X INTBODUOTORY. 



the broad wilderness spoken of. I was over a por- 

 tion of that wilderness last summer, and found plenty 

 of trout and abundance of deer. I heard the howl 

 of the wolf, the scream of the panther, and the 

 hoarse bellow of the moose, and though I did not 

 succeed in taking or even seeing any of these latter 

 animals, yet I or my companion slew a deer every 

 day after we entered the forest, and might have 

 slaughtered half a dozen had we been so disposed. 

 Though the excursion spoken of in the following 

 pages was taken four years ago, yet I found, the last 

 summer, small diminution of the trout even in the 

 border streams and lakes of the " Saranac and 

 Rackett woods." 



I have visited portions of this wilderness at least 

 once every summer for the last ten years, and I have 

 never yet been disappointed with my fortnight's 

 sport, or failed to meet with a degree of success 

 which abundantly satisfied me, at least. I have 

 generally gone into the woods weakened in body 

 and depressed in mind. I have always come out of 

 them with renewed health and strength, a perfect 

 digestion, and a buoyant and cheerful spirit. 



For myself, I have come to regard these moun- 

 tains, these lakes and streams, these old forests, and 

 all this wild region, as my settled summer resort, 



