ROUND-FISH. 99 



a hollow made in the gravel contains the eggs 

 and inilt, which are covered over and abandoned 

 the young fish, on its emergence from the egg, 

 taking care of itself as best it can. 



One may journey a long way to witness a 

 prettier or more picturesque sight than Round- 

 fish harvesting on the Sumass prairie : the 

 prairie bright and lovely ; the grass fresh, green, 

 and waving lazily ; various wild flowers, peeping 

 coyly out from their cosy hiding-places, seem 

 making the most of the summer; a fresh, joyous 

 hilarity everywhere, pervading even the Indians, 

 whose lodges in great numbers lie scattered about. 

 From the edges of the pine-forest, where the 

 little streams came out from the dark shadow 

 into the sunshine, up to the lake, the prairie was 

 like a fair. Indians, old and young ; chiefs, braves, 

 squaws, children, and slaves ; were alike busy in 

 capturing the round-fish, that were swarming up 

 the streams in thousands : so thick were they that 

 baits and traps were thrown aside, and hands, 

 baskets, little nets, and wooden bowls did the 

 work; it was only requisite to stand in the 

 stream and bale out the fish. Thousands were 

 drying, thousands had been eaten, and as many 

 more were wasting and decomposing on the 

 bank. Supposing every fish escaping the Indians, 



H 2 



