No. 112.] 745 



in unpretending and perfect truthfulness, and in their own pecu- 

 liar style, in simple and graphic language, often exhibit incidents 

 of the most thrilling and agitating^ scenes. Except in tlie savage 

 warfare of Boon, the lives of these men comJ.)ine the exciting and 

 romantic events of his career. / 



I have attempted thus to present a faint portraiture of these deni- 

 zens of a border life. Occupying the verge of civilization, the 

 race of the hunter will soon be extinguished in its advance, and 

 like the red man, in whose character and habits he so strongly 

 participates, his trace will be lost, or he will be recalled only in 

 local history, or shadowy reminiscences. 



Fish. — Lake Champlain embraces most ot the species of fish, 

 usually found in fresh water lakes. Several varieties, formerly 

 abundant in tliese waters, are now rarely found or have totally 

 disappeared. The excellent work of Professor Thompson, com- 

 prehends so minute and ample a description of the fish of Lake 

 Cliamplain, that I propose merely to glance at the subject. Cham- 

 plain, whose veracity, researches always vindicate, speaks of 

 a remarkable fish, which many have supposed to be fabulous. 

 Alluding to other fish he continues '' among the rest, theje is one 

 called by the Indians " Chaousarou," of divers length. The largest 

 I was informed by the people, are of eight and ten feet, I saw one 

 of five feet, as thick as a thigh, with a head as big as two fis's, with 

 jaws two feet and a half long, and a double set of very long and 

 dangerous teeth. The form of the body resembles that of the pike 

 and is armed with scales, that the thrust of a poniard cannot pierce, 

 and is of a silver grey colour. The point of the snout is like that 

 of a liog."* Professor Th )mpson believes the original of this des- 

 cription to have been the " Eill-tish," Lepirostrus oxyurus, a fish 

 still existing in the lake, but rarely taken. Pro.^. Agassis appears 

 to have f)und traces of the same fish in the upper lakes. The 

 Maskalong.';, to whicli the fish of Cliamplain bears a slight analo- 

 gy, and supposed by some naturalists to be an enormous growth 

 of the pickerel, frequents some sections of (he lake and often at- 

 tains the weight of 30 and 40 pounds. 



The early settlers of the valley of Lake Champlain, found the 

 streams upon both sides filled with Salmon. They were very 



• Docum«ntarj History. 



