NARRATIVE. 47 



trees, like all those in this part of the lake. Several loons flew by 

 to-daj, and whenever one appeared, the men all began to shout " oory, 

 oory" which seems to be the Indian " hurrah,"* whereupon the bird 

 would usually fly in circles round the boat. This was regularly 

 repeated whenever a loon came in sight ; the experiment was tried 

 on gulls and sheldrake, but not with the same success. 



The sun and wind rose together, so that by eleven o'clock it was 

 very warm, and at the same time so windy that we were obliged 

 to make for Maple Island, a low, sandy island, densely covered 

 with trees. On the lake side the trees were covered with long 

 lichens, ( Usnea,~) and presented a weather-beaten aspect, much in 

 contrast with the side towards the land. The shore here was evidently 

 wearing away, and the roots of many of the trees were exposed. 

 The beach was covered with large fragments of red porphyry, and 

 slabs of dark red sandstone, often ripple-marked. 



When the bateau arrived we found they had caught some fine 

 trout on their way hither. This excited the emulation of the other 

 boats, and hooks, &c.,were forthwith prepared. The tackle consists 

 of small cod-line, with a hook (or often two,) with a large sinker of 

 lead melted round it. The bait is a piece of pork, or better, a 

 trout's stomach, drawn over the hook and tied at the shank. A 

 simple plate of brass, with a couple of hooks on the lower edge, is 

 said to be very effective without any other bait, and I have heard 

 of a pewter spoon being used with success. This is allowed to 

 trail a dozen fathoms astern of the canoe, and kept in constant 

 motion by jerking the line. After the first excitement, as the fish 

 did not bite oftener than half a dozen times a day, and sometimes 

 not at all, the lines were handed over to the steersmen, who made 

 them fast round their paddles, and thus kept up the requisite motion 

 without any trouble. The fish we caught were the lake trout, 

 (jSalmo ametliystus^) and Siecowet, (Salmo Siscowet Ag., see Plate 

 I.) ; their average weight five or six pounds. The latter fish is 

 so exceedingly fat that we found it uneatable. It is said to be 

 much improved by pickling. White-fish and lake-herring are taken 

 only in nets, and the other fishes only in the streams. The wind 

 did not allow us to get off to-day. 



* See Kip's Early Jesuit Missions, pp. 60, 140. 



