264 LINES IN PLEASANT PLACES 



train, was a continued delight ; for the scenery, where 

 it is not magnificent, is always picturesque. In the 

 summer there is a service of steamers from New York 

 to Albany, up and down ; but just as I was too soon 

 for the fishing, so was I too soon for the summer ex- 

 cursions. The knowledge that the boats would begin 

 to run in three or four days' time was no consolation to 

 me. Had it been otherwise I should have left the 

 train at Albany and taken the Hudson steamer. Still, 

 I had 150 miles of ever varying scenery, with the noble 

 Hudson on my right hand nearly the entire distance. 

 You soon get accustomed to the great white buildings, 

 that at first remind one of a covered ship-building yard, 

 but which you soon discover are the ice-houses in which 

 is stored the cooling material for the cunning summer 

 drinks which the American loves. By and by moun- 

 tain masses appear in the distance, and the broad 

 meadow land narrows, until you are confronted by 

 bold headlands rising often uprightly from the water. 



Of course, the Catskill Mountains are the piece de 

 resistance of this trip, and amongst the places where 

 one would like to stop is Fishkill, a few miles below 

 Poughkeepsie, the points of beauty being the city of 

 Newburgh, over the water, and the widening of the 

 river known as Newburgh Bay. Then come the fine 

 Highlands of the Hudson, with massive granite preci- 

 pices, and Storm King towering boldly 1,529 ft. above 

 the level. West Point succeeds ; and there is more 

 beautiful scenery at Peekskill. After the State prison 

 of Sing Sing we run past the Sleepy Hollow country, 

 with associations of Knickerbocker, Rip Van Winkle, 

 and the romantic Dutch citizens of old New Amster- 

 dam. The Palisades (twenty miles of lofty, rugged 

 natural wall) are a fine finish to the run. 



There seemed to be enough nets and fishing apparatus 



