ADIRONDAC IRON WORKS. • 85 



reached this solitary clearing which overlooks the 

 whole wikl, gigantic and broken mass of the Adiron- 

 dac Mountains. Far over all towered away the lordly 

 peak of Tahawas, nick-named Mount Marcy. Its 

 cone-shaped summit arose out of a perfect sea of 

 mountains, and as I gazed on it I half regretted my 

 determination to ascend it. I never looked on an 

 Alpine height with such misgivings. It was, however, 

 more than twenty miles distant, and a nearer view 

 might diminish the difficulties that from this point 

 seemed insurmountable. Four miles more through 

 the' woods brought us to Lake Sandford, where we 

 found the hunter Cheney, who took us in his boat 

 five miles further on, to the Adirondac Iron Works. 

 These iron works are twenty-five miles from any pub- 

 lic road, in the very heart of the forest. Mr. Hen- 

 derson, of Jersey City, first visited them. He was 

 told by an Indian of their existence, and gave him 

 two hundred dollars to be conducted to them. The 

 mountains around are solid ore, of a very good quality; 

 but the carting of provisions in, and the iron out, eats 

 up all the profits ; so that though two or three hun- 

 dred thousand dollars have been expended on the 

 works, not one dollar has been made. It is a lonely 

 place, and the smoke of a furnace, and the clink of 

 the hammer, are strange sights and sounds there. 

 But of these, more anon. 



