface. — Approach to Mountain. — Upward. — White Falls.— Chasm. — Little Shde. — Great Slide. — Summit. — Prospect. — Descent. — Baker's. — ^Backwoods' Dance. — ^Whiteface Notch. — Homeward 324

Introduction

The wilderness of Northern New York is a plateau ranging from fifteen to eighteen hundred feet above tide. It is one hundred miles in diameter. On the north and east it approaches within thirty or forty miles of the Canada line and Lake Champlain ; on the south, within fifteen or twenty miles of the Mohawk River, and on the west, within the same distance of Black River. It embraces nearly the whole of Essex, Warren, and Hamilton Counties, the southwest portion of Clinton, the south half of Franklin, the southeastern third of St. Lawrence, the eastern third of Lewis, and the northern half of Herkimer.

Different portions of it are known under different names. The northern portion is caUed The Chateaugay Woods ; The St. Regis Woods lie next below ; then comes the Saranac Region ; then that of Racket Lake ; to the east extend the Adirondacks; and below, south and southwesterly, are The Lake Pleasant Region, and John Brown's Tract.

The eastern portion of the plateau is exceedingly mountainous. Here lies the Adirondack range, or group, the most northerly in the State, extending in a general northeast direction from Little Falls, on the Mohawk River, to Cape Trembleau at Lake Champlain. This range presents the conical summits cloven into sharp grey peaks peculiar to its hypersthene formation, and attains in some of its peaks nearly the height of one mile — almost the limit of eternal snow.

XVI INTRODUCTION".

These peaks are Tahawus or Mount Marcy (the central j and tallest, 5400 feet high), Mount Mclntyre, Mount St. Anthony (corrupted to Sanantoni), and Mount Golden.

These mountains are generally isolated, sloping somewhat moderately toward the north, but precipitous at the south.

Other summits rise north, south, and west, some equal in height to those named (except Tahawus) and others but little inferior — Dix's Peak, Nipple Top, Blue Mountain, Mount Seward (a cluster of peaks), Cove Hill, Moose Mountain, Mackenzie's Pond Mountain, and Whiteface. The last is the most northern of all the high crests of the wilderness, and hardly inferior in elevation to Tahawus. The region lying around the south base of Mount Seward was called by the Indians Cough-sa-ra-geh or " The Dismal Wilderness."

In the middle portion of the plateau, the mountains are generally rounded, and, like most of those mentioned above, waving from base to top with forest. The western portion is pleasantly varied by hill and plain.

One great valley shaped like a Y crosses the whole plateau in a northeast direction.

It begins at the junction of Moose River with the Black, continues seventy miles to a point six miles south of Upper Saranac Lake, here branching northerly to Potsdam in St. Lawrence County, and northeasterly to Plattsburg on Lake Champlain.

A remarkable chain of lakes and streams extends along this valley and its northeastern branch, linking (with a few carries, and with the exception of twenty miles of rapids on the lower end of Moose River) Lake Champlain, through the Saranac River and Lakes, the Racket River, Long, Forked, Racket Lakes, the Eight Lakes, and Moose and Black Rivers, with Lake Ontario. The River St. Lawrence is linked with this chain, by the Racket River traversing the northern branch of this valley.

INTRODUCTION. XVll

The waters of this plateau fall naturally into four groups 3r systems, the Saranac, the Racket, the John Brown Tract, md Hudson Kiver.

The first system lies mainly in the southern part of Franklin County, and comprises the Saranac River and Lakes, with the network of ponds and streams lying west and north of the [Jpper Saranac. All these are discharged into Lake Champlain.

The second lies just south, belonging to the south part of Franklin and the north of Hamilton Counties. It includes Racket River through those Counties ; Long Lake the two Forked Lakes ; Racket Lake ; Blue Mountain Lake (with its two lesser sheets. Eagle and Utowana Lakes, and Marion River), and Big and Little Tupper's Lakes; Blue Mountain Lake being the real source of the Racket River, although Racket Lake is generally so designated. These waters flow into the River St. Lawrence.

The third group includes the Eight Lakes : the Reservoir Lakes and other head waters of Black River, and the Moose and Beaver Rivers its branches. This group lies in the west part of Hamilton, the northern part of Herkimer, and eastern part of Lewis Counties, and its waters flow into Lake Ontario.

The fourth system produces the Hudson River, and occupies a portion of Essex County near the western line, and the east and south portions of Hamilton. It embraces the Upper Hudson, the Sacondaga, and Schroon branches of that river (the latter branch, however, is on the edge of the wilderness), Piseco, Round and Pleasant Lakes, and others. Thus, these sources pouring themselves forth to every point of compass form all the larger rivers of the State — ^besides those mentioned, the Ausable, the Salmon, the Grass, the St. Regis, the Oswegatchie, and the East and West Canada Creeks emptying into the Mohawk. And thus, upon this great watershed, and within a circuit of ten miles, rise springs whose waters seek the seas of Labrador and the Bay of New York.

xviii INTRODUCTION.

The extraordinary arrangement of these sources is illustrated by the fact, that the Upper Hudson ripples from the southwest portals of the Indian Pass, and the west branch of the Ausable River from the northeast. Preston Ponds, through Cold River, feed the Racket River at the west; Fountain and Catlin Lakes, west of these, supply the Hudson at the east ; and the Moose River, flowing south-west, almost twines with the Racket waters running north.

Other waters are scattered over the plateau, but not falling within the above systems: the east and west branches of the Ausable, Lake Placid, at the foot of Whiteface, Cranberry Lake, an enlargement of the Oswegatchie River, and Chateaugay, Ragged, and Chazy Lakes, near the northern edge of the forest.

Rich marbles are found in the plateau ; valuable timber and beds of iron ore abound. The last-mentioned, although distributed generally throughout the forest, are found most abundantly in the eastern portion of the plateau, and are as extensive as any in the world. One bed on the Upper Hudson (between Lakes Henderson and Sanford) is worked easily, yields seventy-five per cent, of pure metal, and will produce a steel equal to that of the best Swedish or Russian ores.

The valleys of the eastern portion of the plateau, and the middle and western portions generally, are capable of supplying nearly all the agricultural products native to the State, such as rye, buckwheat, oats, peas, beans, turnips, and potatoes. The soil, however, is especially adapted to grazing. There is but a small quantity of arable land in the mountainous or eastern section; and even this, although strong (shown by its heavy growth of timber) is made less valuable by its low temperature, owing to its elevation and the surrounding mountains.

The soil is a gravelly loam, and is " deep, warm and rich" in many parts of the western division.

INTRODUCTION. XIX

The trees are the pine, hemlock, spruce, white cedar, and fir, among the soft or evergreen kinds, and prevail on the lowest grounds and higher slopes and summits of the hills ; and among the hard-wood species, the maple, beech, white and black ash, birch and elm on the intermediate surface. On the gentle swells between the lakes maple and beech abound.

The climate is the same as the mountainous portions of New England.

It is needless to enlarge upon the grandeur and picturesque beauty of the whole plateau.

Settlements throughout the plateau, of any extent, there are none. Here and there, on the edges of the wilderness, are clusters of rough habitations, and along the lakes and streams is an occasional log cabin, or hunter's shanty. The summer tent of the sportsman alone, in addition, dots the boundless sweep of forest verdure.

All the wild animals of our northern latitude, the panther, bear, wolf, and wild-cat, are here, with the moose, deer, fisher, sable, otter, mink, and muskrat.

The moose is the rarest of all. Still, not a year passes but one is slain in the deep, dark fastnesses which have now become the animal's haunt.

The eagle, the partridge, the loon, the duck are likewise found ; lake trout swarm in the broad waters, and speckled trout in the cold, clear spring-brooks and rapid streams.

Eight or ten years ago, this wilderness hardly contained a hut or shanty, and was rarely invaded by visitors. But of [ate the number of sportsmen and explorers has gradually but greatly increased. The trout, however, are as abuniant as ever, as are also the deer. But the latter have ^rown more timid, and are less certainly found along their once familiar waters. The shout of the loon, too — that symbol of the wildness and loneliness of the scenes haunted

XX INTRODUCTION.

by this wildest and loneliest of birds — now rarely meets i the ear.*

As suggested, the edges of this enormous wilderness are i thinly inhabited by hunters and trappers, who pierce its deepest recesses in their light boats, and act as guides to ' visitors in summer.

The centre of the plateau comprises the region of the Saranac Lakes, the Racket River, from Racket Lake to Perciefield Falls, and a tract around Tupper's Lake. In it are found all the distinctive features of the plateau — broad and beautiful expanses of water ; the loveliest river of the forest ; the prettiest cascades ; one of the highest mountains, commanding the very grandest prospect of all ; and, save one, the sublimest gorge. The chief and almost the only home of the moose lies within it ; trout swarm in the myriad brooks ; and the deer are as plentiful as in any other spot.

Into this centre, then — this wild heart of the wild northern forest — the reader is invited through the following pages.

* For some of the principal routes into the wilderness, see Appendix.

OB,

THE SARANACS AND RACKET.