54 SEA TROUT. 
the trout and salmon coast along the rocks and visit the 
inlets as they did when priests promenaded the natural 
terraces of Tadousac, and when the shortest road to the 
J^orthwest was up the Saguenaj Kiver. The trout care 
not though the iron horse has sprimg two great leaps 
across the water that they live in, and know not that a 
woman, ^the only Catholic that can read, officiates as 
high priest in 'the sanctum of the woman-haters, the 
mission church of the Jesuits. 
The St. Lawrence abounds with most delicious food 
for trout ; there are acres of small fish ; the sand eels 
crowd the bays yards deep, the sardines, the mullet, the 
capelin, the tommy cods, push and jostle their way 
along, while shellfish innumerable cover the sandy bot- 
tom. Flies swarm on the water, and the deep rivers in 
"Winter and the cool streams in Summer constitute the 
paradise of the salmonidce. 
Along the shores of the tide water, early in Spring the 
trout and salmon make their appearance, and wandering 
about pass the merry days of May, June and July in 
feasting and junketing, in visiting new scenes and tast- 
ing every variety of food, till instinct warns them the 
waters are falling, and they must hasten to their syl- 
van bowers and enjoy the pleasures of love and paternity. 
Then slowly, the largest first, they leave the tide waters 
and swarm up all the practicable streams, running the 
rapids and steadily advancing to their pebbly spawning 
beds, which kind nature appears to have prepared in the 
heart of these impassable mountains for their especial 
protection. Through all this season, June, July and Au- 
gust, the fishing is magnificent ; they are in great 
