SIGHTS FROM BLUE MOUNTAIN TOP. 209 



of the " general plan " of the inoimtains, lakes and rivers 

 of the Adirondack wilderness. It is forest, every where, 

 and mountain, lake and river repeated on every hand; and 

 all these ai'e seen, 1 imagine, with something of the effect 

 produced upon tlie mind of the beholder by looking down 

 upon these features of nature from a V)alloon. 



< )n the south and east, we saw mountains and valleys and 

 the •' Indian Clearing," and the silvery, winding courses of 

 Cedar and Indian rivers. At the west, we looked down 

 uiK)ii Kaquette Lake apparently broken up into half a dozen 

 lakes by the projecting tongues of forest; and beyond, upon 

 liald Moimtain and forest without entl. Long Lake and 

 ForkcHl Lake were almost at our feet. Owls Head ^loun- 

 lain, its bald brow bare in the sunlight, seemed not far off; 

 but beyond, the caravan of huge, elephantine backs moved 

 olf in procession toward the Canadian line. Turning our 

 gaze to the north-east the grandem- of the scene was almost 

 overwhelming. The true Adirondacks were before us — 

 the almost impenetrable region of mountain heights and 

 gloomy chasms; the region of territic storms; where 

 mountain peak bellows defiance to mountain peak in the 

 thunders that rock even the mountains in their sui)ernatural 

 force and fury. As far as the eye can reach, this grand 

 mountain range extends, — its gloomy fierceness softened to 

 the eye by the blue haze and the floods of sunshine resting 

 upon the huge backs and shoulders and brows, but made 

 thereby even more shaggy, fierce and terrible to the imagi- 

 nation which defies the air and sun, as haze and sunshine 

 cast their robes over the sleeping patriarchs to hide their 

 awful ness. 



