From Bangor to Houlton. 277 



feet above the ordinary level of the river, and that when 

 it broke loose in the spring the crash was awful. All the 

 low grounds along the river were suddenly flooded, and 

 even the elevated plain on which Frederickton stands 

 was covered to the depth of four feet. Fortunately, how- 

 ever, as on the greater streams of the Western and South- 

 ern districts, such an occurrence seldom takes place. 



" Major Clarke, commander of the United States gar- 

 rison, received us with remarkable kindness. The next 

 day was spent in a long, though fruitless, ornithological 

 excursion ; for although we were accompanied by officers 

 and men from the garrison, not a bird did any of our 

 party procure that was of any use to us. We remained a 

 few days, however ; after which, hiring a cart, two horses, 

 and a driver, we proceeded in the direction of Bangor. 

 Houlton is a neat village, consisting of some fifty houses. 

 The fort is well situated, and commands a fine view of 

 Mars Hill, which is about thirteen miles distant. A cus- 

 tom-house has been erected here, the place being on the 

 boundary line of the United States and the British prov- 

 inces. The road, which was cut by the soldiers of this 

 garrison, from Bangor to Houlton, through the forests, is 

 at this moment a fine turnpike of great breadth, almost 

 straight in its whole length, and perhaps the best now in 

 the Union. It was incomplete, however, for some miles, 

 so that our travelling over that portion was slow and dis- 

 agreeable. The rain, which fell in torrents, reduced the. 

 newly-raised earth to a complete bed of mud ; and at one 

 time our horses became so completely mired that, had 

 we not been extricated by two oxen, we must have spent 

 the night near the spot. Jogging along at a very slow 

 pace, we were overtaken by a gay waggoner, who had ex- 

 cellent horses, two of which a little ' siller ' induced him 

 to join to ours, and we were taken to a tavern at the 

 'cross roads,' where we spent the night in comfort 



