THE ADIRONDACK^. 69 



nown among the list of mighty Mmrods ; what though the 

 wilderness blooms with radiant parasols, and pianos thrum 

 throughout the realm ; there yet is ample room for the sports- 

 man, and solitude sufficient for the most sentimental lover 

 of nature. The very contour of the land makes roads im- 

 practicable. It is everywhere broken up into mountain 

 ranges, groups, and isolated peaks, interspersed with innu- 

 merable basins and water-courses, nearly all connecting. 

 These are the heads and feeders of numerous rivers that 

 flow to every point of the compass, and after tumbling down 

 the lofty water-shed in a series of rapids, fall into the lakes 

 or ocean. These are the sources of the Hudson, the Oswa- 

 gatchie, Black Eiver, Kaquette, St. Eegis, Ausable, and Sar- 

 anac. It is only where a valuable iron deposit makes it pay 

 to surmount the natural obstacles, that some solitary 

 tramway penetrates into the heart of the mountains. 

 The few fertile districts and tillable spots are likely to re- 

 main unoccupied forever for lack of highways to a market, 

 unless, perchance, the growth of succeeding centuries drives 

 an overflowing population to the very crags of this American 

 Switzerland. 



It has been proposed to make a national park of this 

 grand domain, and dedicate it forever to sports of forest, 

 lake, and field. Why not ? Here is a territory of three mil- 

 lions and a half of acres, or five thousand square miles 

 larger than the state of Connecticut. Let the disciples of 

 the rod and gun go up and possess the land. Let the girls 

 romp. Let the pianos thrum. Let the wild-wood ring 

 with the merry laughter of healthy women real flesh and 

 blood women who will make wives too good for the sour as- 

 cetics who would fain frown them out. Precious indeed in 

 these cloudy times of irksome servitude are the holiday 

 hours we snatch, sparkling with dew and sunshine, from the 

 beatitude of the better day. And what more genial 

 warmth can the sportsman find than the female welcome 



