SCIENTinC SURVEY. 3^3 



Reconkoisance of the Schoodic Vai-ley. 



To EzEKiEL Holmes, M. D., Naturalist to the 



Scientific Survey of Maine : 



Sir : — You will remember that when our parties reached Wood- 

 stock, N. B., in 1861, after having examined portions of the 

 Penobscot and St. John rivers, it was proposed that Mr. Hitch- 

 cock, with an assistant, continue down towards Eel river, and 

 thence come to the eastern Schoodic lakes. These plans, which 

 were admirably arranged, were completely frustrated by a con- 

 tinuance of stormy weather, and the sudden illness of one of the 

 party. Therefore it became necessary to reserve the examination 

 of the south-eastern portion of Maine, till the ensuing season. 



After various divisions of our corps had visited, in succession, 

 Somerset, Aroostook and Knox counties, during the summer of 

 the present year, 1862, Mr. Hitchcock desired me to meet him at 

 Calais on the 6th of August, for the purpose of assisting in an ex- 

 amination of the valley of the St. Croix, or Schoodic, river. Mr. 

 H. arrived in Calais August 1th, and commenced immediately a 

 general survey of the western shore of the river between that city 

 and the town of Princeton. In this and many other portions of 

 our tour, we received very much assistance from Wm. W. Sawyer, 

 Esq., Superintendent of the Calais and Lewey's Island Railroad. 

 Through his kindness we were enabled to make a minute and 

 somewhat protracted survey of the country lying along the line of 

 rail, and were offered every facility for free transportation of our 

 party and their baggage, over the railroad. His politeness was 

 sincerely appreciated by us, and deserves this public acknowl- 

 edgement. 



There are two branches of the Schoodic river, one coming from 

 the chain of lakes lying to the west, and the other from the north. 

 Each of these branches were to be examined by us, and we chose 

 the western for exploration first, because such a course would har- 

 monize better with subsequent plans. Accordingly we arrived at 

 Princeton, on Lewey's lake, on the Uth of August. Princeton, the 

 western terminus of the " Calais and Lewey's Island Railroad,'' is 

 an enterprising village, in which the main business is lumbering 

 and the shingle trade. It is quite advantageously situated upon 

 the eastern shore of a small lake named for one of the Passama- 

 quoddy tribe of Indians. The fall at the outlet of the lake is such 

 as to afford fair water privileges to several mills, without interfer- 

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