as 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