THE SAGUENAY AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. 173 



" But our author goes on to say : ' j\Iy first salmon 

 expedition of the season was to the St. Margaret River. I 

 had two companions with me, one an accomplished fly- 

 fisher of Quebec, and the other, the principal man of 

 Tadousac, a lumber manufacturer. We went in a gig-boat 

 belonging to the latter, and having started at nine o'clock, 

 we reached our place of destination by twelve. We found 

 the river uncommonly high and a little rily. We made a 

 desperate effort, however, and threw the line about three 

 hours, capturing fom- salmon, only one of which it was my 

 privilege to take. He was a handsome fellow, weighing 

 seventeen pounds, and in good condition ; he afforded my 

 companions a good deal of fun, and placed me in a 

 peculiar position. He had taken the hook when I was 

 wading in swift water up to my middle, and as soon as he 

 discovered his predicament, he made a sudden wheel, and 

 started down the stream. ]\Iy rod bent nearly double, and 

 1 saw that I must allow him all the line he wanted ; and 

 having only 300 feet on my reel, I found it necessary to 

 follow him with all speed. In doing so, I lost my footing 

 and was swept by the current against a pile of logs ; mean- 

 time my reel was in the water, and whizzing away at a 

 tremendous rate. The log upon which I depended hap- 

 pened to be in a balancing condition, and when I at- 

 tempted to sm-mount it, it plunged into the current, and 

 floated down the stream, having your humble servant 

 astride at one end, and clinging to it with all his might. 



