PLEASURES OF ANGLING. 141 



This was rendered possible, in due form, from the 

 fact that one of the Indians was a violinist, and 

 had his instrument with him. The lady of the 

 neighboring farm-house kindly proffered her best 

 room, and her three daughters were quite willing 

 to join in the merry-making. It was a pleasant 

 reunion, marked by all the decorum, with a thou- 

 sand-fold the vivacity usually exhibited by the 

 "first families" under like circumstances. The 

 violinist was not a Paganini, but he kept perfect 

 time with both elbow and heels. The Indians 

 were very lively dancers, and the young ladies, by 

 the ease and homely grace with which, in their 

 tunic-like costumes, they followed the lead of their 

 partners, gave evidence of long practice. If none 

 of " the gentlemen " (as the guests were politely 

 designated) "tripped the light, fantastic toe," it 

 was from no discourtesy. The measured steps 

 practiced in the salons of "society," compared 

 with the hearty movements of these lusty dancers, 

 would have been as monotonous as the dull thud 

 of a muffled drum compared with the rattling 

 thunder of a ponderous trip-hammer. 



The dancing was interspersed with vocal music. 

 Two of the young ladies sang, in duet, with exqui- 

 site taste and expression, that beautiful Scotch bal- 

 lad, " I maun gang awa', lassie ;" and the General, 

 not to be outdone in courtesy, recited Burns' " Tain 



