Page:Familiar letters of Henry David Thoreau.djvu/407

 arr.40.] TO T. W. HIGGINSON. 381

wanted a longer job. We preferred the latter, not only because it was shorter, but because, as he said, it was wilder.

We went about three hundred and twenty-five miles with the canoe (including sixty miles of stage between Bangor and Oldtown) ; were out twelve nights, and spent about $40 apiece, which was more than was necessary. We paid the Indian, who was a very good one, $ 1.50 per day and 50 cents a week for his canoe. This is enough in ordinary seasons. I had formerly paid $2 for an Indian and for white batteau- men.

If you go to Madawaska in a leisurely man ner, supposing no delay 011 account of rain or the violence of the wind, you may reach Mt. Kineo by noon, and have the afternoon to ex plore it. The next day you may get to the head of the lake before noon, make the portage of two and a half miles over a wooden railroad, and drop down the Penobscot half a dozen miles. The third morning you will perhaps walk half a mile about Pine Stream Falls, while the Indian runs down, cross the head of Chesuncook, reach the junction of the Caucomgomock and Umbazookskus by noon, and ascend the latter to Umbazookskus Lake that night. If it is low water, you may have to walk and carry a little on the Umbazookskus before entering the lake.