NAKRATIVE. 113 



unruffled, reflecting, unbroken and scarcely dimmed in color, tlie 

 full form of every rock and tree. Running along at a moderate dis- 

 tance from the shore in this calm weather, we were often struck by 

 an apparent convexity of the surface, as if the water were higher 

 between us and the rocks. It even seemed to hide the line where 

 land and water met. 



Suddenly the water was spattered by the rising of a shoal of lake- 

 herring, and our men were immediately full of excitement, and must 

 needs get the fish-spear from the bateau to have a stroke at them. 

 By that time, however, the shoal had sunk again, and the men 

 watched in silence and without dipping an oar, for them to rise- 

 Looking down over the side of the canoe, we could trace the vast, 

 simple lines of the rock, until lost in the green mist. Everything 

 below the surface seemed to shine with a diffused phosphorescent 

 light, like a green unclouded sky. All at once the shoal came in 

 sight, under the boat, pressing steadily on with a broad front, a soli- 

 tary white-fish rather in advance of the rest. Each kept his relative 

 position to the rest, like a flock of waterfowl, and they glided easily 

 onward without any apparent exertion except a tremulous motion of 

 the tail. Yet they soon vanished ahead, and not long after a great 

 trout came sullenly following in their wake, like a pirate hovering 

 about a convoy of merchantmen. 



Some Indians came off to sell us fish, and our men in their gossip 

 discovered they had in their lodge a couple of young foxes, which 

 the Professor thereupon demanded to see, and bought. The poor 

 little fellows were about half grown, and seemed to suffer from the 

 heat. The first thing they did when we took them aboard, was to 

 seek out the shadiest corner. They appeared to be perfectly tame, 

 or at least inoffensive. 



We caught several trout ourselves in the course of the forenoon. 

 I was struck with the fife-like appearance of the bait, (a trout's 

 stomach drawn over the hook, and tied to the line above,) visible at 

 a great depth. Out of water it has rather a shapeless appearance, 

 but jerked along at a sufficient depth it has precisely the look of a 

 small fish that has been wounded, so as swim with difiiculty and 

 somewhat sideways. 



In the afternoon a favorable breeze sprung up. Our men were 



