voyage of the paper canoe-第9部分

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ak；　　if　these　had　tongues；　they　would；　like　Tennyson's　Brook；　〃go　on　forever；〃　for　surely　they　would　never　have　done　telling　the　tender　tales　they　have　heard。　　Nor　would　it　be　possible　to　find　a　more　fitting　spot　for　the　　cultivation　of　love　and　sentiment　than　this　charming　lake　affords；　for　Nature　seems　to　have　created　Lake　George　in　one　of　her　happiest　moments。　This　lake　is　about　thirty…four　miles　long；　and　varies　in　width　from　one　to　four　miles。　　Its　greatest　depth　is　about　the　same　as　that　of　Champlain。　　It　possesses　（like　all　the　American　lakes　when　used　as　fashionable　watering…places）　the　usual　three　hundred　and　sixty…five　islands。

When　I　left　the　Mayeta　I　followed　a　narrow　footpath　to　a　rough　mountain　road；　which　in　turn　led　me　through　the　forests　towards　Lake　George。　　In　an　isolated　dell　I　found　the　home　of　one　Levi　Smith；　who　piloted　me　through　the　woods　to　the　lake；　and　ferried　me　in　a　skiff　across　to　Hague；　when　I　dined　at　the　hotel；　and　resumed　my　journey　along　the　shores　to　Sabbath　Day　Point；　where　at　four　o'clock　P。　M。　a　steamer　on　its　trip　from　Ticonderoga　to　the　south　end　of　the　lake　stopped　and　took　me　on　board。　　We　steamed　southward　to　where　high　mountains　shut　in　the　lake；　and　for　several　miles　threaded　the　〃Narrows〃　with　its　many　pretty　islands；　upon　one　of　which　Mr。　J。　Henry　Hill；　the　　hermit…artist；　had　erected　his　modest　home；　and　where　he　toiled　at　his　studies　early　and　late；　summer　and　winter。　　Three　goats　and　a　squirrel　were　his　only　companions　in　this　lonely　but　romantic　spot。

During　one　cold　winter；　when　the　lake　was　frozen　over　to　a　depth　of　two　feet；　and　the　　forests　were　mantled　in　snow；　Mr。　Hill's　brother；　a　civil　engineer；　made　a　visit　to　this　icy　region；　and　the　two　brothers　surveyed　the　Narrows；　making　a　correct　map　of　that　portion　of　the　lake；　with　all　its　islands　carefully　located。　　Mr。　Hill　afterwards　made　an　etching　of　this　map；　　surrounding　it　with　an　artistic　border　representing　objects　of　interest　in　the　locality。

Late　in　the　afternoon　the　steamer　landed　me　at　Crosbyside；　on　the　east　shore；　about　a　mile　from　the　head　of　the　lake；　resting　beneath　the　shady　groves　of　which　I　beheld　one　of　the　most　charming　views　of　Lake　George。　Early　the　　following　morning　I　took　up　my　abode　with　a　farmer；　one　William　Lockhart；　a　genial　and　eccentric　gentleman；　and　a　descendant　of　Sir　Walter　Scott's　son…in…law。　Mr。　Lockhart's　little　cottage　is　half　a　mile　north　of　Crosbyside；　and　near　the　high　bluff　which　Mr。　Charles　O'Conor；　the　distinguished　lawyer　of　New　York　city；　　presented　to　the　Paulist　Fathers；　whose　　establishment　is　on　Fifty…ninth　Street　in　that　metropolis。　Here　the　members　of　the　new　Order　come　to　pass　their　summer　vacations；　bringing　with　them　their　theological　students。　The　Paulists　are　hard　workers；　visiting　and　holding　〃missions〃　in　　Minnesota；　California；　and　other　parts　of　the　United　States。　　They　seem　to　feel　forcibly　the　truth　expressed　in　these　lines；　which　are　to　be　found　in　〃Aspirations　of　Nature；〃　a　work　written　by　the　founder　of　their　order；　Father　Hecker：　　〃Existence　is　not　a　dream；　but　a　solemn　reality。　Life　was　not　given　to　be　thrown　away　on　　miserable　sophisms　but　to　be　employed　in　earnest　search　after　truth。〃

Mr。　Lockhart　kindly　offered　to　escort　me　to　the　convent　of　St。　Mary's　on　the　Lake；　and　after　following　the　mountain　road　for　a　quarter　of　a　mile　to　the　north　of　the　cottage　of　my　companion；　we　entered　the　shady　grounds　of　the　convent　and　were　kindly　received　on　the　long　piazza　by　the　Father　Superior；　Rev。　A。　F。　Hewit；　who　　introduced　me　to　several　of　his　co…laborers；　a　party　of　them　having　just　returned　from　an　excursion　to　the　Harbor　Islands　at　the　northern　end　of　the　Narrows；　which　property　is　owned　by　the　Order。　I　was　told　that　the　members　of　this　new　religious　establishment　numbered　about　thirty；　and　that　all　but　four　were　converts　from　our　Protestant　faith。　Their　property　in　New　York　city　is　probably　worth　half　a　million　of　dollars；　and　the　Sunday　schools　under　their　charge　contain　about　　fifteen　hundred　scholars。　　Here；　among　others；　I　saw　Father　D____；　who　gave　up　his　　distinguished　position　as　instructor　of　the　art　of　war　at　the　Military　Academy　of　West　Point；　to　　become　a　soldier　of　the　Cross；　preferring　to　serve　his　Master　by　preaching　the　gospel　of　peace　to　mankind。　　Under　an　overhanging　rock　at　a　little　distance　were　conversing；　most　happily；　two　young　priests；　who　a　few　years　before　had　fought　on　opposite　sides　during　the　civil　strife　which　resulted　in　the　preservation　of　the　Great　Republic。

A　mathematician　and　astronomer　from　the　Cambridge　and　also　from　a　government　　observatory；　who　had　donned　the　cassock；　gave　me　much　valuable　information　in　regard　to　the　　mountain　peaks　of　Lake　George；*　which　he　had　　carefully　studied　and　accurately　measured。　Through　his　courtesy　and　generosity　I　am　enabled　to　give　on　the　preceding　page　the　results　of　his　labors。


*　Heights　of　mountains　of　Lake　George；　New　York　state；　　obtained　by　Rev。　George　M。　Searle；　C。　S。　P。

Finch；　between　Buck　and　Spruce；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1595　feet。　Cat…Head；　near　Bolton；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1640　feet。　Prospect　Mountain；　west　of　Lake　George　village；　1730　feet。　Spruce；　near　Buck　Mountain；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1820　feet。　Buck；　east　shore；　south　of　Narrows；　　　　　　　　　　　　　2005　feet。　Rear；　between　Buck　and　Black；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　2200　feet。　Black；　the　monarch　of　Lake　George；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　2320　feet。

From　another　authority　I　find　that　Lake　Champlain　is　ninety…three　feet　above　the　Atlantic　tide…level；　and　that　Lake　George　is　two　hundred　and　forty　feet　above　Lake　Champlain；　or　three　　hundred　and　thirty…three　feet　above　the　sea。


The　interesting　conversation　was　here　　interrupted　by　the　tolling　of　the　convent　bell。　　A　deep　silence　prevailed；　as；　with　uncovered　heads　and　upon　bended　knees；　the　whole　company　most　devoutly　crossed　themselves　while　repeating　a　prayer。　　I　felt　much　drawn　towards　a　young　priest　with　delicate　and　refined　features；　who　now　engaged　me　in　conversation。　　He　was　an　adept　in　all　that　related　to　boats。　　He　loved　the　beautiful　lake；　and　was　never　happier　than　when　upon　its　mirrored　surface；　except　when　laboring　at　his　duties　among　the　poor　of　the　ninth　　district　of　New　York。　　The　son　of　a　distinguished　general；　he　inherited　rare　talents；　which　were　placed　at　his　Saviour's　service。　His　Christianity　was　so　liberal；　his　aspirations　so　noble；　his　　sympathies　so　strong；　that　I　became　much　interested　in　him；　and　when　I　left　the　lake；　shortly　after；　he　quietly　said；　〃When　you　return　next　summer　to　build　your　cottage；　let　me　help　you　plan　the　boat…house。〃　But　when　I　returned　to　the　shores　of　Lake　George；　after　the　completion　of　my　　voyage　to　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　no　helping　hand　was　there；　and　I　built　my　boat…house　unassisted；　for　the　gentle　spirit　of　the　missionary　Paulist　had　gone　to　God　who　gave　it；　and　Father　Rosencranz　was　receiving　his　reward。

When　I　joined　my　travelling　companion；　David　Bodfish；　he　grievously　inveighed　against　the　　community　of　Whitehall　because　some　dishonest　boatmen　from　the　canal　had　appropriated　the　stock　of　pipes　and　tobacco　he　had　laid　in　for　his　three　or　four　days'　voyage　to　Albany。　〃Sixty　cents'　worth　of　new　pipes　and　tobacco；〃　said　　David；　in　injured　tones；　〃is　a　great　loss；　and　a　　Bodfish　never　was　worth　anything　at　work　without　his　tobacco。　I　used　to　pour　speerits　down　to　keep　my　speerits　up；　but　of　late　years　I　have　depended　on　tobacco；　as　the　speerits　one　gets　nowadays　isn't　the　same　kind　we　got　when　I　was　a　boy　and　worked　in　old　Hawkin　Swamp。〃

Canal　voyaging；　after　one　has　experienced　the　sweet　influences　of　lakes　George　and　　Champlain；　is　indeed　monotonous。　But　to　follow　　connecting　watercourses　it　was　necessary　for　the　Mayeta　to　traverse　the　Champlain　Canal　　（sixty…four）　and　the　Erie　Canal　（six　miles）　from　　Whitehall　to　Albany　on　the　Hudson　River；　a　total　distance　of　seventy　miles。

There　was　nothing　of　sufficient　interest　in　the　passage　of　the　canal　to　be　worthy　of　record　save　the　giving　way　of　a　lock…gate；　near　Troy；　and　the　precipitating　of　a　canal…boat　into　the　vortex　of　waters　that　followed。　　By　this　accident　my　boat　was　detained　one　day　on　the　banks　of　the　canal。　　On　the　fourth　day　the　Mayeta　ended　her　services　by　arriving　at　Albany；　where；　after　a　journey　of　four　hundred　miles；　experience　had　taught　me　that　I　could　travel　more　quickly　in　a　lighter　boat；　and　more　conveniently　and　　economically　without　a　companion。　　It　was　now　about　the　first　week　in　August；　and　the　delay　which　would　attend　the　building　of　a　new　boat　　especially　adapted　for　the　journey　of　two　thousand　miles　yet　to　be　travelled　would　not　be　lost；　as　by　waiting　a　few　weeks；　time　would　be　given　for　the　malaria　on　the　rivers　of　New　Jersey；　　Delaware；　and　Maryland；　and　even　farther　south；　to　be　eradicated　by　the　fall　frosts。　　David　returned　to　his　New　Jersey　home　a　happy　man；　invested　with　the　importance　which　attaches　itself　to　a　great　traveller。　　I　had　unfortunately　contributed　to　Mr。　Bodfish's　thirst　for　the　marvellous　by　reading　to　him　at　night；　in　our　lonely　camp；　Jules　Verne's　imaginative　〃Journey　to　the　　Centre　of　the　Earth。〃　　David　was　in　ecstasies　over　this　wonderful　contribution　to　fiction。　　He　　preferred　fiction　to　truth　at　any　time。　　Once；　while　reading　to