A SECLUDED BAY. 69 



over the lake. This king of birds makes prey of the 

 waterfowl, and here in the solitudes of -the wilderness, 

 he is the only enemy they have to encounter. The 

 price of their security, is unsleeping vigilance, and 

 were one of these broods to leave the shelter of the 

 shore, the chances of their return would be none of 

 the surest. We passed into a little bay, that shot 

 round and hid. as it were, behind a rocky point, to 

 prepare dinner. This bay may have contained half 

 an acre, and was so completely secluded, that without 

 searching for us, hundreds may have coasted the lake, 

 without our being discovered. 



"We landed, and while my guide was building a 

 fire, I threw my fly. It was no trouble to procure a 

 supply of fish. Among these lakes, there is no need 

 of laying by a supply for the next meal. Build your 

 fire, and five minutes will suffice to furnish the trout. 

 We had a venison steak, stowed away among green 

 boughs at the bottom of our dug-out. We dined 

 right sumptuously that day, and stretched ourselves 

 for our siesta. In an hour, we shot out from the little 

 bay, and paddled on. We caught some small fish 

 near the shore, and moved towards the centre of the 

 lake, to see if there were large trout in the deep water. 



