THE FISHING-EAGLE. 41 



deed, it sliould be noted that the worthy host of 

 Saratoga has always professed a particular deference 

 and esteem towards men of letters. He placed the 

 osprey entirely at our disposal, only requiring us to 

 take the greatest care of him, and not to fatigue 

 him too much; for, said he, "Jonathan" — that 

 was the bird's name, — ''is such a desperate fisher- 

 man, that he'll work all night if you let him.'' 



Next day, at three o'clock precisely, Reid and 

 myself got into a buggy, with our osprey slung in 

 a large hamper behind. As we drove through Sara- 

 toga it was the time for promenading, and those who 

 were acquainted Avith Reid and myself looked at us 

 with an inquisitive air, as if demanding what we had 

 got in our basket. We drove rapidly on, however, 

 and were soon lost in the hilly road which mounts 

 up from Saratoga to the forest-crowned summits, on 

 the opposite side of which was the lake. The road 

 was splendid and very well kept, although the 

 country which it traversed w^as not cleared for more 

 than a third of its length. On both sides our gaze 

 was arrested by impenetrable screens of verdure, 

 forests which the axe had respected, and whose 

 superb vegetation surpassed all that the imagination 

 could conceive. The tops of the pines intermingled 

 with those of the cypress, the elms mingled with 

 the maples, and the chestnut-trees interlaced both 

 roots and branches with those of the stately oak. 

 Beneath the tall trees grew junipers, ferns, brambles. 



