540 AMERICAN ANGLER'S BOOK 



"I spent one Sabbath at the Sault, and attended worsliii) at 

 the old stockade fort in the morning, and in the afternoon 

 visited the Methodist Mission at the Little Falls, two or three 

 miles below, and met the man ' Tanner,' who was captured by 

 the Indians when a boy, and who spent thirty years of his 

 life amongst them. He acts as interpreter for the Mission. 



" I returned from the Sault in one of those ancient crafts 

 called a 'Mackinaw boat,' paying five dollars passage, with 

 the privilege of rowing as much as I pleased. Our journey 

 occupied two days ; the first night we camped in a swampy 

 place, when we were almost devoured by mosquitoes ; the 

 second night we slept on a rocky point, extending far out into 

 the lake, where we had a good breeze, and were not troubled 

 with them. There was a beautiful little island right in front 

 of us, with a few trees on it, and as the sun went down I 

 thought of the picture of the Prison of Chillon, which joVi 

 gave me, and of Byron's lines, alluding to its inmate, who, 

 when at last allowed to climb to the grated window, describes 

 what he saw : — 



"And thdn there was a little isle, 

 Which in my very face did smile, 



The only one in view ; 

 A small green isle, it seem'd no more, 

 Scarce broader than my dungeon floor, 

 But in it there were three tall trees, 

 And o'er it blew the mountain breeze, 

 And by it, there were waters flowing, 

 And on it, there were young flowers growing 



Of gentle breath and hue." 



Nor. (folding up the letter.) I'll stop now, Nestor. You 

 would never die happy if you did not cram a few rhymes 

 into your narratives ; besides, we have got past the fishing, 

 and I have no further interest in your lengthy " billy-doo." 



