478 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 
famous lake, and is about seven miles long and twelve 
wide. Through its outlet, West River, it is one of the 
feeders of Sockendog River, which forms the west branch 
of the Hudson. 
This, too, is a lovely lake, partaking of many of the 
features of Lake Pleasant. There is some rude presence of 
civilization on the north end and eastern side, where a few 
farms and a small village are to be seen along the smoothly 
undulating shore. The country opens level to the south-east, 
but on the north-west the Panther mountain beatles over it 
protectingly stern. 
This lake has been made renowned among sportsmen by 
the feats of the noted Piseco Club—a fraternal band who 
went thither once a year upon a devout pilgrimage to offer 
up a sacrificial hecatomb of fish bones and buck’s horns to 
the manes of their hirsute progenitor, Ham! After very 
nearly exhausting its waters and shores, they have deserted 
them, and are now threatening some one of the wilder lakes 
we see towards the north-west. Here, when we talk of 
exhausting Piseco, we must be understood as when talking 
of the progress of civilization—in a comparative sense—for 
be it understood—these six devout pilgrims regarded one 
hundred pounds a day as the small expression of their fervid 
religious zeal; and the beautiful lake fell into discredit with 
them so soon as it refused to render up this slight diurnal 
tribute. “ Sportsmen of less zeal still find it a charming 
resort. , 
Now look away to the north-west, and you can count along 
the line of vision, until it is lost in the dim serrated line 
of the Blue Ariondack, twenty-five wild, lovely lakes, upon 
whose virgin solitudes no‘ Piseco Club has ever intruded with 
its exhausting zeal. Look closely now, and you will be 
able to trace the threads of three of the finest trout streams 
in America. They form the eastern branch of the Hudson! 
Here we are perched above and in the centre of the head 
