THE PLAGUE OF FLIES. 101 



with our caleche literally full of fish. A goodly show they 

 made, as they covered two of Madame Chaperon's largest 

 tables: the sum total being five salmon, weighing 105 

 pounds, and 48 trout, averaging three pounds a piece. 



" Next morning, after an early breakfast, we started for 

 the Chute, taking a tent with us, which we pitched on a 

 knoll overlooking our fishing ground. It proved, how- 

 ever, more ornamental than viseful; the banks being so 

 umbrageous that we did not require it by day, and we 

 always returned to our lodgings in the evening. 



" Nothing mimdane is without its alloy. Our enjoyments 

 were great, with one serious drawback — the flies, those 

 volant leeches that surrounded us — and not-sdthstanding 

 om- defence of camphorated oil smeared over our hands, 

 faces, and necks — sucked cm- blood without compunction.* 

 A fly is considered a stupid creature not\vithstanding his 

 powers of observation, but our Malbaie musquitoes were 

 insects of great sagacity, for they appeared to watch their 

 opportunity to take us at a disadvantage, and when they 

 saw us occupied in playing a fish, they made play too, and 

 had fifty spears in our skins in half a minute. The little 

 invisible sand flies, too, teased us extremely, and those 

 insidious black ^vretches, who give no warning, like the 

 honest musquito — these crawled about our necks and up 

 our sleeves, tracking their way with blood. 



* See Supplementary Chapter. 

 H 3 



