414 THE ADIRONDACK. 



ridge in a long bend, we were compelled to take our 

 boats out and cross over to the head of the rapids. 

 Thus, for seven long hours we wound up this little stream, 

 which, as you looked forward or backward, appeared 

 like a mere crooked gash in the forest ; and at length 

 came to a lakelet or pond. The storm of the night 

 before had brought a change of weather, and here we 

 met a cold north-west wind that chilled us through 

 and through, and swept the surface with such fury 

 that it was hard pulling against it. Passing through 

 this we again entered the stream, and soon came to 

 another pond on which was a single clearing. Here 

 we went ashore and cooked our dinner of trout that 

 we had caught on the way. The solitary settler had 

 heard of the projected railroad through this region, 

 which was to connect Sackett's Harbor with Lake 

 Champlain, for the surveyors had been at his cabin. 

 He was* making a fortune in prospect, but I am afraid, 

 like many other men, he was building castles in the 

 air. He did not know how much I was responsible 

 for his extravagant expectations, for a few years be- 

 fore I had taken a prominent part in forcing a bill 

 through the Legislature, granting an immense tract of 

 land to a company, by mortgaging which to foreign 





