I 



Looking for Lumber Lands. 279 



tion, we were obliged absolutely to force what we deemed 

 a suitable reward upon them. Next day we continued 

 our journey along the Penobscot, the country changing 

 its aspect at every mile ; and when we first descried Old 

 Town, that village of saw-mills looked like an island cov- 

 ered with manufactories. The people are noted for their 

 industry and perseverance j any one possessing a mill, and 

 attending to his saws and the floating of the timber into 

 his dams, is sure to obtain a competency in a few years. 



" Speculations in land covered with pine, lying to the 

 north of this place, are carried on to a great extent, and 

 to discover a good tract of such ground many a miller of 

 Old Town undertakes long journeys. Reader, with your 

 leave, I will here introduce one of them. 



" Gook luck brought us into acquaintance with Mr. 

 GiUies, whom we happened to meet in the course of our 

 travels, as he was returning from an exploring tour. 

 About the first of August he formed a party of sixteen 

 persons, each carrying a knapsack and an axe. Their 

 provisions consisted of two hundred and fifty pounds of 

 pilot bread, one hundred and fifty pounds of salted pork, 

 four pounds of tea, two large loaves of sugar, and some 

 salt. They embarked in light canoes, twelve miles north 

 of Bangor, and followed the Penobscot as far as Wassa- 

 taquoik River, a branch leading Xo the north-west, until 

 they reached the Sebois Lakes, the principal of which lie 

 in a line, with short portages between them. Still pro- 

 ceeding north-west, they navigated these lakes, and then 

 turning west, carried their canoes to the great lake 



* Baamchenunsgamook ;' thence north to * Wallaghasque- 

 gamook ' Lake ; then along a small stream to the upper 



* Umsaskis ' Pond, when they, reached the Alleguash 

 River, which leads into the St. John's, in about latitude 

 47° 3'. Many portions of that country had not been vis- 

 ited before even by the Indians, who assured Mr. Gillies 



