No. 112.] 733 



vast water power so essential to the industrial interests and pros- 

 perity of the county. This water, chiefly arising from s.prings, is 

 usually cold, clear, and pure. Schroon lake, lying partly in 

 Warren county, is ten miles long and one and a half broad, and 

 is remarkable for its quiet and romantic beauty. A higli, preci- 

 pitous shore encloses it on the east, and on the w^est a cultivated 

 and delightful tract spreads its fertile fields down to the brink. 

 This lake forms the reservoir to the waters of the upper Hudson. 

 It is already the channel of a valuable trafic, and will become 

 highly important to the rapidly increasing manufacturing business 

 of the district. 



Paradox lake is situated in the same valley, and is separated 

 from Schroon lake by a drift or alluvial, of apparently modern 

 formation. Paradox lake occupies the basin of hills that environ 

 it in a gentle ascent, except the narrow passage at its outlet, which 

 is a confluent of the Schroon river and nearly on a level with it. 

 The river, swollen by the mountain torrents, often rises higher 

 than this lake, and pours its waters into the basin, presenting the 

 paradoxical appearance of a stream rushing back upon its foun- 

 tain head. The lake derives, from this singular fact, its unique 

 but not inappropriate name. 



Directly east of Schroon lake, and elevated above it several 

 hundred feet, lies Lake Pharaoh, an important body of water, sur- 

 rounded by a group of dark and gloomy mountains. In this vi- 

 cinity cluster numerous ponds, the fountain heads of valuable 

 streams. 



The miniature lakes and ponds, which repose in almost every 

 valley among the Adirondacs, and form the head springs of the 

 HudsoD, possess indescribable romance and beauty. Now they 

 are embraced and hidden by dense and unbroken forests, and now 

 encompassed by lofty mountains, whose inaccessible preci])ices de- 

 scend into their waters by a nearly vertical wall, and now sliuu- 

 Dcring in the bosom of some lovely and picturesque nook, tlieir 

 mirrored surface, reflecting this varied scenery, is alone luoken 

 by the leaping of a trout, the gambols of a deer, or, at far inter- 

 vals, by the oar of the solitary hunter. These gentle and sub- 



