CHAPTER XX.

THE HUDSON RIVER AND THE CATSKILLS.

HE tenth tour was held at the house of the President.

THE PRESIDENT: It falls to my lot to mention a few picturesque places on the Hudson, and to conduct you to the Catskill Mountains.

Almost from our starting point in New York, ascending the stream, we are impressed with the beauty and grandeur of the surroundings. On the left we soon reach the commencement of the peculiar rock formation known as The Palisades, from a fancied resemblance, I suppose, to a palisade fence. These Palisades constitute one of the most interesting features in the river scenery. They extend over twenty miles. There is an irregular columnarlike precipice springing from a sloping bank of shale and debris, the slope and the top of the ridge in some parts being covered with a forest.

The geologic features of this ridge have often puzzled geologists. The rock is granite-Lossing calls it a projecting trap dyke-lying upon a bed of sandstone, so that here we have a reversal of the usual order of things, the sandstone being a much later formation. To what freaks of nature, and to what period of time, this reversal of things is due, is an interesting topic which, with similar phenomena in other parts of the world, early arrests the attention of those who study geology. But the result in this instance is one which has been strikingly useful, for it so happens that these Palisades and the mountains of which they form the river frontage, furnish to New York city the stones which are used in her street pavements. The rocks are blasted, and then the blocks are hewn by chisel and mallet into cubes, or solid squares, and shipped by the contractors to the city. They make the very best of street pavements-the only one that will stand the immense traffic of the city, with its continual "tramp, tramp" of iron hoofs, and the ceaseless roll of countless wheels bearing merchandise and people along its thoroughfares. I should state that these Palisades are in many places 300 feet high. Here

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is a very fine view of one of the boldest portions of them, called "The Pinnacles."

If I were to attempt to give the historic features which make this river so interesting, I should have to expand this tour into several. Opposite the northern limit of the Palisades is Piermont, with its mile-long pier; and three miles south is Tappan, where Major André was executed. A few miles farther on the east side is Irvington, named after Washington Irving, and near by is Sunnyside, where he lived. Of course, every young American soon learns the place in literature filled by this pleasing author. His literary career extended over about the first half of

this century.

MR. GOLDUST: I was amused with the half contemptuous manner in which Thomas Carlyle disposes of Irving in his Reminiscences. He speaks of Irving being in Paris at the time Carlyle visited that city, says he was a kind of a lion at that time, and that he (Carlyle) had "a mild esteem of the good man." I think that is his expression.

THE PRESIDENT: Carlyle had an unfortunate habit of writing down his own hasty and dyspeptic conclusions, as if they were more or less inspired, and he has tarnished his own grand reputation by so doing. He had a keen eye for the weaknesses of men, and in his brusque way, often held them forth to ridicule or condemnation, forgetful of their merits. I am sorry to say that we cannot, as I intended, have a little further conversation about this good man Irving.

The next point we come to in the order of our march is West Point, a place of great natural beauty on the west bank of the river. It is also of great national and historic interest and importance, besides being the site of a great military academy. I hardly like to pass Tarrytown by without a reference. We know that Major André was arrested here, Sept. 23d, 1780. Every American schoolboy knows the history of this man, and the circumstances attending his death.

MR. GOLDUST: And I imagine that the idea of building a monument to his memory on American soil, however well intentioned, will never be tolerated by our people.

THE PRESIDENT: I do not wonder at it. Admitting his courage and accomplishments, he aimed a most deadly blow, in the service of his sovereign, at American liberties, and it seemed almost a special interposition of Providence which frustrated

his plans.

There is this, however, to be said in extenuation of André; he never intended, when starting on his journey to meet Arnold, to enter the American lines as a spy. He was to meet General Arnold on neutral ground, and arrange the details of a surrender, proposed and planned by Arnold. The attempt to meet Arnold failed twice. Finally Mr. Joshua Smith, of Long Clove, just above Haverstraw, on the west bank of the river, went in a small boat in the night-time with two boatmen to the British ship Vulture, under a flag of truce, carrying a message to Major André, who returned with them, and met Arnold at Long Clove. After a long conversation together in the woods, André was anxious to return to the Vulture, but the two boatmen would not take him back. Possibly something had aroused their suspicions, although General Arnold's presence seemed to be a sufficient guarantee; but they pleaded danger, and stubbornly refused to go. So the principals adjourned to Smith's house, and there, over breakfast, completed their plans for the surrender on September 26, four days later, of West Point, the key of the Hudson and the great stronghold and storehouse of the Americans. This was Sept. 22d. During the forenoon Arnold entered his barge and sailed up the river to his headquarters. André waited until evening and then, accompanied by Mr. Smith, crossed the Hudson at Stony Point by the regular ferry, and with Arnold's pass, made out in favor of John Anderson, in his hand, went through the American lines on the east side of the river. Smith here left André, and the latter pursued his way alone on horseback. Coming to a fork in the road he turned to the right through Sleepy Hollow, and when within half a mile of the British outposts fell into the hands of three patriots, who stopped him and discovered in his boots some treasonable papers which he had obtained from Arnold.

MR. MERRIMAN: What were Arnold's motives in planning this treachery? The President: It is hard to fathom them. He was doubtless chagrined at having been censured for some irregular action in the army, and on account of the failure of some claims of his upon Congress. Perhaps also he miscalculated the issues of the contest, and was desirous of being on the winning side. At any rate he showed himself to be utterly without principle, although he had previously fought well and earned distinction as a soldier.

We now steam up the river, passing Stony Point with its history, also leaving Peekskill on the east, and grand old Donderberg-Thunder Mountain-on the

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Anthony's Nose is also seen to our right-a very prominent feature in the landscape, the meaning of which is duly set forth in Irving's curious "History of New York." We are now going through the Highlands of the Hudson and in the midst of the most picturesque scenery. We pass Iona Island, with its vineyards, and (on the right) Sugar Loaf Mountains and Fort Independence. Falls come into view on the left, and then West Point.

Buttermilk

LILIAN: You have omitted Clinton and Montgomery forts, and have said nothing about the old chain or boom across the river at this spot.

THE PRESIDENT: Simply because we have not time to refer, even in passing, to all the interesting places. The scenery at West Point is very beautiful, and it would pay us to land and ascend to the ruins of old Fort Putnam, which can be seen on the heights from the river. Bull Hill and Breakneck Hill, and other features of the landscape come and go. We pass Fort Constitution on the right, Cornwall landing and Newburg on the left, Poughkeepsie on the right, and opposite this beautiful city we see New Paltz landing, at which, if we so please, we can disembark, and proceed by stage to the charming Lake Mohawk, where we may very enjoyably pass a few days before extending our trip to the Cats

kills.

These mountains cover a territory of at least thirty miles square, comprising, of course, numerous towns and villages. Geologically they present the same general features as the Alleghanies of Pennsylvania; but they differ from the latter in the important particular that the peculiar dips in the strata shut out the possibility of coal beds being discovered. The Catskill region will never, therefore, possess a mining character. It will remain for all time a roaming ground for the tourist in search of health and recreation, the botanist, the artist, and the lover of nature. Many of the mountains are clothed with forest: but over vast tracts the hills stand out in desolate and naked outline, enclosing plateaus in which villages have sprung up for the entertainment and care of the tourist. From these places excursions to different points of interest are organized-sometimes on foot, sometimes in carriages. But it is now impossible for us to visit a tithe of the sights worth seeing.

Here is a glimpse of a view from Sunset Rock, which suggests Wordsworth's descriptive lines :