owl　at　night；　with　rarer　forest　voices　have　also　to　the　lover　of　nature　their　peculiar　charm；　and　form　the　wild　language　of　this　forest。
  〃It　is　this　region　of　lakes　and　mountains　　whose　mountain　core　is　well　shown　by　the　　illustration；　'the　heart　of　the　Adirondacks'　　that　our　citizens　desire　to　reserve　forever　as　a　public　forest　park；　not　only　as　a　resort　of　rest　for　　themselves　and　for　posterity；　but　for　weighty　reasons　of　political　economy。　For　reservoirs　of　water　for　the　canals　and　rivers；　for　the　amelioration　of　spring　floods　by　the　preservation　of　the　forests　　sheltering　the　deep　winter　snows；　for　the　salvation　of　the　timber；　　our　only　cheap　source　of　lumber　supply　should　the　Canadian　and　western　markets　be　ruined　by　fires；　or　otherwise　lost　to　us；　　its　preservation　as　a　state　forest　is　urgently　　demanded。　To　the　number　of　those　chilly　peaks　amid　which　our　principal　rivers　take　their　rise；　I　have　added　by　measurement　a　dozen　or　more　over　four　thousand　feet　in　height；　which　were　before　either　nameless；　or　only　vaguely　known　by　the　names　given　them　by　hunters　and　trappers。
  〃It　is　well　to　note　that　the　final　hypsometrical　computations　fully　affirm　my　discovery　that　in　Mount　Haystack　we　have　another　mountain　of　five　thousand　feet　altitude。　　It　may　not　be　　uninteresting　also　to　remark　that　the　difference　　between　the　altitudes　of　Mount　Marcy　and　Mount　Washington　of　the　White　Mountains　of　New　Hampshire　is　found　to　be　quite　eight　hundred　feet。　　Mount　Marcy；　Mount　MacIntyre；　and　Mount　Haystack　are　to　be　remembered　as　the　three　royal　summits　of　the　state。
  〃The　four　prominent　peaks　are　　Mount　Marcy｛　Mount　Tahawus　　〃I　cleave　the　clouds；〃｝　5；402。65　Mount　Haystack；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　5；006。73　Mount　Maclntyre；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　5；201。80　Mount　Skylight；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　4；977。76。〃
  If　the　general　reader　will　pardon　a　seeming　digression　to　gratify　the　curiosity　of　some　of　my　boating　friends；　I　will　give　from　the　report　of　the　Adirondack　Survey　Mr。　Colvin's　account　of　his　singular　boat；　　one　of　the　lightest　yet　constructed；　and　weighing　only　as　much　as　a　hunter's　double…barrelled　gun。
  Mr。　Colvin　says：
  〃I　also　had　constructed　a　canvas　boat；　of　my　own　invention；　for　use　in　the　interior　of　the　　wilderness　on　such　of　the　mountain　lakes　as　were　inaccessible　to　boats；　and　which　it　would　be　necessary　to　map。　　This　boat　was　peculiar；　no　more　frame　being　needed　than　could　be　readily　cut　in　thirty　minutes　in　the　first　thicket。　　It　was　twelve　feet　long；　with　thin　sheet　brass　prows；　riveted　on；　and　so　fitted　as　to　receive　the　keelson；　prow　pieces；　and　ribs　（of　boughs）；　when　　required；　the　canoe　being　made　water…proof　with　pure　rubber　gum；　dissolved　in　naphtha；　rubbed　into　it。〃
  Page　43　of　Mr。　Colvin's　report　informs　the　reader　how　well　this　novel　craft　served　the　　purpose　for　which　it　was　built。
  〃September　12　was　devoted　to　levelling　and　topographical　work　at　Ampersand　Pond；　a　solitary　lake　locked　in　by　mountains；　and　seldom　visited。　There　was　no　boat　upon　its　surface；　and　in　order　to　complete　the　hydrographical　work　we　had　now；　of　necessity；　to　try　my　portable　canvas　boat；　which　had　hitherto　done　service　as　bed　or　tent。　Cutting　green　rods　for　ribs；　we　unrolled　the　boat　and　tied　them　in；　lashing　poles　for　gunwales　at　the　sides；　and　in　a　short　time　our　canvas　canoe；　buoyant　as　a　cork；　was　floating　on　the　water。　The　guides；　who　had　been　unable　to　believe　that　the　flimsy　bag　they　carried　could　be　used　as　a　boat；　were　in　ecstasies。　　Rude　but　efficient　　paddles　were　hastily　hewn　from　the　nearest　tree；　and　soon　we　were　all　gliding　in　our　ten…pound　boat　over　the　waves　of　Ampersand；　which　　glittered　in　the　morning　sunlight。　　To　the　guides　the　boat　was　something　astonishing；　they　could　not　refrain　from　laughter　to　find　that　they　were　really　afloat　in　it；　and　pointed　with　surprise　at　the　waves；　which　could　be　seen　through　the　boat；　rippling　against　its　sides。　　With　the　aid　of　the　boat；　with　prismatic　compass　and　sextant；　I　was　able　to　secure　an　excellent　map　of　the　lake；　and　we　almost　succeeded　in　catching　a　deer；　which　was　driven　into　the　lake　by　a　strange　hound。　　The　dog　lost　the　trail　at　the　water；　and　desiring　to　put　him　on　the　track；　we　paddled　to　him。　　He　scrambled　into　the　boat　with　an　air　of　satisfaction；　as　if　he　had　always　travelled　in　just　such　a　thing。　　Soon　we　had　regained　the　trail；　and　making　the　mountains　echo　to　his　voice；　he　again　pursued　the　deer　on　into　the　trackless　forest。
  〃Continuing　our　work；　we　passed　down　into　the　outlet；　where；　in　trying　to　effect　a　landing；　we　suddenly　came　face　to　face　with　a　large　　panther；　which　had　evidently　been　watching　us。　He　fled　at　our　approach。
  〃Our　baggage　was　quickly　packed；　and　the　temporary　frame　of　the　canoe　having　been　taken　out　and　thrown　away；　we　rolled　up　our　boat　and　put　it　in　the　bottom　of　a　knapsack。　。　。　。　The　same　day　by　noon　we　reached　Cold　Brook　again；　here　navigable。　　In　an　hour　and　a　half　we　had　　re…framed　the　canvas；　cut　out　two　paddles　from　a　dry　cedar…tree；　had　dinner；　loaded　the　boat；　and　were　off；　easily　gliding　down　stream　to　the　　Saranac　River。　Three　men；　the　heaped　baggage　in　the　centre；　and　the　solemn　hound；　who　seemed　to　consider　himself　part　of　the　company；　sitting　upright　near　the　prow；　forming　in　all　a　burden　of　about　one　third　of　a　ton；　was　a　severe　test　of　the　green　boughs　of　which　we　had　made　the　frame。
  〃Ascending　the　Saranac　River；　we　struck　out　into　the　broad　Saranac　Lake；　some　six　miles　in　length；　and　though　the　winds　and　the　waves　buffeted　us；　the　canvas　sides　of　the　boat　　responding　elastically　to　each　beat　of　the　waves；　we　got　safely　along　till　near　the　Sister　Islands；　when；　the　wind　blowing　very　fresh；　the　white…capped　　rollers　began　to　pitch　into　the　boat。　　The　exertions　of　the　guides　brought　us　under　the　lee　shore；　and　at　evening　we　disembarked　at　Martin's。〃
  Geographies；　guide…books；　and　historical　works　frequently　give　the　length　of　Lake　Champlain　as　one　hundred　and　fifty；　or　at　the　least　one　hundred　and　forty　miles。　　These　distances　are　not　correct。　The　lake　proper　begins　at　a　point　near　　Ticonderoga　and　ends　not　far　from　the　boundary　line　of　the　United　States　and　Canada。　　Champlain　is　not　less　than　one　hundred　nor　more　than　one　hundred　and　twelve　miles　long。　The　Champlain　Canal；　which　connects　the　river　that　flows　from　　Whitehall　into　the　lake　with　the　Hudson　River；　is　　sixty…four　miles　long；　ending　at　the　Erie　Canal　at　Junction　Lock；　near　Troy。　　From　Junction　Lock　to　Albany；　along　the　Erie　Canal；　it　is　six　miles；　or　seventy　miles　from　Whitehall　to　Albany　by　canal　route。　　This　distance　has　frequently　been　given　as　fifty…one　miles。
  From　the　United　States　boundary　line　south…ward　it　is　a　distance　of　seven　miles　to　Isle　la　Motte；　which　island　is　five　and　a　half　miles　long　by　one　and　three　quarters　wide；　with　a　　lighthouse　upon　its　northwest　point。　　From　the　New　York　shore　of　Monti　Bay；　across　the　end　of　Isle　la　Motte　to　St。　Albans；　Vermont；　is　a　distance　of　thirteen　and　a　half　miles。　　Two　miles　south　of　the　island；　on　the　west　shore；　is　Point　au　Roche　light；　and　two　miles　and　three　quarters　south　of　it　is　Rocky　Point；　the　terminus　of　Long　Point。　Next　comes　Treadwell　Bay；　three　miles　across；　then　two　miles　further　on　is　Cumberland　Head　and　its　light…house。　　West　from　Cumberland；　three　miles　across　a　large　bay；　is　Plattsburgh；　at　the　mouth　of　the　Saranac　River；　a　town　of　five　thousand　inhabitants。　　In　this　vicinity　　Commodore　Macdonough　fought　the　British　fleet　in　1814。　These　are　historic　waters；　which　have　witnessed　the　scene　of　many　a　bloody　struggle　between　French；　English；　and　Indian　adversaries。　　Off　Cumberland　Head；　and　dividing　the　lake；　is　Grand　Isle；　twelve　miles　in　length　and　from　three　to　four　in　width。
  The　village　of　Port　Kent　is　near　the　mouth　of　the　Ausable　River；　which　flows　out　of　the　　northern　Adirondack　country。　　A　few　miles　from　the　lake　is　the　natural　wonder；　the　Ausable　Chasm；　which　is　nearly　two　miles　in　length。　　The　river　has　worn　a　channel　in　the　Potsdam　sandstone　formation　to　a　depth；　in　places；　of　two　hundred　feet。　　Between　high　walls　of　rock　the　river　is　compressed　in　one　place　to　ten　feet　in　breadth；　and　dashes　wildly　over　falls　and　rapids　on　its　way　to　Lake　Champlain。　　It　is　said　to　rival　the　famous　Swiss　Gorge　du　Triant。
  Schuyler's　Island；　upon　the　shore　of　which　we　passed　Tuesday　night；　is　nearly　in　the　latitude　of　Burlington；　Vermont。　　The　distance　from　Port　Douglass　on　the　west；　to　Burlington　on　the　east　side　of　Champlain；　over　an　open　expanse　of　water；　is　nine　miles　and　three　quarters。　　We　breakfasted　by　starlight；　and　passed　Ligonier's　Point　early　in　the　day。　　One　mile　and　a　half　east　of　it　is　the　group　of　little　islands　called　Four　Brothers。　　The　lake　grew　narrower　as　we　rowed　southward；　until；　after　passing　Port　Henry　Iron　Works；　and　the　high　promontory　of　Crown　Point；　upon　which　are　the　ruins　of　the　French　Fort　Frederic；　built　in　1731；　it　has　a　width　of　only　two　miles。
  At　eight　o'clock　P。　M。　we　dropped　anchor　　under　the　banks　of　Ticonderoga；　not　far　from　the　outlet　of　Lake　George。　　It　is　four　miles　by　road　between　the　two　lakes。　　The　stream　which　　connects　them　can　be　ascended　from　Champlain　about　two　miles　to　the　Iron　Works；　the　　remai