The Heart of the White Mountains, Their Legend and Scenery / Tourist's Edition

by Samuel Adams Drake

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Tourist’s Edition

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THE HEART
OF THE
WHITE MOUNTAINS
THEIR LEGEND AND SCENERY

BY
SAMUEL ADAMS DRAKE
AUTHOR OF “NOOKS AND CORNERS OF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST” “CAPTAIN NELSON” ETC.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY
W. HAMILTON GIBSON
“Eyes loose: thoughts close”
NEW YORK
HARPER & BROTHERS. FRANKLIN SQUARE
1882

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1881, by
HARPER & BROTHERS,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
All rights reserved.

To JOHN G. WHITTIER:

An illustrious and venerated bard, who shares with you the love and honor of his countrymen, tells us that the poets are the best travelling companions. Like Orlando in the forest of Arden, they “hang odes on hawthorns and elegies on thistles.”

In the spirit of that delightful companionship, so graciously announced, it is to you, who have kindled on our aged summits

“The light that never was on sea or land,
The consecration and the poet’s dream.”

that this volume is affectionately dedicated by

THE AUTHOR.

PREFACE.

THE very flattering reception which the sumptuous holiday edition of “The Heart of the White Mountains” received on its début has decided the Messrs. Harper to re-issue it in a more convenient and less expensive form, with the addition of a Tourist’s Appendix, and an Index farther adapting it for the use of actual travellers. While all the original features remain intact, these additions serve to render the references in the text intelligible to the uninstructed reader, and at the same time help to make a practical working manual. One or two new maps contribute to the same end.

I take the opportunity thus afforded me to say that, when “The Heart of the White Mountains” was originally prepared, I hoped it might go into the hands of those who, making the journey for the first time, feel the need of something different from the conventional guide-book of the day, and for whom it would also be, during the hours of travel or of leisure among the mountains, to some extent an entertaining as well as a useful companion. So far as author and publisher are concerned, that purpose is now realized.

Finally, I wrote the book because I could not help it.

Samuel Adams Drake.

Melrose, January, 1882.

GENERAL CONTENTS.

[FIRST JOURNEY.]
PAGE
[I.]	My Travelling Companions	[1]
[II.]	Incomparable Winnipiseogee: Voyage from Wolfborough to Centre Harbor.—TheIndians.—Centre Harbor.—Legendary.—Ascent of Red Hill.—Sunseton the Lake	[8]
[III.]	Chocorua: Stage Journey to Tamworth.—Scramble for Places.—Valley of theBear Camp.—Legend of Chocorua.—Sandwich Mountains.—Chocorua Lake.—Ascentof Mount Chocorua	[18]
[IV.]	Lovewell: Fryeburg.—Lovewell’s Fight.—Desperate Encounter with the Pigwackets.—Deathof Paugus	[33]
[V.]	North Conway: The Antechamber of the Mountains.—White Horse Ledge.—Fordingthe Saco.—Indian Custom.—Echo Lake.—The Cathedral.—Diana’sBaths.—Artists’ Falls.—The Moats.—Winter Ascent of Mount Kearsarge	[39]
[VI.]	From Kearsarge to Carrigain: Conway Intervales.—Bartlett Bowlder.—SingularHomicide.—Bartlett.—A Lost Village.—Ascent of Mount Carrigain.—AShaggy Wilderness	[55]
[VII.]	Valley of the Saco: Autumnal Foliage.—The Story of Nancy.—DoctorBemis.—Abel Crawford, the Veteran Guide.—Ethan A. Crawford.—TheMount Crawford Glen.—Giant’s Stairs.—Frankenstein Cliff.—Superb Viewof Mount Washington.—Mount Willey	[66]
[VIII.]	Through the Notch: Great Notch of the White Mountains.—The WilleyHouse, and Slide of 1826.—“Colonizing” Voters.—Mount Willard.—MountWebster, and its Cascades.—Gate of the Notch.—Summit of the Pass	[76]
[IX.]	Crawford’s: The Elephant’s Head.—Crawford House, and Glen.—Discoveryof The Notch.—Ascent of Mount Willard.—Magnificent coup d’œil	[87]
[X.]	The Ascent from Crawford’s: The Bridle-path.—Wreck of the Forest.—AForest of Ice.—Dwarf Trees.—Summit of Mount Clinton.—Caught in aSnow-storm.—The Colonel’s Hat.—Oakes’s Gulf.—The Plateau.—Climbingthe Dome.—The Summit at Last	[95]
[SECOND JOURNEY.]
[I.]	Legends of the Crystal Hills: Indian Tradition and Legend.—Ascentof Mount Washington by Darby Field.—Indian Name of the White Mountains	[113]
[II.]	Jackson and the Ellis Valley: Thorn Hill.—Jackson.—Jackson Falls.—GoodrichFalls.—The Ellis.—A Captive Maiden’s Song.—Pretty IndianLegend.—Pinkham Notch, from the Ellis.—A Mountain Homestead.—ArtistLife	[122]
[III.]	The Carter Notch: Valley of the Wildcat.—The Guide.—The Way In.—Summitof The Notch.—Awful Desolation.—The Giant’s Barricade.—CarterDome.—The Way Out	[132]
[IV.]	The Pinkham Notch: The Glen House.—Thompson’s Falls.—EmeraldPool.—Crystal Cascade.—Glen Ellis and its Legend	[144]
[V.]	A Scramble in Tuckerman’s: Tuckerman’s Ravine.—The Path.—HermitLake.—“No Thoroughfare.”—Interior of the Ravine.—The Snow Arch	[155]
[VI.]	In and About Gorham: The Peabody Valley.—Copp’s Farm.—The Imp.—NathanielCopp’s Adventure.—Gorham and the Androscoggin.—MountHayes.—Mount Madison.—Wholesale Destruction of the Forests.—Loggingin the Mountains.—Berlin Falls.—Shelburne and Bethel	[165]
[VII.]	Ascent by the Carriage-road: Bruin and the Travellers.—The Ledge.—TheGreat Gulf.—Fatal Accident.—Lost Travellers.—Arrival at the Signal-station.—ANight on the Summit	[178]
[VIII.]	Mount Washington: View from the Summit.—The Great Gale.—Life onthe Summit.—Shadow of Mount Washington.—Bigelow’s Lawn.—TheHunter Monument.—Lake of the Clouds.—The Mountain Butterfly	[189]
[THIRD JOURNEY.]
[I.]	The Pemigewasset in June: Plymouth.—Death of Hawthorne.—JohnStark, the Hunter.—Livermore Fall.—Trout and Salmon Breeding.—FranconiaMountains from West Campton.—Settlement of Campton.—Valley ofMad River.—Tripyramid Mountain.—Waterville and its Surroundings	[209]
[II.]	The Franconia Pass: The Flume House.—The Pool.—The Flume.—Ascentof Mount Pemigewasset.—The Basin.—Mount Cannon.—ProfileLake.—Old Man of the Mountain.—Summit of the Pass	[224]
[III.]	The King of Franconia: Profile House and Glen.—Eagle Cliff.—EchoLake.—Ascent of Mount Lafayette.—The Lakes.—Singular AtmosphericEffects	[237]
[IV.]	Franconia, and the Neighborhood: The Roadside Spring.—FranconiaIron Works and Vicinity.—Sugar Hill	[248]
[V.]	The Connecticut Ox-Bow: Newbury and Haverhill	[256]
[VI.]	The Sack of St. Francis De Sales: Robert Rogers, the Ranger.—Destructionof the Abenaqui Village.—Retreat and Pursuit of the Rangers.—Legendof the Silver Image	[259]
[VII.]	Moosehillock: Ascent of the Mountain from Warren.—View from theSummit	[267]
[VIII.]	Bethlehem: Bethlehem Street.—Sudden Rise of a Mountain Resort.—TheEnvirons.—Maplewood and the Great Range.—The Place of Sunsets.—The“Hermit.”—The Soldier turned Peddler	[276]
[IX.]	Jefferson, and the Valley of Israel’s River: Jefferson Hill.—StarrKing and Cherry Mountains.—The Great Chain Again.—Thomas StarrKing.—Ethan Crawford’s.—Ravine of the Cascades.—Randolph Hill andKing’s Ravine.—The Cherry Mountain Road.—Fabyan’s.—Captain Rosebrook	[291]
[X.]	The Great Northern Peaks: The Mountain Railway.—An Evening Ascension.—Moonlighton the Summit.—Sunrise.—A March to Mount Adams.—TheGreat Gulf of the Five Mountains.—The Castellated Ridge.—Peakof Mount Adams.—Conclusion	[304]
	[TOURIST’S APPENDIX.]	[318]
	[INDEX]	[335]
	[FOOTNOTES]

Illustrations.

These Illustrations, excepting those marked *, were designed by W. Hamilton Gibson.

SUBJECT.	ENGRAVER.	PAGE.
Travellers in a Storm, Mount Washington	R. Hoskin	[Frontispiece]
Winnipiseogee, From Red Hill	J. Tinkey	[15]
*“Alone With All Those Men!”	V. Bernstrom	[20]
Designed by W. A. Rogers.
Passaconnaway, From the Bear-camp River	Smithwick and French	[24]
Chocorua	R. Hoskin	[26]
Lovewell’s Pond	J. P. Davis	[34]
Mount Washington, From the Saco	F. S. King	[40]
The Ledges, North Conway	E. Held	[41]
Echo Lake, North Conway	G. J. Buechner	[45]
Kearsarge in Winter	R. Hoskin	[48]
*Sliding Down Kearsarge	H. Deis	[53]
Designed by W. A. Rogers.
Conway Meadows	W. H. Morse	[56]
Bartlett Bowlder	E. Held	[58]
*Nancy in the Snow	J. P. Davis	[68]
Designed by Sol Eytinge.
*Abel Crawford (Portrait)	Thos. Johnson	[70]
Storm on Mount Willey	J. Linton	[75]
Mount Willard, From Willey Brook	G. Smith	[78]
The Cascades, Mount Webster	F. S. King	[85]
Elephant’s Head, Winter	H. Wolf	[88]
Looking Down the Notch	C. Mayer	[91]
Giant’s Stairs, From Thorn Mountain	J. Hellawell	[124]
Moat Mountain, From Jackson Falls	F. Pettit	[126]
The Carter Notch	Smithwick and French	[134]
The Emerald Pool	W. H. Morse	[147]
The Crystal Cascade	H. Wolf	[149]
The Path, Tuckerman’s Ravine	R. Hoskin	[157]
Hermit Lake	W. J. Dana	[160]
Snow Arch, Tuckerman’s Ravine	N. Orr	[163]
The Imp	J. Tinkey	[166]
The Androscoggin at Shelburne	G. Smith	[176]
Mount Adams and the Great Gulf	W. H. Morse	[182]
Winter Storm on the Summit	R. Schelling	[187]
*The Tornado Forcing an Entrance	J. Tinkey	[194]
Designed by Thure de Thulstrup
Lake of the Clouds	J. P. Davis	[200]
On the Profile Road	Smithwick and French	[213]
Welch Mountain, From Mad River	J. Hellawell	[217]
Black and Tripyramid Mountains	J. S. Harley	[220]
Franconia Notch, From Thornton	F. S. King	[222]
A Glimpse of the Pool	C. Mayer	[225]
The Flume, Franconia Notch	J. P. Davis	[227]
The Basin	G. J. Buechner	[230]
*The Old Man of the Mountain	A. Measom	[234]
Designed by Granville Perkins.
*Eagle Cliff and the Echo House	P. Annin	[238]
Designed by Granville Perkins.
Echo Lake, Franconia	G. J. Buechner	[240]
Mount Cannon, From The Bridle-path, Lafayette	R. Schelling	[242]
Cloud Effects On Mount Lafayette	R. Hoskin	[245]
*Franconia Iron Works And Notch	C. Mayer	[248]
Designed by Granville Perkins.
*The Roadside Spring		[250]
Designed by W. A . Rogers.
*Robert Rogers (PORTRAIT)	C. Mayer	[260]
*The Buck-board Wagon		[274]
Designed by W. A. Rogers.
Mount Lafayette, From Bethlehem	J. Tinkey	[280]
The Northern Peaks, From Jefferson	Smithwick and French	[292]
Mount Washington, From Fabyan’s	E. Held	[301]
*Mountain Railway-station in Staging Times	T. Johnson	[305]
Designed by Granville Perkins.
Ascent by the Railway	J. Hellawell	[309]
The Castellated Ridge, Mount Jefferson	J. Tinkey	[315]
Map of the White Mountains (East Side)		[xv]
“ “ “ (Central and Northern Section)		[111]
“ “ “ (West Side)		[207]

FIRST JOURNEY.

PAGE
[I.]	MY TRAVELLING COMPANIONS	[1]
[II.]	INCOMPARABLE WINNIPISEOGEE	[8]
[III.]	CHOCORUA	[18]
[IV.]	LOVEWELL	[33]
[V.]	NORTH CONWAY	[39]
[VI.]	KEARSARGE TO CARRIGAIN	[55]
[VII.]	VALLEY OF THE SACO	[66]
[VIII.]	THROUGH THE NOTCH	[76]
[IX.]	CRAWFORD’S	[87]
[X.]	ASCENT FROM CRAWFORD’S	[95]

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THE
HEART OF THE WHITE MOUNTAINS.