81 

 AUTUMN ON THE UPPER OTTAWA. 



By A. O. Wheeler. 



(Read April, 1888.) 



The following U an account of a canoe trip taken by myself and 

 three friends last autumn. And now as to how we came to make this 

 especial tiip. Did you ever on a bright warm day go up to the sum- 

 mer-house on Parliament Hill and see the sun glistening on the river 

 away beyond the Chaudiere Falls in a broad band of gold, lighting up 

 the dark green of the cedars and balsams until they became a bright 

 yellow, and giving to the distance a far away and enticing look that 

 maki s you wish you were there. 



The result of thoughts such as these was a determination to 

 make the trip between Ottawa and Nipissing by canoe, and the fact 

 that some years ago I had been over a lar. e portion of Champlain's 

 loute, viz., the Georgian Bay, the French River and Lake Nipissing, 

 as tar as South Ea.st Bay, only increased the desire and added to the 

 determination to ti-avel this other part of his journey. 



In the Canoe Club I happened on a kindred spirit who had had 

 similar longings and come to a similar determination. We soon found 

 two others who were easily inspired with the desire for the delights and 

 experiences o' such a trip, and on the evening of the 10th of Septem- 

 ber last we left Ottawa for North Bay by the night train with two 

 basswood canoes, the best part of thiee weeks' provisions, ammunition, 

 fishing tackle, and all the rest of a sportsman's paraphernalia As we 

 had only three weeks' holiday we decided to make the trip down stream 

 and our starting point Lake Nipissing. 



We arrived at North Bay the next morning, and on step))ing cut 

 of the car we stood s])ell bound for a few minutes and tried to take in 

 the view. A vast sheet of water stretched away before us, all dotted with 

 islands and indented with bays, and shaded blue, bi'own or slate colour 

 according as the lake was dee]) or shoal, or as the clouds cast their 

 reflection upon it ; while away to the noi-tli could be seen the line 

 where sky and water met. Truly Lake Nipissing is a beautiful sheet. 

 It is surrounded at this end by gentle slopes covered in many places 

 with large tracts of hardwood. 



