APPENDIX. 133 



members of this Club, reposing from the ordinary cares and pleasures of 

 life, for a fortnight in each year, breathe anew the primitive treshness of 

 life; each have their boat and oarsman, they disperse after breakfast, 

 skim over the lake, passing and re-passing while trolling, exchanging 

 salutations, and seeking their favorite fishing haunts ; they meet at the 

 Tree-tops, a common point of union, for dining at a stated hour. At this 

 beautiful spot, on the opposite side of the lake from the lishing-lodge, 

 the Club have a shanty which serves to protect them in foul weather, and 

 placed near the banks of a babbling brook which descends from tiie 

 mountains in their rear ; here the tish taken from the first boat that 

 arrives are accurately weighed, credit given to the taker, and prepared 

 for dinner. Each member is charged with his appropriate duties, one to 

 superintend the culinarv department, another to mingle the ingredients 

 of the nectar'd bowl, and another to see that a cordon of smudges are 

 formed to keep at a respectable distance, by smoke, the pestilent black 

 fly ; then, after dining themselves, they make room for their men, and 

 discuss their regalias or trabucos. When the heat of the sun has some- 

 what abated, they again disperse to repeat the same scenes, and remain 

 on the lake until'nightfall summons them to their lodge. As the respect- 

 ive boats arrive, the fish taken during the day are accurately weighed, 

 dressed, placed on the ice, reported to the secretary, and regularly 

 entered upon the journals of the Club. By referring to tlieir journal, 

 we find the large quantity of tish taken during the last five years, with 

 an account of the different species of trout found in that lake. They 

 constitute the only kinds of fish, with the exception of golden shiners 

 and small suckers, which at som.e seasons form their principal food. 



The trout are divided into the Me and speckled. There is an apparent 

 difference to be found in the lake trout, some appearing to be almost 

 black, others white or silvery, but tiie club are uncertain whether or not 

 the apparent difference may' not arise from sex or sometliing peculiar to 

 the condition in which they are found, but would state that the black 

 are decidedly the most active fish, and, when taken, after a resistance 

 equal to the 'speckled trout, this last species that is found in the lake dif- 

 fers essentially from the same kind, or spotted trout, that is taken in the 

 outlet of the lake, where they aie captured in large numbers, as will be 

 seen from further abstracts from their journal. 



By an accurate comparison of two of these fish, one taken in the out- 

 let and another in the lake, there was found a manifest difference. The 

 speckled trout from the lake had but two rows of spots on the side, while 

 that from the outlet had five, the tail of the laker was square, while that 

 of the other was forked, and the ventral and pectoral fins deeply tinged 

 with vermilion, thus making them the most beautiful tish to the eye ; but 

 when served up on tfie table the difference is much more manifest, their 

 superior virtues are tried by the ordeal of fire, a bright carnation glow is 

 spread over those taken from the lake, and they present an Apician mor- 

 sel fit for the gods. This is not the case with their brethren from the 

 outlet ; they pr'esent a more pallid and haggard aspect, as if they had 

 been driven as outcasts from the lake, and condemned to toil and struggle 

 everlastingly against the boiling torrent that issues from that calm and 

 peaceful paradTse of the finnv tribe. 



