394 PEAIKIE AND FOKEST. 



previously unknown to me, and which I have since learned 

 is the only outlet from this lake. The edge of this stream 

 was fringed with a dense network of weeds, and the channel 

 had scarcely a perceptible current. On breaking full in 

 view, several dozens of wild duck rose, conspicuous among 

 whom were many of the beautiful wood-duck, a gem among 

 his brilliant plumed race. The sedgy nature of the shore 

 here predicted a more than ordinarily favoured retreat, so, 

 replacing the red cloth by a large Buell's spoon, with some 

 scarlet ibis feathers tied along the shanks of the hooks, I 

 tried my fortune, and such was my success that before I 

 ceased, the bottom of my canoe had a goodly show of noble 

 bass and pike so many, that I was satisfied to select 

 three or four for present use and hide the others, with my 

 birch-bark, till I could send across for them in the morn- 

 ing ; but a couple of bears, judging from the different- 

 sized tracks, got at my cache during the night, and had the 

 bad taste to maul and pull about what they did not eat, so 

 that I rejected it as unfit for food. Fish I have always 

 found the most tempting bait with which to attract Bruin 

 into a trap, so I built a bower- house and hung up the bait 

 at the end of it, with my trap nicely covered with leaves ; 

 still all would not do, he and his companion were too wide 

 awake, or had left the neighbourhood. This lake I often 

 visited again, and with equal success ; the influences of 

 weather never appeared to affect the fishes' appetite, and 

 they ;iiv always a welcome addition to a backwoodsman's 

 fare. In company of a Chippewa Indian, I also tried fishing 

 through the ice. The method adopted is simple ; viz. 

 cutting a hole two or three feet in diameter, over which is 



