Describes a morning excursion to Pine Pond with George Bolton and the Tew family. Transcription: set of for our twelve-mile ride. It was so dark along the wooded roads that, at first, we could go but slowly. Over rough wooden bridges, skirting patches of forest land, by slumbering houses, out upon the wild glooming country, past zig-zag fences and fallen trees. A halt at a tavern where we rouse the owner, an Irishman, to fill bottles with whiskey, performing lively break-downs on the wooden platform fronting his store, until a light announces his advent. On again talks with the Tews, of the C
Describes a morning excursion to Pine Pond with George Bolton and the Tew family. Transcription: set of for our twelve-mile ride. It was so dark along the wooded roads that, at first, we could go but slowly. Over rough wooden bridges, skirting patches of forest land, by slumbering houses, out upon the wild glooming country, past zig-zag fences and fallen trees. A halt at a tavern where we rouse the owner, an Irishman, to fill bottles with whiskey, performing lively break-downs on the wooden platform fronting his store, until a light announces his advent. On again talks with the Tews, of the Crimean campaign, Sepoys, Chinamen, pugilism. Trees looming up out of the midst, their lower portions invisible; at length the stars grow paler and there ?s a red glare in the east. Sun ?s up. Extremely cold still, my hairy ?ǣtalma ? and big boots very seasonable. Arrived at our destination, Pine Pond. A farm-house and barns, out-houses &c, indistinctly-seen water. Quitting wagon we tumble over some high fences, plunge over a ploughed hill-side or two and to the boats. These were the roughest-looking contrivanes possible, unpainted, untarred and not at all water-tight. There were four of them. George [Bolton] and I had one, the Tews ? took one each, the fourth being occupied by the rest of our party. Forthwith we embarked and paddled for over half a mile to the pond proper, though as wild and desolate a place as I ?ve ever looked upon. Thousands and thousands of dead trees of every size and shape stood in the water, while their half or wholly sub-merged trunks redered our paddling a matter of tediousness and difficulty. Everywhere trees ? dead trees. It was like Phiz ?s ?ǣthriving city of Eden as it appeared in fact ? ? only ten times more so. In the raw, dank morning, with white mist half veiling the Title: Thomas Butler Gunn Diaries: Volume 9, page 216, October 6, 1858 . 6 October 1858. Gunn, Thomas Butler, 1826-1903
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