239
Upper Megalloway River, Maine.
1898.
September 19
  Sunny but very smoky atmosphere and a violent
N.W. wind. A heavy thunder shower in early evening.
[margin]From the
Meadow Camp
to the Forks.[/margin]
  Left the Meadow Camp (where we left Mrs. Melvin) at 8 A.M.
and reached Parmachenee Carry (near the Forks) at 11.30 A.M.
rowing the whole distance (12 inches). The river for the whole
of this stretch reminded me of the Cambridge but it is
wider and even more beautiful with frequent glympses
of rather high mountains. It is quite as winding as the
Cambridge and a straight stretch more than 100 yards in
length is a rarity. For the first eight miles it flows through
wild meadow lands dotted with clusters of elms and
white maples and shaggy with rank beds of wild grasses.
For the last four miles there are high banks covered with
"grown woods" and the current is very rapid in places.
I have rarely seen a country so nearly barren of visable [sic] animal
life. A fish Hawk, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, two Kingfishers,
a Flicker, ten or twelve Blue Jays, and a few Yellow rumped
Warblers were all the birds that we saw during the trip
but I heard a Pine Grosbeak and several Hudsonian
Chickadees. Not  a Heron, nor a Muskrat or even a 
Red Squirrel was seen. The total absence of Ducks was
the strangest thing of all for there are countless logans
& pond holes admirably suited to the woods. I remember
that twenty five or more years ago when Ducks were
very numerous about Umbagog there were said to be
almost none on the Upper Megalloway.
[margin]Scenery[/margin]
[margin]Birds[/margin]
[margin]Pine Grosbeak[/margin]
[margin]Total absence
of Ducks![/margin]
  We fished at Grass Eddy at sunset but caught only
two small trout. A Peabody bird sang twice & a Hermit
chucked near us. Night closed in dark windy & rainy but the
stars were out by 10 P.M.
[margin]Trout
fishing[/margin]