LOOKING FOR "LUMBER LANDS." 229 



a small stream to tlie upper ' Umsaskiss ' Pond, when they 

 reached the Albugash Eiver, which leads into the St. John's, in 

 about latitude 47° 3'. Many portions of that country had not 

 been visited before even by the Indians, who assured Mr. Grillies 

 of this fact. They continued their travels down the St. John's 

 to the grand falls, where they met with a portage of half a 

 mile, and, having reached Medux-mekcag Greek, a little above 

 Woodstock, the party walked to Houlton, having travelled 

 twelve hundred miles, and described almost an oval over the 

 country by the time they returned to Old Town on the 

 Penobscot. While anxiously looking for ' lumber lands,' they 

 ascended the eminences around, then climbed the tallest trees, 

 and, by means of a great telescope, inspected the pine woods in 

 the distance. And such excellent judges are these persons of 

 the value of the timber which they thus observe, when it is 

 situated at a convenient distance from water, that they never 

 afterwards forget the different spots at all worthy of their 

 attention. They had observed only a few birds and quadrupeds, 

 the latter principally porcupines. The borders of the lakes 

 and rivers afforded them fruits of various sorts, and abundance 

 of cranberries, while the uplands yielded plenty of wild white 

 onions and a species of black plum. Some of the party con- 

 tinued their journey in canoes down the St. John's, ascended 

 Eel Eiver, and the lake of the same name to Matunemheag 

 Eiver, due south-west of the St. John's, and, after a few portages, 

 fell ijito the Penobscot. I had made arrangements to accom- 

 pany Mr. Gillies on a journey of this kind, when I judged it 

 would be more interesting, as well as useful to me, to visit the 

 distant country of Labrador. 



"The road which we followed from Old Town to Bangor was 

 literally covered with Penobscot Indians returning from market. 

 On reaching the latter beautiful town, we found very comfort- 

 table lodgings in an excellent hotel, and next day proceeded 

 by the mail to Boston." 



The following chapter gives some further knowledge of 

 what Audubon saw during his journey through the interior 

 of Maine. 



