A CANADIAN RIVER 123 



and I used often to tramp across these and 

 take advantage of my opportunities while 

 the men poled the canoe up-stream. 



The trudge across these beaches was in- 

 teresting in other ways. It was generally 

 possible to find among the pebbles good 

 specimens of agate and jasper brought down 

 from the volcanic formations of the St. 

 Anne's range. Some of these I had pol- 

 ished and still preserve. As a rule my speci- 

 mens were of small size, but now and again 

 I encountered, and could not resist carry- 

 ing off, a large lump, perhaps of ordinary 

 rock with a likely nodule of agate bedded 

 within it. My men, who at first regarded 

 my proceedings as a kind of harmless lunacy, 

 began after a time to look ruefully at me 

 when I returned to the canoe bearing with 

 me such weighty treasures. They finally 

 represented to me respectfully that we were 

 already heavily laden with the spoils of the 

 chase, that our Plimsoll-line was all too low, 

 and that several pounds' weight of precious 

 stones was a wholly uncalled-for handicap. 



