CHAPTER III. 



WESTERN' FISHES. 



THE WHITE-FISH, 



Coregonus albus ( Poisson Blanc, Ad-dik-keem-maig,* or 

 Ticamegf ). 



" Of venison Goldsmith may wittily sing, 

 A very fine haunch is a very fine thing; 

 And Burns, in his tuneful and exquisite way. 

 The charms of a smoking Scotch haggis display; 

 But 'tis often much harder to eat than descant, 

 And a poet may praise what a poet may want, 

 Less doubt there shall be 'twixt my Muse and my dish, 

 While her power I invoke in praise of WHITE-FISH. 



"All friends to good living, by tureen or by dish, 



Concur in exalting this prince of a fish ; 



So fine in a platter, so tempting to fry, 



So rich on a gridiron, so sweet in a pie, 



That even before it the salmon must fail, 



And that mighty bonne-bouche of the land beaver's tail. 



******** 

 " There are, in gastronomy, sages who think 



'Tis not only the prime of good victuals but drink; 



That all sauces spoil it the richer the quicker 



And make it insipid, except its own liquor; 



* Indian name. 



t French orthography for the Indian name. 



