IN NEW BRUNSWICK 223 



smaller fish to come within range before he darts into the crystal 

 water after his prey. The third fisherman is a bald-headed eagle 

 soaring aloft in gradually lessening circles ; suddenly closing his 

 wings he descends like a stone and diving deeply generally 

 returns with the fish which his marvellous eyesight had 

 revealed to him far, far below. The two latter probably 

 secure food sufficient for the day, the former not always the fish 

 were there but would but rarely rise to the beautiful flies so per- 

 sistently and in such variety offered them morning and evening. 

 Not only was this annoying, but insects in millions, yellow and 

 black flies, mosquitoes and midges, were simply maddening it is 

 to be hoped to one of the trio only. The winged fishermen had 

 at all events not to smear their faces with evil-smelling grease, 

 wear a veil or sleep in curtains, nor had, I trust, bad language to 

 be put to their black account language which if ever was surely 

 here excusable. The creature called man whether black, red, 

 or white is the greatest sufferer ; colour makes no difference to 

 these flies, for was there not our odd man, black as a boot, 

 Charley, sitting on the bank watching the fishing with his head 

 well in the dense fumes from the smudge-pot, a pipe of the 

 strongest tobacco in his mouth to add still greater pungency to 

 the already almost suffocating smoke ? Charley even in his tough 

 hide hated the flies with an intense hatred although they found 

 him most attractive, but loved his smudge-pot ; the two always 

 went about together and were inseparable companions. 



Surely those nighthawks which appeared about sunset did not 

 realise how sincerely and heartily we wished them success and 

 the best of appetites as they circled round and round in their 

 hunt for supper and swooped open-mouthed through a cloud of 

 our deadly enemies. 



The following will show the frightful tenacity of purpose and 

 brutal bloodthirstiness of the mosquito. That it really occurred 

 as related is vouched for on paper by three Americans and their 

 three Indian guides who fished some salmon pools below us. A 

 mosquito having settled on the bare arm of one of the former, a 

 man keen on scientific research, and found the location promis- 

 ing, soon got his suction apparatus into full working order and 

 began to fill up fast. Now came the American's turn, who with 

 a pair of scissors neatly snipped off the end of the reptile's body. 

 Undeterred even by this cutting insult the mosquito sucked 



