THE OLD ADIRONDACKS 



River Railroad, by tolerable wagon-roads which con- 

 verge at Lake Francis, a distance of eighteen or twenty 

 miles ; thence by road and stream twenty-two miles to 

 Beach's Lake, and thence nine miles to Raquette Lake. 

 This route is not much travelled, and the sport will not 

 pay for the hardships of the journey. Boonville is the 

 better starting-point. 



From Potsdam, on the north, there is a very good 

 winter road all the way to " Grave's Lodge " on Big 

 Tupper Lake, whence all parts of the Wilderness are 

 accessible by boat. The summer route is from Potsdam 

 to Colton, ten miles by stage; thence by good wagon- 

 road twelve miles to McEwen's on the Raquette 

 River ; thence six miles to Haw's, with a very short 

 portage ; thence six miles and a half by road to the 

 " Moosehead still water " ; and thence fifteen miles 

 by water to the foot of Raquette Pond, from which 

 there is water communication with Big Tupper and all 

 other points north and south. From McEwen's to 

 Raquette Pond the river is broken by a succession of 

 rapids and falls, around which boats must be carried. 

 Notwithstanding the frequency of the portages, and 

 the vexatious changes from wagon to stream, this is a 

 favorite route for sportsmen, for the adjacent country 

 abounds in fish and game. Visitors to this section do 

 not, however, generally go through, but camp at eligible 

 points, or put up at Pelsue's, Haw's, Ferry's, and other 

 houses below the Piercefield Falls. On the other hand, 

 visitors from above seldom descend as far as Piercefield. 



75 



