170 "LA GKANDE DECHARGE" OF LAKE ST. JOHN 



sinews," had stood the severest strain to which Cha- 

 ry bdis would subject them, until the arrival of the 

 rapidly approaching opportunity for escape from what 

 seemed but a moment ago to be the very jaws of 

 death. " Had the canoe been old and dry, she would 

 undoubtedly have snapped asunder like a stick of kin- 

 dling-wood," said Mr. Scott ; and his words rushed in- 

 voluntarily into the mind as I found myself rapidly 

 approaching the same whirlpool, and observed for the 

 first time what I ought to have noticed before leaving 

 Lake St. John that our canoe was not only old and 

 dry, and dark in color, but covered with numerous 

 patches as well. But there was scarcely time for fear, 

 and none to make any remark to the guides. We 

 were already alongside the vortex, but several feet 

 below it. The guides had evidently no intention to 

 run the risk of entering the eddy with such a canoe, 

 and so there was a desperate struggle with the de- 

 scending current for several seconds before the birch 

 bark shot into the still water of the sheltered bay, 

 whence an easy landing upon wild and rugged Isle 

 Maligne was effected. The other canoe swept around 

 the north side of the whirlpool, and much closer to it 

 than we had ventured, and a minute later our guides 

 were jointing our rods, and we were selecting flies for 

 our casts. 



The fishing around Isle Maligne is principally from 

 the rocks which jut out from it into the rapids on every 

 side. We whipped the water for ouananiche between 

 the island and the whirlpool, from the rocky beach 

 upon which we had landed, my cast being a Professor 

 and Silver Doctor, and Stocking's a Jock Scott and 



