CONCORD, January 28, 1858.
DEAR SIR,--It would be perfectly practicable to go to the Madawaska
the way you propose. As for the route to Quebec, I do not find the
Sugar Loaf Mountains on my maps. The most direct and regular way, as
you know, is substantially Montresor's and Arnold's and the younger
John Smith's--by the Chaudière; but this is less wild. If your object
is to see the St. Lawrence River below Quebec, you will probably
strike it at the Rivière du Loup. (_Vide_ Hodge's account of his
excursion thither _via_ the Allegash,--I believe it is the second
Report on the Geology of the Public Lands of Maine and Massachusetts
in '37.) I think that our Indian last summer, when we talked of going
to the St. Lawrence, named another route, near the Madawaska,--perhaps
the St. Francis,--which would save the long portage which Hodge made.
I do not know whether you think of ascending the St. Lawrence in a
canoe; but if you should, you might be delayed not only by the
current, but by the waves, which frequently run too high for a canoe
on such a mighty stream. It would be a grand excursion to go to Quebec
by the Chaudière, descend the St. Lawrence to the Rivière du Loup, and
return by the Madawaska and St. John to Fredericton, or
farther,--almost all the way _down-stream_--a very important
consideration.
I went to Moosehead in company with a party of four who were going
a-hunting down the Allegash and St. John, and thence by some other
stream over into the Restigouche, and down that to the Bay of
Chaleur,--to be gone six weeks. Our northern terminus was an island in
Heron Lake on the Allegash. (_Vide_ Colton's railroad and township map
of Maine.)
The Indian proposed that we should return to Bangor by the St. John
and Great Schoodic Lake, which we had thought of ourselves; and he
showed us on the map where we should be each night. It was then noon,
and the next day night, continuing down the Allegash, we should have
been at the Madawaska settlements, having made only one or two
portages; and thereafter, on the St. John there would be but one or
two more falls, with short carries; and if there was not too much
wind, we could go down that stream one hundred miles a day. It is
settled all the way below Madawaska. He knew the route well. He even
said that this was easier, and would take but little more time, though
much farther, than the route we decided on,--_i. e._, by Webster
Stream, the East Branch, and main Penobscot to Oldtown; but he may
have wanted a longer job. We preferred the latter, not only because it
was shorter, but because, as he said, it was wilder.
We went about three hundred and twenty-five miles with the canoe
(including sixty miles of stage between Bangor and Oldtown); were out
twelve nights, and spent about $40 apiece,--which was more than was
necessary. We paid the Indian, who was a very good one, $1.50 per day
and 50 cents a week for his canoe. This is enough in ordinary seasons.
I had formerly paid $2 for an Indian and for white batteau-men.
If you go to Madawaska in a leisurely manner, supposing no delay on
account of rain or the violence of the wind, you may reach Mt. Kineo
by noon, and have the afternoon to explore it. The next day you may
get to the head of the lake before noon, make the portage of two and a
half miles over a wooden railroad, and drop down the Penobscot half a
dozen miles. The third morning you will perhaps walk half a mile about
Pine Stream Falls, while the Indian runs down,--cross the head of
Chesuncook, reach the junction of the Caucomgomock and Umbazookskus by
noon, and ascend the latter to Umbazookskus Lake that night. If it is
low water, you may have to walk and carry a little on the Umbazookskus
before entering the lake. The fourth morning you will make the carry
of two miles to Mud Pond (Allegash water),--and a very wet carry it
is,--and reach Chamberlain Lake by noon, and Heron Lake, perhaps, that
night, after a couple of very short carries at the outlet of
Chamberlain. At the end of two days more you will probably be at
Madawaska. Of course the Indian _can_ paddle twice as far in a day as
he commonly does.
Perhaps you would like a few more details. We used (three of us)
exactly twenty-six pounds of hard bread, fourteen pounds of pork,
three pounds of coffee, twelve pounds of sugar (and could have used
more), besides a little tea, Indian meal, and rice,--and plenty of
berries and moose-meat. This was faring very luxuriously. I had not
formerly carried coffee, sugar, or rice. But for solid food, I decide
that it is not worth the while to carry anything but hard bread and
pork, whatever your tastes and habits may be. These wear best, and you
have no time nor dishes in which to cook anything else. Of course you
will take a little Indian meal to fry fish in; and half a dozen lemons
also, if you have sugar, will be very refreshing,--for the water is
warm.[84]
To save time, the sugar, coffee, tea, salt, etc., should be in
separate water-tight bags, labeled, and tied with a leathern string;
and all the provisions and blankets should be put into two large
india-rubber bags, if you can find them water-tight. Ours were not. A
four-quart tin pail makes a good kettle for all purposes, and tin
plates are portable and convenient. Don't forget an india-rubber
knapsack, with a large flap,--plenty of dish-cloths, old newspapers,
strings, and twenty-five feet of strong cord. Of india-rubber
clothing, the most you can wear, if any, is a very light coat,--and
that you cannot work in. I could be more particular,--but perhaps have
been too much so already.