200 DAYS IN THE OPEN 



frequently and so well, that the eulogistic possibil- 

 ities of the English language were long ago ex- 

 hausted in praise of the beauty of this unsalted 

 sea. 



It will be enough to say that we made the regu- 

 lation trip and were quite orthodox in the matter 

 of admiration. The moments of enthusiam over 

 the scenery were interspersed with periods of deep 

 reflection; for somewhere along the course of the 

 steamer we had decided to stop off for a stay of 

 some weeks. Where should it be? We had 

 started with a notion that the choice would lie 

 between Pantanguishene and Parry Sound; but the 

 former place failed to make a strong appeal, and 

 at Parry Sound there were too many people and 

 too few fish. 



On our way down we had touched at Manito- 

 waning. When and where had we heard of this 

 place? Carefully overhauling the odds and ends 

 stowed away in the chambers of memory, we came 

 at last upon a glowing account, given us some years 

 before by a fisherman friend, of a vacation spent 

 at Manitowaning. Much of what he said had been 

 forgotten, but not his praise of the fishing. When 

 the captain of the steamer assured us that there 

 was a comfortable hotel in the little village, the 

 matter was settled, and Manitowaning it was. It 

 may be just as well to exhibit the " fly in the oint- 

 ment " at once, and have done with it. The hotel 

 had a bar, and the drinking and the drunkenness 



