STORM-KING MOUNTAIN, HUDSON RIVER.—Storm-King is above West Point and on the same side of the river. It soars to a height of 1529 feet, commanding from its lofty summit a magnificent view of what is perhaps the finest scenic region of the world. At its feet reposes the lovely vale of Tempe, a modest stretch of green meadow-land covered with gardens and rustic homes, where the weary merchant and the harassed broker may find relief from the turmoil and the busy rush of city life. Since our photograph was taken an immense cantilever bridge has been thrown across the river at this point, which, while it is a splendid and beautiful example of modern engineering, is nevertheless an impediment to the artistic features of the scenery.
LONG GALLERY, AUSABLE CHASM.
“Wolfert’s Roost,” or Sunnyside, Irving’s villa, is a few miles below, just within the edge of Irvington, on the river, but it is hidden from view by the ivy that clambers in profusion over its walls, and the dense shrubbery that has been allowed to occupy all the ground in the front-yard.
The old town of Tappan is a short distance from Sunnyside, and is memorable as being Washington’s headquarters and likewise as the place of Major Andre’s imprisonment and execution. A monument erected by Cyrus Field marks the spot where the gallows stood on which that English officer perished. The Palisades next come into view, and on the west side is Locust Hill, which was the place where the American encampment was established in 1781, along the eminences of the Palisades which gave a commanding position to the troops guarding against invasion of the British up the river. Yonkers, Spuyten Duyvil, and Mount St. Vincent are next passed, and the city of New York then looms up, with its wharves lined with vessels, whose numerous masts make the shores look from a distance like a forest of pines denuded of their branches. Here we tarried to await the coming of our two photographers.
In the meantime, however, there were no idle moments, for the work of developing the photographs which we had taken was now prosecuted with great energy, and the finished pictures were sent on as fast as made to our photo-engravers for reproduction. Fortunately, too, we had so accurately timed the work which each had undertaken that there was only a few days’ detention in New York; little more, in fact, than was necessary to complete arrangements for our tour of the South, now to be described.
