28o Life of Audubon. 



of this fact. They continued their travels down the St. 

 John's to the grand falls, where they met with a portage 

 of half a mile, and, having reached Medux-mekcag 

 Creek, a little above Woodstock, the party walked to 

 Houlton, having travelled twelve hundred miles, and de- 

 scribed almost an oval over the country by the time they 

 returned to Old Town on the Penobscot. While anx- 

 iously looking for * lumber lands,' they ascended the emi- 

 nences around, then climbed the tallest trees, and, by 

 means of a great telescope, inspected the pine woods in 

 the distance. And such excellent judges are these per- 

 sons of the value of the timber which they thus observe, 

 when it is situated at a convenient distance from water, 

 that they never afterwards forget the different spots at all 

 worthy of their attention. They had observed only a few 

 birds and quadrupeds, the latter principally porcupines. 

 The borders of the lakes and rivers afforded them fruits 

 of various sorts, and abundance of cranberries, while the 

 uplands yielded plenty of wild white onions and a species 

 of black plum. Some of the party continued their jour- 

 ney in canoes down the St. John's, ascended Eel River, 

 and the lake of the same name to Mattawamkeag River, 

 due south-west of the St. John's, and, after a few por- 

 tages, fell into the Penobscot. I had made arrangements 

 to accompany Mr. Gillies on a journey of this kind, when 

 I judged it would be more interesting, as well as useful 

 to me, to visit the distant country of Labrador. 



"The road which we followed from Old Town to 

 Bangor was literally covered with Penobscot Indians re- 

 turning from market. On reaching the latter beautiful 

 town, we found very comfortable lodgings in an excellent 

 hotel, and next day proceeded by the mail to Boston." 



The following chapter gives some further knowledge 

 of what Audubon saw during his journey through the in- 

 terior of Maine. 



