EXPLORATIONS AMONG THE WHITE MOUNTAINS. II 3 



enough to wake a Rip Van Winkle. Huntington, Clough, Smith, and myself, were 

 out in a moment, and after having the " hurricane " lantern twice extinguished (it is 

 warranted to burn the brighter the higher the wind), we succeeded in nailing boards 

 over the aperture. Still the bombardment was going on for an hour, but no more glass 

 was broken. The supply of ammunition was exhausted by lo o'clock, and then, though 



the wind was terrific, we did not mind the gale The line failed just after 



Holden's Journal despatch went. One thing more : our friends have had the enjoy- 

 ment of a very respectable if not a first-class gale. It does not seem now as if it would 

 rise to the rank of that of December, January, or the one of last week. The temper- 

 ature at 9 p. M. was — 20°. Hourly observations to-day. 



February 13. The party left at 11 : 20. Smith and I watched them going down as 

 long as we could see them, and then returned to the house, perhaps a little envious : 

 more silent we certainly were than usual, though this is not the first time we have lived 

 by ourselves. Really, these few days have passed most agreeably. . . . The clouds 

 in the morning did not present any remarkable features for this locality, but from 3 to 

 4 -.30 p. M. there was an extensive "sea of clouds." It extended from a point 60 miles 

 north, far as the ocean east, bounded only by the horizon. This summit was alone 

 above the cloud. It was to the eye a frozen polar ocean, here and there a lofty moun- 

 tain of ice rising from the apparent dead level surface. The setting sun, throwing a 

 silvery light along the cloud, dispelled the illusion. Perfectly clear overhead all day ; 

 our sunny day contrasts strongly with the cold, gloomy, cloudy one below. If we have 

 much cloud here, it is not always sunshine there. 



February 22. The only perfectly clear day this month; cool, the mean temperature 

 being but 2°- These clear days, and, if nearly calm, so much the better, are the chief 

 attractions, or rather among them, for cloud-views count in the list. On such days 

 even the most distant mountain peaks are clearly outlined. Katahdin is to-day plainly 

 seen, as are some mountains in Canada as distant. The view is not often good in a 

 southerly direction ; it is not to-day. The mountains belonging to this group show 

 grandly in the bright sunlight. . . . Smith has been working on the line, and I 

 have spent the day in writing. In such weather this is a pleasant winter residence. 

 Anniversary of Washington's birthday, and we had not thought of it until now ! We 

 might have raised our little flag in honor of the day, — it would have been "quite the thing." 

 February 26. A morning perfect as a morning of winter can well be. Clouds in the 

 valleys, — the ocean visible for a long distance up and down the coast, and far out at 

 sea. About 9 a. m. a heavy cloud commenced to move inland, one portion of it mov- 

 ing up the Saco valley. Its progress was so slow that it did not shut the Glen house in 

 till 7 p. M. 



February 28. This is one of those days which make us contented with our home. It 

 cleared off early in the morning. Wind from 50 to 70 miles per hour. The mean 

 temperature for to-day is 0° The frost-work is again fine ; and the house, if not a 

 marble palace, looks like a building fashioned from purest marble, — no part of the 

 chains, wooden braces, or finish to be seen. 

 VOL. I. 15 



