Seventeen miles from Portland, and forty-three from North Conway. For a
short distance before reaching the lake, the run is devoid of interest
and exceedingly tame; but as the road skirts the shores of this
beautiful sheet of water, and its broad expanse stretches away in the
distance, bounded by wooded shores and sandy beaches, the change is
magical, and the contrast a most pleasing one. Sebago itself is twelve
miles long and nine miles wide, and is connected with Long Pond by means
of Songo River and the “Bay of Naples,” formerly “Brandy Pond,”--before
the days of the “Maine law.” The entire chain of lakes, river and bay
affords a steamboat ride of sixty-eight miles in the round trip.
Bridgton, one of the steamer-landings on Long Pond, is the birth-place
of the genial humorist “Artemus Ward.” From Portland, a pleasant and
popular trip consists of a ride to Sebago by the morning train, a trip
over the lake to Bridgton, returning in time for the evening train to
Portland.
[Illustration: CITY AND HARBOR OF PORTLAND, FROM CAPE ELIZABETH.]
And thither, in the continuation of our excursion, we too must go. Only
seventeen miles more of our long and delightful journey “from Chicago to
the Sea” remain to be traversed. Almost regretfully we linger over the
few last leagues of the trip, but remembering that either way from
Portland our excursion may be lengthened indefinitely, we resume our
seats in the train, and in fifty minutes are in