the complete writings-4-第37章

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Perhaps　it　was　the　fascination　of　Big　Tom；　perhaps　the　representation　that　we　were　already　way　off　the　Big　Ivy　route；　and　that　it　would；　in　fact；　save　time　to　go　over　the　mountain　and　we　could　ride　all　the　way；　that　made　the　Professor　acquiesce；　with　no　protest　worth　noticing；　in　the　preparations　that　went　on；　as　by　a　natural　assumption；　for　going　over　Mitchell。　　At　any　rate；　there　was　an　early　breakfast；　luncheon　was　put　up；　and　by　half…past　seven　we　were　riding　up　the　Caney；a　half…cloudy　day；Big　Tom　swinging　along　on　foot　ahead；　talking　nineteen　to　the　dozen。　　There　was　a　delightful　freshness　in　the　air；　the　dew…laden　bushes；　and　the　smell　of　the　forest。　　In　half　an　hour　we　called　at　the　hunting　shanty　of　Mr。　Murchison；　wrote　our　names　on　the　wall；　according　to　custom；　and　regretted　that　we　could　not　stay　for　a　day　in　that　retreat　and　try　the　speckled　trout。　　Making　our　way　through　the　low　growth　and　bushes　of　the　valley；　we　came　into　a　fine　open　forest；　watered　by　a　noisy　brook；　and　after　an　hour's　easy　going　reached　the　serious　ascent。

》From　Wilson's　to　the　peak　of　Mitchell　it　is　seven　and　a　half　miles；　we　made　it　in　five　and　a　half　hours。　　A　bridle　path　was　cut　years　ago；　but　it　has　been　entirely　neglected。　　It　is　badly　washed；　it　is　stony；　muddy；　and　great　trees　have　fallen　across　it　which　wholly　block　the　way　for　horses。　　At　these　places　long　detours　were　necessary；　on　steep　hillsides　and　through　gullies；　over　treacherous　sink…holes　in　the　rocks；　through　quaggy　places；　heaps　of　brush；　and　rotten　logs。　　Those　who　have　ever　attempted　to　get　horses　over　such　ground　will　not　wonder　at　the　slow　progress　we　made。　　Before　we　were　halfway　up　the　ascent；　we　realized　the　folly　of　attempting　it　on　horseback；　but　then　to　go　on　seemed　as　easy　as　to　go　back。　　The　way　was　also　exceedingly　steep　in　places；　and　what　with　roots；　and　logs；　and　slippery　rocks　and　stones；　it　was　a　desperate　climb　for　the　horses。

What　a　magnificent　forest！　　Oaks；　chestnuts；　Poplars；　hemlocks；　the　cucumber　（a　species　of　magnolia；　with　a　pinkish；　cucumber…like　cone）；　and　all　sorts　of　northern　and　southern　growths　meeting　here　in　splendid　array。　　And　this　gigantic　forest；　with　little　diminution　in　size　of　trees；　continued　two　thirds　of　the　way　up。　　We　marked；　as　we　went　on；　the　maple；　the　black　walnut；　the　buckeye；　the　hickory；　the　locust；　and　the　guide　pointed　out　in　one　section　the　largest　cherry…　trees　we　had　ever　seen；　splendid　trunks；　each　worth　a　large　sum　if　it　could　be　got　to　market。　　After　the　great　trees　were　left　behind；　we　entered　a　garden　of　white　birches；　and　then　a　plateau　of　swamp；　thick　with　raspberry　bushes；　and　finally　the　ridges；　densely　crowded　with　the　funereal　black　balsam。

Halfway　up；　Big　Tom　showed　us　his　favorite；　the　biggest　tree　he　knew。　It　was　a　poplar；　or　tulip。　　It　stands　more　like　a　column　than　a　tree；　rising　high　into　the　air；　with　scarcely　a　perceptible　taper；　perhaps　sixty；　more　likely　a　hundred；　feet　before　it　puts　out　a　limb。

Its　girth　six　feet　from　the　ground　is　thirty…two　feet！　　I　think　it　might　be　called　Big　Tom。　　It　stood　here；　of　course；　a　giant；　when　Columbus　sailed　from　Spain；　and　perhaps　some　sentimental　traveler　will　attach　the　name　of　Columbus　to　it。

In　the　woods　there　was　not　much　sign　of　animal　life；　scarcely　the　note　of　a　bird；　but　we　noticed　as　we　rode　along　in　the　otherwise　primeval　silence　a　loud　and　continuous　humming　overhead；　almost　like　the　sound　of　the　wind　in　pine　tops。　　It　was　the　humming　of　bees！　　The　upper　branches　were　alive　with　these　industrious　toilers；　and　Big　Tom　was　always　on　the　alert　to　discover　and　mark　a　bee…gum；　which　he　could　visit　afterwards。　　Honey　hunting　is　one　of　his　occupations。　Collecting　spruce　gum　is　another；　and　he　was　continually　hacking　off　with　his　hatchet　knobs　of　the　translucent　secretion。　　How　rich　and　fragrant　are　these　forests！　　The　rhododendron　was　still　in　occasional　bloom'　and　flowers　of　brilliant　hue　gleamed　here　and　there。

The　struggle　was　more　severe　as　we　neared　the　summit；　and　the　footing　worse　for　the　horses。　　Occasionally　it　was　safest　to　dismount　and　lead　them　up　slippery　ascents；　but　this　was　also　dangerous；　for　it　was　difficult　to　keep　them　from　treading　on　our　heels；　in　their　frantic　flounderings；　in　the　steep；　wet；　narrow；　brier…grown　path。　At　one　uncommonly　pokerish　place；　where　the　wet　rock　sloped　into　a　bog；　the　rider　of　Jack　thought　it　prudent　to　dismount；　but　Big　Tom　insisted　that　Jack　would　〃make　it〃　all　right；　only　give　him　his　head。　The　rider　gave　him　his　head；　and　the　next　minute　Jack's　four　heels　were　in　the　air；　and　he　came　down　on　his　side　in　a　flash。　　The　rider　fortunately　extricated　his　leg　without　losing　it；　Jack　scrambled　out　with　a　broken　shoe；　and　the　two　limped　along。　　It　was　a　wonder　that　the　horses'　legs　were　not　broken　a　dozen　times。

As　we　approached　the　top；　Big　Tom　pointed　out　the　direction；　a　half　mile　away；　of　a　small　pond；　a　little　mountain　tarn；　overlooked　by　a　ledge　of　rock；　where　Professor　Mitchell　lost　his　life。　　Big　Tom　was　the　guide　that　found　his　body。　　That　day；　as　we　sat　on　the　summit；　he　gave　in　great　detail　the　story；　the　general　outline　of　which　is　well　known。

The　first　effort　to　measure　the　height　of　the　Black　Mountains　was　made　in　1835；　by　Professor　Elisha　Mitchell；　professor　of　mathematics　and　chemistry　in　the　University　of　North　Carolina　at　Chapel　Hill。　Mr。　Mitchell　was　a　native　of　Connecticut；　born　in　Washington；　Litchfield　County；　in　1793；　graduated　at　Yale；　ordained　a　Presbyterian　minister；　and　was　for　a　time　state　surveyor；　and　became　a　professor　at　Chapel　Hill　in　1818。　　He　first　ascertained　and　published　the　fact　that　the　Black　Mountains　are　the　highest　land　east　of　the　Rocky　Mountains。　　In　1844　he　visited　the　locality　again。　Measurements　were　subsequently　made　by　Professor　Guyot　and　by　Senator　Clingman。　　One　of　the　peaks　was　named　for　the　senator　（the　one　next　in　height　to　Mitchell　is　described　as　Clingman　on　the　state　map）；　and　a　dispute　arose　as　to　whether　Mitchell　had　really　visited　and　measured　the　highest　peak。　　Senator　Clingman　still　maintains　that　he　did　not；　and　that　the　peak　now　known　as　Mitchell　is　the　one　that　Clingman　first　described。　　The　estimates　of　altitudes　made　by　the　three　explorers　named　differed　considerably。　　The　height　now　fixed　for　Mount　Mitchell　is　6711；　that　of　Mount　Washington　is　6285。　　There　are　twelve　peaks　in　this　range　higher　than　Mount　Washington；　and　if　we　add　those　in　the　Great　Smoky　Mountains　which　overtop　it；　there　are　some　twenty　in　this　State　higher　than　the　granite　giant　of　New　Hampshire。

In　order　to　verify　his　statement；　Professor　Mitchell　（then　in　his　sixty…fourth　year）　made　a　third　ascent　in　June；　1857。　　He　was　alone；　and　went　up　from　the　Swannanoa　side。　　He　did　not　return。　　No　anxiety　was　felt　for　two　or　three　days；　as　he　was　a　good　mountaineer；　and　it　was　supposed　he　had　crossed　the　mountain　and　made　his　way　out　by　the　Caney　River。　　But　when　several　days　passed　without　tidings　of　him；　a　search　party　was　formed。　　Big　Tom　Wilson　was　with　it。　　They　explored　the　mountain　in　all　directions　unsuccessfully。　　At　length　Big　Tom　separated　himself　from　his　companions　and　took　a　course　in　accordance　with　his　notion　of　that　which　would　be　pursued　by　a　man　lost　in　the　clouds　or　the　darkness。　　He　soon　struck　the　trail　of　the　wanderer；　and；　following　it；　discovered　Mitchell's　body　lying　in　a　pool　at　the　foot　of　a　rocky　precipice　some　thirty　feet　high。　　It　was　evident　that　Mitchell；　making　his　way　along　the　ridge　in　darkness　or　fog；　had　fallen　off。　　It　was　the　ninth　（or　the　eleventh）　day　of　his　disappearance；　but　in　the　pure　mountain　air　the　body　had　suffered　no　change。　　Big　Tom　brought　his　companions　to　the　place；　and　on　consultation　it　was　decided　to　leave　the　body　undisturbed　till　Mitchell's　friends　could　be　present。

There　was　some　talk　of　burying　him　on　the　mountain；　but　the　friends　decided　otherwise；　and　the　remains；　with　much　difficulty；　were　got　down　to　Asheville　and　there　interred。

Some　years　afterwards；　I　believe　at　the　instance　of　a　society　of　scientists；　it　was　resolved　to　transport　the　body　to　the　summit　of　Mount　Mitchell；　for　the　tragic　death　of　the　explorer　had　forever　settled　in　the　popular　mind　the　name　of　the　mountain。　　The　task　was　not