THE QUIET AND BEAUTIFUL. 275 



wild-flowers. Some of these isles are decked with large 

 clumps of copse and grove, and others with stately trees 

 which reach sublimely heavenward. This charming scene is 

 enlivened by the wood-duck and other birds of gay plumage 

 or melodious song. I venture the statement that it is une- 

 qualed any where on earth for its beauty, variety, and life of 

 scenery. Neither the water streets of Venice with their gon- 

 dolas, nor the Bois de Boulogne, with its ornamental drives 

 and picturesque lakes and fountains, are at all comparable 

 with the Thousand Islands. 



From Cape Vincent to within a few miles of Ogdensburg 

 there is fishing and shooting enough to satisfy all the epicu- 

 rean lovers of field-sports in America, did they but know a 

 tithe of the riches of land and water which their excellent fish 

 and game offer as attractions. 



The Thousand Islands forms the most extensive spawning- 

 ground between the Atlantic and the great chain of lakes ; 

 there are numerous eddies and shallow sand-bars among 

 these islands where the wall-eyed pike and black bass spawn, 

 but the fishermen are complaining that the annual diminu- 

 tion in catches calls loudly for a law of reciprocal protection 

 between the Dominion of Canada and the United States. If 

 the myriads of lake and river fishes which resort to the Thou- 

 sand Islands to spawn were allowed to breed unmolested by 

 net or spear an annual stock of pickerel, black bass, glass- 

 eyed pike, Oswego bass, and fishes of smaller varieties would 

 be propagated there in sufficient numbers to stock all the 

 American waters. 



All the little towns along the Thousand Islands have be- 

 come attractive summer resorts. It was here that Bishop 

 Hughes and Dr. Bethune used to recuperate body and brain, 

 while their minds were soothed by the picturesque harmo- 

 nies of nature. 



On visiting the Thousand Islands for a few days' recrea- 

 tion, my advice is to go in pairs. A gentleman companion 

 will answer, but a lady is better. Clayton, which is a town 



