72 RAMBLES OF 



into the placid circle of her home, and with obvious 

 satisfaction explore it in every part. 



Besides the absolute pleasure I derived from visit- 

 ing the habitations of these glittering tenants of the 

 river, hanging over them from my little skiff, and 

 watching their -every action, they frequently fur- 

 nished me with a very acceptable addition to my 

 frugal table. Situated as my boarding-house was. 

 and all the inmates of the house busily occupied in 

 raising vegetables to be sent to market, our bill of 

 fare offered little other change than could be pro- 

 duced by varying the mode of cookery. It was 

 either broiled bacon and potatoes, or fried bacon 

 and potatoes, or cold bacon and potatoes, and so on 

 at least six days out of seven. But, as soon as I 

 became acquainted with the habits of the sun-fish, I 

 procured a neat circular iron hoop for a net, secured 

 to it a piece of an old seine, and whenever I desired 

 to dine on fresh fish, it was only necessary to take 

 my skiff, and push her gently along from one sun- 

 fish nest to another, myriads of which might be seen 

 along all the shore. The fish, of course, darted off 

 as soon as the boat first drew near, and during this 

 absence the net was placed so as to cover the nest, 

 of the bottom of which the meshes but slightly in- 

 tercepted the view. Finding all things quiet, and 

 not being disturbed by the net, the fish would re- 

 sume its central station, the net was suddenly raised, 

 and the captive placed in the boat. In a quarter of 

 an hour, I could generally take as many in this way 

 as would serve two men for dinner ; and when an 



