ABOUT CRANBERRY LAKE. 367 



Cranberry Lake, itself, is not a good body of water to 

 camp on. It is too large, being easily moved by the wind, 

 and so made dangerous on manj?- days when a smaller lake 

 would be safe; and too much time and labor are required 

 to visit the various fishing resorts, of which it has no more 

 than many a small lake, — certainly' but few spring-holes 

 where tnmt niust be sought in Jul}^ Its shores, lined witli 

 dead wood, standing and fallen, and its hii\» and flooded 

 swamps often impenetrable, are both dangerous to approach 

 and exceedingly disagreeable to the eye. On the. other 

 hand, the lake affords a large and safe breeding and feed- 

 ing ground for Iroul, nnd will long hv noted, I imagine, for 

 its man}^ and large fish. 



One ought to camp above or below tlie lake, on the 

 Oswegatchie liiver, thus liaving really attractive scenery, 

 easier and safer moving about, and equally as good and 

 prol)ably nuicli better fi.sliing. 



The river Ix'low the dam is rapid for half a mile, and the 

 finest ]>laee, all things considered, for Sirring fishing in th(» 

 woods, — a comfortable home with Dodds, al reasonable 

 rates, not being the least consideration. In Basin Brook, 

 within a mile of the dam, in a single pool not over twelve 

 or fifteen feet in tliameter, the IMayor and 1, while floating 

 quietly, Avitli faces near the water, saAv at least half a 

 bushel of trout, some of them from fifteen to eighteen 

 inches long. At Cook's Spring-Hole, about live mih's 

 l)e1ow the dam, tliere is pro1)ably the best tly-lishing in all 

 that region. Tliere are, also, several other excellent spring- 

 holes in that inunediate neighborhood. 



The rivei- above the lake, after two miles of rapids, is 

 navigable for small boats, without a cai'ry. for fifteen or 



