142 FISHING GOSSIP. 



his paws are already on the stern-board, which he 

 knows of old to be the safe point of access to Dingey's 

 interior. His addition to the crew will only subject 

 us to a momentary shower-bath, as he shakes the pro- 

 toxide of hydrogen and sunbeams from his glossy 

 side. During the rest of the voyage he will take 

 charge of the eels, reproving their impatience to scale 

 Dingey's gunwale by an occasional pat of his paw. 

 If there be a place of rest for dogs and what mono- 

 polist of ultramundane beatitude knows that there is 

 not in their own " bright particular star" of Sirius ? 

 I would fondly hope that dear Diver is enjoying the 

 rewards of the many pleasant hours we spent together 

 on land and in water. 



The cloud which interrupted our proceedings has 

 passed away, and once more " dancing sunbeams on 

 the water play." Just push* Dingey on about 100 

 yards on the submerged flat that connects the pair of 

 islands before us. There, that will suffice for the 

 present. Observe attentively the group of tall plants 

 rising sparsely from the bottom, and showing their 

 inconspicuous flowers alone above the surface. They 

 stand in 10 or 12 feet of water at least, and are each 

 as straight and tough as a plumb-line. The botanists, 

 who I am sorry to say are famous for hard names, 

 call the plant Potomogeton lucens. The loach-troller 

 designates it by a less respectful synonym, as it often 

 costs him a portion of his tackle. Around one of its 



