LAKE SUPERIOR. 57 



from their fairy caverns and seize his fly, to feel 

 them struggling and fighting for their liberty, jump- 

 ing again and again, and finally to watch their fading 

 brilliancy enveloped in the fatal net. The trout of 

 this region resemble the sea-trout of the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence in their habits and appearance. They 

 have the same pearly whiteness on their sides and 

 bellies, heightened by the minute specks of carmine ; 

 the same vigor and dauntless courage, the same savage 

 voracity, and the same way of springing out of wa- 

 ter when they are on the line. They rise unexpect- 

 edly with a rapidity resembling fury, grasp their 

 object with determination, and on being struck, fight 

 bravely. Their flesh, also, is equally red and firm, 

 their fins of a pure color but not quite so delicate, 

 and their shape identically similar. Of course they 

 could never have ascended from the sea, but are in- 

 debted for these peculiarities to the pureness of the 

 water of the lake, as the sea-trout are to that of the 

 gulf. And whereas the sea-trout lose their bril- 

 liancy on ascending the rivers, so do these of the 

 lake a fact which we afterwards ascertained be- 

 coming even darker colored than their brethren of 

 the lower regions, and obtaining the reputation 

 among the ignorant natives, from their changed ap- 

 pearance, of being poisonous. 



Another party of fishermen had located on Gros 

 Cap island, our tents being pitched within a few 

 yards of each other, and we passed a pleasant even- 

 ing in their society ; our pipes for I had after 

 much difficulty persuaded Don that cigars were 

 3* 



