548 AMERICAN ANGLER'S BOOK. 



(though not as lively a cripple as his Satanic Majesty is said 

 to be), and made frequent excursions, by boat, to the different 

 fishing-places in the neighborhood, and went several times to 

 the Eaquette Eiver and the lakes beyond. When his camp 

 or his lodgings were more than twenty yards from the place 

 of landing from his boat, Sam Dunning, an old fellow who 

 stands about six feet two in his stockings, with breadth of 

 beam in proportion, carried him " pick-a-back." He made a 

 sketch illustrating this mode of locomotion, but as the picture 

 flatters Sam and disparages the Artist, he would not let me 

 have it, though he gave me several sketches of illustrious 

 personages, which I will show you as I tell my story. I 

 promised him I would let no one but the " Houseless" see 

 them. He wrote me a glowing description of the scenery, 

 fishing, and his manner of life, and as I had long wished to 

 see that country, and hoped to be alone with him, I joined 

 him after he had been there a month or six weeks. 



JOE. Does the country resemble that about Lake Pleasant ? 



NES. Not in the least. The Saranac Lakes, particularly 

 the lower, appear to have been thrown down amongst the high 

 peaks of the Adirondacks, the upper lake being rather north 

 and west of the mountains ; while Piseco, Lake Pleasant, 

 Bound Lake, and Louie Lake, are rather south-east of the 

 main range, and occupy the high table-land in the southern 

 part of Hamilton County, where the face of the country, 

 although it is rolling, can hardly be called mountainous, as it 

 is further north. 



JOE. What route do you take to get there ? 



NES. It is a mere pleasure trip, by way of Albany and 

 Whitehall, at the southern or upper end of Lake Champlain. 

 There you take the boat which runs to House's Point, stopping 

 at all the landings on its passage down the lake, and passing 

 several places of historical interest. When you arrive at 



