68 I GO A -FISHING. 



hill in the deep shade to a spot of more sylvan beauty 

 than I can describe. 



Here the trees are very lofty, growing from rich, deep 

 soil. There are no branches on them for fifty feet, and at 

 that height or a greater they interlace their branches, 

 and what sunshine comes through comes feloniously, and 

 steals down as if half fearful of being driven out. A trav- 

 eling stream, a cool, merry child of the hills and woods, 

 comes clashing down the side of the hill over a rocky bed, 

 and, leaping at last with a bound of delight into a moss- 

 edged basin where the small trout congregate, and where 

 sometimes a larger one is found, escapes over a bed of 

 clean gravel into the waters of a lake lying among the 

 hills, and abounding in trout of two varieties. The largest 

 variety is the lake trout, so called by most sportsmen ; 

 and in this lake one has been taken weighing a trifle over 

 thirty pounds. The ordinary brook trout is also found 

 there in plenty ; but I had never seen one taken from the 

 lake which weighed over a pound and three quarters. 



Before we descended the slope to the basin of the 

 brook Dr. Johnston put his rod together, and adjusted a 

 cast of flies. The water in the basin was as clear as 

 crystal, not more than six feet deep, and there was no 

 bush to cover the approach. Neither was a long cast 

 practicable among the trees. It was therefore a scene 

 to laugh at as the learned Doctor descended the slope, 

 with his head bowed down as low as his rotundity of 

 body would permit, and at length progressed on hands 

 and knees until within a rod of the edge of the basin. 

 Here he raised his head cautiously till he could see the 

 surface of the shining water, and, holding his rod in the 

 right hand and his line in the left, bent the spring back, 

 and let it fly off with the line and leader and flies in the 



