142 FISHING GOSSIP. 
his paws are already on the stern-board, which he 
knows of old to be the safe point of access to Dingey’s 
interior. His addition to the crew will only subject 
us to a momentary shower-bath, as he shakes the pro- 
toxide of hydrogen and sunbeams from his glossy 
side. During the rest of the voyage he will take 
charge of the eels, reproving their impatience to scale 
Dingey’s gunwale by an occasional pat of his paw. 
If there be a place of rest for dogs—and what mono- 
polist of ultramundane beatitude knows that there is 
not in their own “ bright particular star” of Sirius ?— 
I would fondly hope that dear Diver is enjoying the 
rewards of the many pleasant hours we spent together 
on land and in water. ‘ 
The cloud which interrupted our proceedings has 
passed away, and once more “dancing sunbeams on 
the water play.” Just push Dingey on about 100 
yards on the submerged flat that connects the pair of 
islands before us. There, that will suffice for the 
present. Observe attentively the group of tall plants 
rising sparsely from the bottom, and showing their 
inconspicuous flowers alone above the surface. They 
stand in 10 or 12 feet of water at least, and are each 
as straight and tough asa plumb-line. The botanists, 
who I am sorry to say are famous for hard names, 
call the plant Potomogeton lucens. The loach-troller 
designates it by a less respectful synonym, as it often 
costs him a portion of his tackle. Around one of its 
