FOREST LIFE. 51 



and whined, which soon attracted the attention of the old one. 

 She at once rushed after him, and he was soon glad to drop his 

 prize, but not until the old dam had nearly torn his clothes from 

 his back. 



Arriving at length upon or near the territory to be explored, 

 we haul our bateau safely on shore, and turn it bottom upward. 

 Then, dividing our luggage into parcels, and making use of our 

 blankets for knapsacks, we begin to traverse the wild forests, un- 

 frequented except by the stately moose, the timid deer, the roam- 

 ing black bear, and other wild animals of less note, whom we 

 frequently disturb in their solitary haunts. 



The uneven surface of the country, together with the density 

 of the forest, circumscribe the range of vision. To overcome this 

 impediment, we ascend into the top of some lofty tree. Some- 

 times extensive views of the surrounding forest are obtained from 

 the side of abrupt ridges, and from the top of a Horseback. Tliis 

 latter is an " extremely curious ridge, and consists of sand and 

 gravel, built up exactly like the embankments for rail-roads, the 

 slope on either side being about 30°, while it rises above the sur- 

 rounding low lands" from thirty to ninety feet. Dr. Jackson 

 speaks of one in particular, between Weston and Houlton, in the 

 northeastern part of Maine, " the top of which is perfectly level, 

 and wide enough for two carriages to pass abreast." 



" Its surface was originally covered with Maple, Birch, and hard 

 Pine-trees, while the low lands on either side are covered with 

 a dense growth of Cedars. I could not help thinking, as I looked 

 upon this natural embankment, that it would be easy for an an- 

 tiquarian to mistake this ridge for a work of art, and to suppose 

 that some of the aboriginal inhabitants of our country knew how 

 to annihilate distance by rail-roads. My first impression respect- 

 ing the geological origin of this embankment was that it was al- 

 luvial, and formed the bank on intervening shores of two lakes 

 which existed in the low tracts, now covered with Cedars ; but, 



