THe Quiet anp Breavtirvu. 275 
wild-flowers. Some of these isles are decked with large 
clumps of copse and grove, and others with stately trees 
which reach sublimely heavenward. This charming scene is 
enlivened by the wood-duck and other birds of gay plumage 
or melodious song. I venture the statement that it is une- 
qualed any where on earth for its beauty, variety, and life of 
scenery. Neither the water streets of Venice with their gon- 
dolas, nor the Bois de Boulogne with its ornamental drives 
and picturesque lakes and fountains, are at all comparable 
with the Thousand Islands. 
From Cape Vincent to within a few miles of Ogdensburg 
there is fishing and shooting enough to satisfy all the epicu- 
rean lovers of field-sports in America, did they but know a 
tithe of the riches of land and water which their excellent fish 
and game offer as attractions. 
The Thousand Islands forms the most extensive spawning- 
ground between the Atlantic and the great chain of lakes; 
there are numerous eddies and shallow sand-bars among 
these islands where the wall-eyed pike and black bass spawn, 
but the fishermen are complaining that the annual diminu- 
tion in catches calls loudly for a law of reciprocal protection 
between the Dominion of Canada and the United States. If 
the myriads of lake and river fishes which resort to the Thou- 
sand Islands to spawn were allowed to breed—unmolested by 
net or spear—an annual stock of pickerel, black bass, glass- 
eyed pike, Oswego bass, and fishes of smaller varieties would 
be propagated there in sufficient numbers to stock all the 
American waters. 
All the little towns along the Thousand Islands have be- 
come attractive summer resorts. It was here that Bishop 
Hughes and Dr. Bethune used to recuperate body and brain, 
while their minds were soothed by the picturesque harmo- 
nies of nature. 
On visiting the Thousand Islands for a few days’ recrea- 
tion, my advice is to go in pairs. A gentleman companion 
will answer, but a lady is better. Clayton, which is a town 
