208 BOONEVILLE TO SARATOGA. 



We made the ascent in an hour and a half, the latter part 

 by a path uncomfortably steep and becoming, near the top 

 of the mountain, a rough stairway of roots and rocks. It 

 would both look and be dangerous if it were not for the 

 trees and bushes which partially hide the roof -like declivity 

 behind you and prevent you from sliding or rolling far if 

 you stumble or make a mis-step. Just where the steepness 

 of the ascent ceases, stands the pine tree up which, on 

 cross-sticks firmly nailed upon it, Kate Field some years 

 ago, and before Colvin's signal station was erected, bravely 

 climbed to obtain a desirable outlook. Passing this point 

 northward, perhaps half a mile or less, along the back bone 

 of the mountain and still rising, ( although we found a 

 swampy depression in our path, ) we came to a " timljer 

 slash " of ten or fifteen acres, where the trees had been 

 felled to give an unobstructed view in every direction. In 

 the midst of this opening, founded upon primeval rock 

 which bears the surveyor's cabalistic charactei-s ineradica- 

 bly sunk into the solid mass, is erected a tall, steeple-like, 

 skeleton structure of strongly-braced timbers, on the top of 

 which is fastened the signal of bright tin, which can be 

 seen flashing in the sun many miles away, from valle}^ and 

 mountain peak. This is one of the man}' "signal stations" 

 erected by Verplanck Colvin to aid in his great work of 

 surveying the wilderness by triangulation. 



Upon these timbers we climbed, and perching theiv, 

 twenty feet from the rocks beneath, gazed in every direction 

 upon a wonderful scene. Until then we had never properly 

 conceived of the grandeur of this remarkable region, nor 



