(II AFTER XXXI. 



No serious work, like the present, is complete without at 

 least one didactic chapter. The opportune moment and 

 page have arrived, when ami where I propose to give some 

 hints and surest ions, which old campers are requested to 

 omit a^ not being needed by them, hut which all neophytes 

 are invited to read. 



The term " Adirondack*," in popular use is applied to 

 that north-eastern portion of the State of New York which 

 is still almost an unbroken wilderness, and being parts of the 

 counties of St. Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton, Essex, War- 

 ren, Hamilton, Herkimer and Lewis. Across this wilder- 

 ness, ea>t and west, the distance is about eighty miles, 

 north and south, about one hundred miles. It has a 

 wonderful water-system of lakes and rivers which enables 

 the adventurer to explore its innermost recesse&j while the 

 mountains, in ranges ;md groups, are grand and majestic. 



The entire region is skirled by rail-roads distant from its 

 borders about, ten to twenty-five miles, the intervening 

 -pace gradually shading oil' into primitive forest. These 

 rail roads are, on the south, the N. Y. ( '. and II. R. R. R. 

 from Seheneeiady to I'lica: on the west, the Ulica and 

 HIaek River R. I!, to Carthage and Philadelphia, and the 

 Koine, \Vatertown and Ogden^luirg R. R. from Philadel- 

 phia to Potsdam .Junclion: on the north, the Vermont 



