OR, THE LAKE LANDS OF CANADA. 65 



Friday, \^th. — This morning the Governor and myself 

 went fishinof on the river, but with no luck. I was so tired 

 last night that I slept soundly, but my companions informed 

 me that though they, too, were tired, sweet sleep visited 

 them not. In its place they passed a restless night, troubled 

 with a multitude of fleas, which gave them no rest. In the 

 afternoon we went out and caught bass and pickerel under 

 the guidance of a gamin called Johnny McCarthy, who was 

 as sharp as a steel-trap, and knew where the fish were to be 

 caught. He was the embryo sportsman. We were obliged 

 to wait this day for the guide. Captain George Ross, who 

 lives three miles from this village, which consists of Scotch 

 settlers and Canadians. There are two small groceries 

 and two inns, at one of which (kept by Clark) we rested. 



During the day we sent our traps by stage to the place 

 where we were to camp, seven miles from Clark's. The 

 day was fine, but it rained during the night. I was amused 

 that nieht to hear the conversation of those assembled at 

 Clark's. This, it seemed, was the rendezvous of the vil- 

 lage. During the day a woman had died, and the village 

 carpenter was engaged in making — I will not call it a 

 coffin — a box ; it was original. The dead woman had 

 been married a year; the people seemed to mourn her 

 loss, as she was a kind person. It impressed me very 

 much to see the sympathy of the neighbors. 



Saturday, i6tk. — Hired a wagon and started for the 

 camp. After riding a distance we dismounted and took a 

 birch canoe on Canoe Lake, and finally reached our camp. 

 The tent was up and the larder was furnished with a deer, 

 which the guide had killed the day before, besides arrang- 



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