326 MOOSE EIVER. 



captured here. Again and again I gazed with 

 rapture on their changing hues, as lovely as the 

 most gorgeous colouring of the shells of ocean. The 

 mariners of old with justice lauded the dolphin; 

 had they seen the resplendent robing of my prizes, 

 the American char, and not the dolphin, would have 

 been the theme of their song and admiration. 



At an early hour we got under way, and not 

 without regret did I see the headlands and marginal 

 trees shut out from view as sweet a spot as ever the 

 setting sun illuminated with golden-hued and gently 

 sloping rays. 



The part of Moose river traversed to-day is 

 tranquil and pretty. No one could believe it the 

 swash-buckler among streams that we navigated a 

 week since ; possibly when the water gets thus far, it 

 has sown its wild oats ; if such is the case, I have 

 no objection. Several times during the day we have 

 seen beavers ; towards evening we drifted into a 

 regular village of these rodents, a reckless specimen 

 perishing through his own sheer foolhardiness. It is 

 customary for people to go into ecstasies over the 

 beaver, as it is generally supposed to be a model of 

 industry, perseverance, and frugality. Accepting 

 that the habits of this animal justify its receiving 

 such enviable notoriety, why do those that laud its 

 doings to the skies not go and do likewise ? I fear 

 it is much like the case of the physician who says, 

 Do as I say, not as I do. 



But to come to facts, really the beaver is a very 



