SIGHTS FROM BLUE MOUNTAIN TOP. 209 



of flu- " general plan " of the mountains, lakes and rivers 

 of the Adirondack wilderness. It is forest, every where, 

 and mountain, lake and river repeated on every hand; and 

 all tin-scare seen, I imagine, \vilh something of the effect 

 produced upon the mind of the beholder by looking down 

 upon these features of nature from a balloon. 



On the south and east, we saw mountains and valleys and 

 tin- " Indian Clearing," and the silvery, wind! Discourses of 

 Cedar and Indian rivers. At the west, we looked down 

 upon Kaquetle Lake apparently broken up into half a do/en 

 lakes by the projecting tongues of forest ; and beyond, upon 

 Bald Mountain and forest without end. Long Lake and 

 Forked Lake, were almost at our feet. Owls Head Moun- 

 tain, its bald brow bare in the sunlight, seemed not far off; 

 but beyond, the caravan of huge, elephantine backs moved 

 off in pron-ssion toward the Canadian line. Turning our 

 ga/e to the north-east the grandeur of the scene w>as almost 

 overwhelming. The true Adirondacks were before us 

 the almost impenetrable region of mountain heights and 

 gloomy chasms; the ivgion of terrific storms; where 

 mountain peak bellows delianee to mountain peak in the 

 thunders that rock even the mountains in their supernatural 

 force and fury. As far as the eye can reach, this grand 

 mountain range extends, ite gloomy fierceness softened to 

 the eye by the blue ha/eand the Hoods of sunshine resting 

 upon the huge backs and shoulders and brows, but made 

 thereby even more shaggy, tierce and terrible to the imagi-' 

 nation which defies the air and sun, as ha/e and sunshine 

 ca<l their robes over the sleeping patriarchs to hide their 

 awfulness. 



