BANGOR, October 3, 1879.

M. STILWELL, Esq.,

DEAR SIR: Prof. C. E. Hamlin of Harvard, and I made a trip to Mount
Katahdin last month for scientific examination and survey of the
mountain. I had been salmon fishing in July on the Grand Bonaventure, on
Bay of Chaleur, and I could not see why we could not catch salmon on the
east branch of the Penobscot at the Hunt place where we crossed it on
our way in to Katahdin. I thought the pool from mouth of Wassatiquoik to
the Hunt place, about a half-mile, must be an excellent salmon pool, and
my guide and the people there confirmed this opinion. They said over a
hundred salmon had been taken in that one pool this season. The nearest
settlement, and only one on the whole east branch, is about six miles
out from there, and the young men go on Sundays and fish with
drift-nets. No regular fishing for market--only a backwoods local supply
can be used. These fish were about of one size--say 8 to 11 pounds.

There were never enough fish here before to make it worth while for them
to drift for them. A few years ago no salmon were caught there at all.
Twenty-two years ago, before our fish laws were enacted, the farmer at
the Hunt place used to have a net that went entirely across the river
clear to the bottom, which he kept all the time stretched across, and he
only used to get two or three salmon a week. I was there August, 1857,
with Mr. Joseph Carr, an old salmon fisher, and we fished for ten days
and could not get a rise. The net had been taken up, because the farmer
did not get fish enough to pay for looking after it.

But the stocking the river makes it good fishing and I intend to try the
east branch next season with the fly.