We made this island the limit of our excursion in this direction.

July 28.

Tuesday. 

July 28, 2017

As I remember, Hodge mistakes when he says that "it [Chamberlain Lake] is erroneously represented on the charts, for it extends in a north-northeasterly, south-southwesterly direction about twelve miles." He appears to be thinking of the easterly part. 

On the north side there is quite a clearing, and we had been advised to ascend the bare hill there for the sake of the prospect. . . . 

Great trunks of trees stood dead and bare far out in the lake, making the impression of ruined piers of a city that had been, while behind, the timber lay criss-a-cross for half a dozen rods or more over the water. . . . 

We were glad to find on this carry some raspberries, and a few of the Vaccinium Canadense berries, which had begun to be ripe here.

H. D. Thoreau, Journal July 28, 1857

See The Maine Woods ("When we awoke, we found a heavy dew on our blankets. I lay awake very early, and listened to the clear, shrill ah, te te, te te, te of the white-throated sparrow, repeated at short intervals, without the least variation, for half an hour . . . it was a kind of matins to me, and the event of that forenoon. It was a pleasant sunrise, and we had a view of the mountains in the southeast. Ktaadn appeared about southeast by south.. . .we crossed the lake early, steering in a diagonal direction, northeasterly about four miles, to the outlet, which was not to be discovered till we were close to it. The Indian name, Apmoojenegamook, means lake that is crossed, because the usual course lies across, and not along it. This is the largest of the Allegash lakes, and was the first St. John water that we floated on. . . . We reached the outlet in about an hour, and carried over the dam there, which is quite a solid structure, and about one quarter of a mile farther there was a second dam. The reader will perceive that the result of this particular damming about Chamberlain Lake is, that the head-waters of the St. John are made to flow by Bangor. . . Below the last dam, the river being swift and shallow, though broad enough, we two walked about half a mile to lighten the canoe. . . .We were now fairly on the Allegash River, which name our Indian said meant hemlock bark. These waters flow northward about one hundred miles, at first very feebly, then southeasterly two hundred and fifty more to the Bay of Fundy . . . After perhaps two miles of river, we entered Heron Lake, called on the map Pongokwahem . . . This was the fourth great lake, lying northwest and southeast, like Chesuncook and most of the long lakes in that neighborhood, and, judging from the map, it is about ten miles long . . . 

Rounding a point, we stood across a bay for a mile and a half or two miles, toward a large island, three or four miles down the lake . . . We landed on the southeast side of the island, which was rather elevated and densely wooded, with a rocky shore, in season for an early dinner . . .

We made this island the limit of our excursion in this direction. We had now seen the largest of the Allegash lakes . . . 

This island, according to the map, was about a hundred and ten miles in a straight line north-northwest from Bangor, and about ninety-nine miles east-south east from Quebec. I rambled along the shore westward, which was quite stony, and obstructed with fallen, bleached, or drifted trees for four or five rods in width. I found growing on this broad, rocky, and gravelly shore the Salix rostrata, discolor, and lucida, Ranunculus recurvatus, Potentilla Norvegica, Scutellaria lateriflora, Eupatorium purpureum, Aster Tradescanti, Mentha Canadensis, Epilobium angustifolium (abundant), Lycopus sinuatus, Solidago lanceolata, Spiraa salicifolia, Antennaria margaraticea, Prunella, Rumex Acetosella, raspberries, wool-grass, Onoclea, etc. The nearest trees were Betula papyracea and excelsa, and Populus tremuloides. I give these names because it was my farthest northern point. . . .it clearing off, we resolved to start immediately, before the wind raised them again.. . .. At the outlet of Chamberlain Lake we were over taken by another gusty rain-storm, . . .At length, just before sunset, we set out again. It was a wild evening when we coasted up the north side of this Apmoojenegamook Lake. One. . .we were glad to reach, at length, in the dusk, the cleared shore of the Chamberlain Farm.. . .It is remarkable with what pure satisfaction the traveler in these woods will reach his camping-ground on the eve of a tempestuous night like this,. . .A shed-shaped tent will catch and reflect the heat like a Yankee baker, and you may be drying while you are sleeping. Some who have leaky roofs in the towns may have been kept awake, but we were soon lulled asleep by a steady, soaking rain, which lasted all night.")

July 28. See A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, July 28

We made this island 

the limit of our excursion 

in this direction.

A Book of the Seasons,  by Henry Thoreau, the limit of our excursion

A Book of the Seasons,  by Henry Thoreau

 "A book, each page written in its own season, 

out-of-doors, in its own locality."

 ~edited, assembled and rewritten by zphx ©  2009-2024