56 LAKE SUPERIOR. 



was the accumulation of snow and ice in the neigh- 

 borhood of the north pole, its increasing masses 

 forcing their way towards warmer latitudes, and 

 carrying with them immense rocks and boulders. 

 The drift formerly extended far beyond its present 

 limits, pouring into the deep water of Lake Supe- 

 rior, and must have crushed and riven whatever lay 

 in its course cutting deep furrows whenever the 

 boulders it was carrying came in contact with the 

 unyielding native rock. The character of the rifts, 

 which do not resemble the effects of water, their 

 uniformity of direction, and the pounded character 

 of the stones, confirm this view. 



Whatever may have been their origin, they are 

 troublesome to cross, forming as they do abrupt gul- 

 lies running from high up the hills into the deep 

 water, and occurring at every few hundred feet. 

 But where they pass below the surface, they and the 

 natural caverns worn by the waves form admira- 

 ble retreats for the timid trout. For the whole 

 length of the shore, the broken rocks lie piled up 

 in the water, and at some places extend far out ; as 

 they furnish the best locality for sport, although 

 generally the angler has but a short distance to cast, 

 occasionally a long stretch has to be made. The wind 

 is frequently adverse or across his line, and as he 

 must reach a particular spot in spite of all obstacles, 

 his capabilities are often put to the severest test. 



To encounter and overcome difficulty is the true 

 sportsman's delight, almost as much so as to see 

 the silver-sided beauties of the lake rise suddenly 



