June 9, 1881.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



345 



amidst the progress" "f 11"- lti^i. twi centuries, have success- 

 fully resisted its encroachments, ami to-day exhibit, the 

 strange anomaly of French customs, manners and habits of 

 the 17th century preserved to the 19th in the new WQrlil, 

 under a foreign government. A happier, more contented 

 peasantry do not « «st, and tueii virtues are manifold, 'fhey 

 area social, losing people, and delight to live within sound 

 of the parish church bell. Very flsvout, thev have an im- 

 mense number of fete days, during Which ail labor is sus- 

 pended to enable them lo attend liic mass and the subse- 

 quent festivities. Sunday is pre-emUTently the happiest day 



of the week If in 6TJ i. no sooner is mass concluded 



than the whole; parish adjourns to the greensward upon tho 

 river bank and partake of their frugal meal amid much 

 raillery and laughter, and then the afternoon is given up.tq 

 dancing and singing, courting and canoeing, and other inno- 

 cent amusements. 



They iabi r no harder than is necessary to provide for their 

 simple wants. They are a self-contained people, and ex- 

 treme indigence is ran; among them. The wives and 

 daughters spin and m ore thi ir own linen and woolen cloth 

 Wherewith thoy clothe themselves: l heir small farms yield 

 sullieient for the family use : the maple bush the sugar and 

 syrup; the nearest stream or lake abundance of luscious trout 

 for fast days- the sapin swamp its quota of snared hares and 

 partridges. They have little to sell, still less to purchase. 



They are exceedingly c. :■ .lite in their inter- 



course with each other and toward strangers : even the little 

 children bow and courtesy on the road' when "passing von. 

 They are hospitable in the extreme, and anticipate the every 

 wish of tha traveler who seeks their door. Above all they 

 are devoted to their native soil, ihe.V,/« Canada. When the 

 long arctic winter Spreads o'er the land, and all labor is sus- 

 pended, the people abandon themselves to the delights of 

 that social intercourse of which they an; so fond. Day and 

 night the roa&s resound with the lively tinkling of sleigh 

 bells and the merry laugh and song, as gay parties of young 

 and old wend their way to and from each other's houses. 



'• Thus dwell togsl tier in lovo these simple Arcadian farmers ; 

 Du-.ii in iiir love in fjud ,iinioi man. Alike mere tnej rice from 

 1-e.o-, ih.ii n .irns will, i lie iyi-.ini, ami envv. ilu v tee of republics. 



Nellie r !.-, i,-„j i ii.:.v to iimnlu.rv nor I. ir- ■ 



Bui i ii.-M dwellings «,<- c, r , ., . .. ,i.,-. ,. ;i j ..... ,,.. ., ... ,,i n,,. owners : 

 'iHBrfuie richest, was poor, and the pooresl lived in abundance.' 



Happy the angler who, in his short respite from the haras- 

 sing cares of the busy world, finds his way among such 

 pleasant pastures green. 



.10TT1KGS I1T THE WAT. 



The elevation of the banks of a river at the foot of a rapid 

 mark the height of that rapid. In the estuaries of rivers and 

 the head of rapids islands are always formed. Deep holes 

 in rivers instead of filling up from the deposits brought down 

 from above by the Hoods gradually grow deeper. To effect 

 this there must be a strong under-current, during heavy 

 freshets, or whirlpools with a set toward the lower end of the 

 pool. In no other way could they purge themselves. Among 

 ledges of limestone and blue clay in river bottoms large 

 round holes are frequently found. These holes are formed 

 by a hard tlint-like spar stoue, and the action of the current, 

 which whirls them around and around precisely as the burr 

 Stones of a mill revolve. 



Snow is dissolved by thawing to one-fortieth part of its 

 bulk, and the process of melting it is so slow and toilsome 

 that, it is of theutmpsl importance in winter to find water 

 near ramp, ll is always advisable, therefore, to camp be- 

 side a lake or a rapid stream. From tho former enough 

 water can be collected from the surface of the ice by scrap- 

 big away the snow. The weigh! of the latter depresses the 

 ice and causes the water to rise over it, which it alsi pre- 

 vents from freezing. All frozen waters must have a breath- 

 ing place, tin cefore atr-holefl are always to be found, or 

 rather avoided, in lakes and rivers. They are necessary, 

 too, tor the life of the fish, 



In summer Ihneder-stofms are of frequent occurrence, 

 and rage with great violence for a short time. They spring 

 out of what was but a few moments before a bright, un- 

 clouded sky, inn they as cjuickly disappear, and all nature 

 smiles again. Wiud storms are not uncommon that lay 

 waste extensive tracts of country, leveling the mighty forest 

 before them like so many reeds. Such tracks are termed 

 windfalls by the settlers, and are execrated by every one who 

 has occasion to cross them. 



Forest Iudians always walk intoed for two very good rea- 

 sons. Were they to walk with the toes turned ont fhey 

 would be constantly tripping amidst the loose roots and the 

 brush, and secondly, the habit of wearing snowshocs enforces 

 the intoe step. It is an imperative law of snowsboeing, to 

 red and white alike, to walk with toes well turned in ; an at. 

 tempted Violation of this unwritten code is swiftly followed 

 by a severe punishment — a "header" into four or five feet 

 of snow, from which it is no easy matter to extricate oue's- 

 self. 



Cattle on a bush farm, where they are much troubled with 

 flies and mosquitoes, soon lose all dread of a fire, and Often 

 seek its protection as against their little winged tormentors. 

 Often large smudge fires ate burned for them in their pas- 

 tures. I have often seen them rush headlong into it to obtain 

 relief from the venomous attacks of the insects. 



Large forest trees much exposed are often split by the ex- 

 treme action of the frost, which expands their outer fibres 

 more than they can bear. The rent is always accompanied 

 by a loud report like the explosion of a small cannon, and is 

 startling in the extreme in the quiet stillness of night. 

 Rocks are sometimes similarly acted upon where there are 

 seams into which the water percolates and then freezes. 



"Wherever extensive fires have burned off the coniferous 

 forests an entirely different growth takes place. Birches, 

 poplars, wild cherry, etc., spring at once into luxuriant 

 growth and form a tangled gnarl through which it is difficult 

 to force a way. Many bush fires are occasioned by the 

 lighters striking some old dry chimt. 



Trout are not often captured by the fish hawks, for they 

 are about as quick as their feathered foe, and at the first flash 

 they dart away. It is the heavy sluggish fish, such as the 

 suckers, which lie motionless and asleep in the warm, shal- 

 low waters, that, fall a prey to the keen-eyed hawk. As the 

 capture of such vile fries is no small gain to a stream, the 

 fish hawk must be considered a benefactor to the race of 

 anglers, Suckers consume an immense amount of trout 

 spawn. 



People always smile incredulously when the angler relates 

 his ill luck in losing his largest fish, but it is neverthless the 

 case that the very large fish more often escape than find their 

 way into the angler's creel. I have captured some old stagers 

 that from the numerous scars about the mouth showed their 

 frequent acquaintance with the angler's fly. 



Bivers upon which much logging is carried on, while they 



may abound with trout, afford poor fly fishing. The fish arc 

 so often disturbed by the drifting logs that, they seek the still,. 

 deep waters, and feed upon the/bottom. The Jacques Car- 

 tier, one of the most beautiful rivers in Lower Cauada, and 

 a famous one for large fish, has been almost ruined for fly 

 fishing the past few years from this cause. 



Trout. WBCD the] attail a very large growth, become al- 

 most entirely cannibalistic. The better to conceal their 

 nefarious practices, they seek the deep, dark waters of some 

 hole in the s'ream, sallying forth at night upon their smaller 

 and more helpless brethren. Early in' the spring they seek 

 the rapids to cleanse themselves from the parasites that infest 

 them, and they will theu rise, to the fly, but very rarely at 

 other times. 



Feeding and the nature of the water are the two principal 

 causes of the diversity in tho coloring of trout, and their 

 form. In very rapid, clear streams the trout are very bril- 

 liantly marked, and are Hiheaud long. In the quiet waters 

 of the lakes the lazy lite and abundant food gives them a 

 rotundity of form and duller markings. 



Large trout are usually found in couples. Can it be that 

 as they advance in life they permanently mate? Is it simply 

 a platouic affection, the desire for the congenial companion- 

 ship, the mutual aid and sympathy extended to each other? 

 Who knows! 



[TO BK CONTLNMn. I 



A MICHIGAN PISHING TRIP. 



HAVE just received the neat pamphlet issued by the 

 Grand Rapids and Indiana Railway Company, and while 

 dug through its pages at the illustrations and the general 



lid 



self 



rill wait with i 



me of 



11 not 



ious 



ned, occasiojiftlly a 

 attract my attention, calling to mind a bcauti 

 camping-place, town or hotel, and I found n 

 short time with the book on my desk and fh 

 delightful trip one may take from Traverse 

 key. I will try and sketch a trip tb 

 the most enjoyable I have ever taken 

 be satisfied with going over once, but 

 anticipation for the time to come wheu you can again 

 iraversc the same route. 



The old reliable Grand Rapids and Indiana road, wilb its 

 courteous attaches, will land you safely at Traverse City. 

 Here you will find a neat, clean, cool little town, facing the 

 west arm of Grand Traverse Lay. with as good a hos'tlery 

 as one would wish to find— the Park Place Hotel. Stop 

 here a day and rest, then take the early morning boat for 

 Elk Rapids, thirty-three miles distant via Long or' West Bay 

 routs, touching at Old Mission, arriving at Elk Rapids about 

 noon, at which point you will change boats for the inland 

 route. Take the spring-wagon, which meets the boat, 

 and you will be whirled along the long dock — piled with 

 iron ore high ou either side — down onto a short stretch of 

 level road, around a mill over a stream nearly above a large 

 fish chute, and in about five minutes brought up whirling 

 at the Lake View House, a clean, homelike little inn, 

 where you will be treated well by a very gentle- 

 manly landlord. As you step out on the hotel porch 

 in front you have a beautiful view of Traverse Hay, and 

 to the right and left attractions enough lo interest you until 

 time is called to take the little steamer for the Lewis House 

 I. inding at the head of Torch Lake. As you leave Elk 

 Rapids you pass neat white houses, with their beautiful 

 green lawns in contrast, lumber mills, a very large blast fur- 

 nace, etc. Leaving these behind our little steamer puffs 

 away taking us along at a lively rate through Elk River — 

 two and n half miles long, and considerably wider than the 

 usual Michigan River — into Elk River, nine miles long, a 

 very beautiful sheet of water and clear as crystal. Crossing 

 this we again go through one of those narrow, crooked, little 

 streams for a short, distance into Round Lake, three miles 

 long, thence through Torch Ui'.vr. four miles long— a purely 

 typical northern .Michigan river ■ in:-' Torch l.ake eightoeu 

 miles long. The steamer makestWq stops on the trip through 

 this beautiful lake, lauding you at the Lewis House dock 

 early in tie.- evening, where you stay all night. Air. Lewis, 

 the proprietor, is as genial and whole-souled alaudloid as you 

 would wish to meet. Should it he moonlight walk over a 

 narrow strip of land about one fourth of a mila to the beach 

 ou Grand Traverse Lay, wueic you will find a beautiful, 

 broad, sandy beach, a walk here gives a refreshing, rejuven- 

 ating feeling and then back to the hotel for a good night'i 



sleep. After an early din 



take your baggage In his " slreet car " o 



where you again lake passage on theslea 



the way making a stop at a small (saw n 



iuto Charlevoix, a very pleasant and at tl 



looking place, situated back a short diet 



on both sides of a small stream, on quit- 



looking, to the east, a short distance, Pii 



west, Lake Michigan. By evening you land at Petoskey, 



where you take up quarters at either of the comfortable hotels 



there — the Occidental or Cushman, both good. Here you 



Will watlt to stop a day or more, as it is quite a bee hive, 



everybody you will see in good humor, and all evidently 



looking for something. This place is at present the tt minus 



of the G. R. aud I. Ry., and should you desire any informa- 



xt day Mr. Lewis' will 



Petoskey, ou 

 vn, and then 

 time peculiar 

 :>ni :he l,.ke, 

 : blutf over- 

 Lake, aud to the 



i Mr. Quaiii lance, tin 

 whose gentlemanly and 

 him an enviable celeb- 

 3 beautiful pebbly beach 



tion not obtainable elsewhere call 

 ageut of the company at this point, 

 accommodating manners have giver 

 rity. At this point a si roll down t) 

 will be in order and amply repay fi 

 taken, and you will here, with little tro 

 some Stones, aud many very fine agate; 

 The same can be taken to one of the 

 there who will polish or make from it a 

 will long cherish as a souvenir, a gh 

 time, will bring back many pleasant 

 this point you will have the beautiful 

 to Cbeboygau, which all should take, 

 mention here further as I have taki 

 unms heretofore with details of this 



I have made this sketch a flying one." Ebu can well length- 

 en it to good advantage by making a. longer stay at Traverse 

 City, Elk Rapids or Lewis House: There is more sport and 

 more to interest one at Elk Rapids, however, than at the 

 other mentioned points. 



Excellent fishuig may be had at any place you may choose 

 to stop. At Traverse Oily, deep water fishing, and near the 

 town trout, bass, etc. At Elk Rapids shoulder your rod at 

 the hotel, and you can be back again in one hour with quite 

 a respectable string, and nndorbtedly the same at the head of 

 Torch Lake. At Elk Rapids I know you can, for I have 

 tried it. Go, take this trip, see and be convinced. 



Columbus, 0., Fbaux N. Bjjbbb, 



the 



I up si- 



ll trouble 

 find many hand- 

 here picked up. 

 ler of lapidaries 

 ren'o which you 

 at which, at any 

 llc.eiious. From 

 \ xzts itrougt 

 iVhieh I will not 

 ace in your eol- 



ON THE SAWKATAWABET. 



PoNTi.e, Mien. 



r season, it is no exaggeration to Say that the forests of 

 the south shore of Lake Superior a c "fairly alive" 

 with game, consisting chiefly of pigeons in July and A/lgiwt, 

 when tho huckleberry is ripe, ruffed grouse and that variety 

 commonly calhcl spruce partridge, in September and Octo- 

 ber, and in fall and winter innumerable hoe and red deer. 

 Nearly every rill, rivulet and river has couutless numbers 

 of speckled trout, and the flesh of the same is invariably bard 

 and compact, owing to the frigorific temperature of the 

 waters in which they live and sport. fu place i where wild 

 rice or celery grows, many varieties of water fowl may be 

 seen, aud owing, in a measure, to die fact that they are rarely 

 disturbed, are comparatively quite tame and easily ap- 

 proached. 



Not long since Friend B and myself decided to pat in 



a week or two, fishing and hunting, in the vicinity of the 

 Sawkatawabet River. This stream rises in the south range 

 of Keweenaw county, the extreme northern county of the 

 Upper Peninsula, flows in a southerly direction and empties 

 into Keweenaw Bay. It drains about seventy-fife square 

 miles of territory, and in consequence of its being the recep- 

 tacle of several small creeks iucrcases to quite a volume ere 

 it dashes, picturesquely, over the ledge of rocks at its mouth. 

 It is of an icy coldness, and, moreover, is remarkably trans- 

 lucent, except in the season of freshets, when it is of a 

 darkish red, aud with its driftwood aud other debris is any- 

 thing but attractive to the eye. 



In the early days of the month of September, with our 

 camp outfit, with dogs, guns and ammunition, and wiih old 

 Joe, our cook, guide and wop.dim&u, a veritable I'm hinder, 

 wo took our places in a light spring- wagon aud were 

 transported over a well-kept road, through beautiful forests 

 and romantic dells, past love y farms nestling in ihe shadows, 

 and over hills from whose summits ever and anon wwc 

 afforded us charming vis' as of land and water tor a distance 

 of about ten miles to the head of Lac La Belle. Here we 

 procured a Mackinaw boat, and placing our baggage therein, 

 were soon afloat, headed to the mouth of the canal which 

 connects this lake with Keweenaw Bay. Meeting-, as goon 

 as we landed, our old friend John Mayho. u half-breed who, 

 with his family, occupied the old Government lighthouse, we 

 engaged comfortable quarters for the night, and We also sub- 

 sidized John and an Indian named Frank fur our i 

 the river. We also at this point made preparations for an 

 early start in the morning of the coining day. Inasmuch as 

 Frank was the proud owner of a water craft which he guar- 

 anteed would outrun anything on the lakes, we concluded lo 

 follow his advice, to wit, discard the Mackinaw which 

 brought us down and proceed ou our journey in his yacht. 

 Everything having been completed for the morrow's sa 1, it 

 became incumbent upon us to while away in the a most 

 agreeable manner possible the few hours intervening before 

 bed-time. This we did in rowing around the foot of the 

 lake near the head of the canal, at ihe suggestion of a fisher- 

 man, who assured us that we would probably have the pleas- 

 ure of killing a beaver or two. 



The conditions were indeed favorable to success, . s the 

 night was still and the waters glassy and smooth. As w ap- 

 proached a bayou we expected, from what we had heard of 

 Ihem numerically, to see one or more of the quadrupeds at 

 no great distance from us, but for a time, however, we were 

 doomed to disappointment. Carefully and patiently wo 

 paddled wherever we thought I here was'a prospect of obtain- 

 ing even a transitory view of the game we were after, and it 

 was not until some time had elapsed that we heard a splash, 

 and at a distance of sixty yards or uuorc wo could see the 

 miniature waves circling away from ihe spot where a beaver 

 had dove to the bottom. In a moment or two another plunge 

 was heard, and the ripples indicated the place where this one 

 had taken his immersion. It was not long before plunge after 

 plunge and splash after splash kept up quite a little tempest, 

 but wis were unable to get a shot at any of them, although 

 they were apparently in close proximity to us. They kept 

 along the margin of the lake, on the edge of Ihe rushes, 

 where the tall trees would cast their shadows and render them 

 unobservable to us until they rippled the water, when it was 

 too late for execution. We saw that it was necessary for us 

 to change our base of operations, which we accordingly did, 

 and it was not long after we had taken a position as near to 

 the shore as practicable before an opportunity presented it- 

 self. Simultaneously B. in the stern of the canoe and I in 

 the bow discharged our weapons at tw r o handsome beaver, 

 whose heads were distinctly visible, and moving slowly above 

 the surface. We soon discovered that B. had tired with fatal 

 effect; and, elated at his success, he lifted his beaver into tho 

 boat. My shot, however, was a failure, a3 not even a piece 

 of fur could be seen to corsole me with the reflection that I 

 had at least not missed entirely. It was now usehss to at- 

 tempt to kill any more of this species of game, as our guide, 

 who knew well the habits of this animal, informed Us that 

 they were easily frightened, and would keep concealed or 

 move away to safe distances. 



In the morning we were up bright and early, made a hasty 

 toilet, ate a light breakfast, and got everything into the yacht 

 preparatory to starting. During the early morning a stiff 

 breeze came up from the east, and by the time we were ready 

 to pull out there was quite a commotion n the bosom of 

 Bile-de-gris. However, our Iudians were determined lo bravo 

 the elements, aud struck boldly out for Point Isahelle, three 

 miles distant. Off this point the sea was running quite high, 

 but inasmuch as the wind was quartering aft aiid our craft 

 was riding the waves as easily aud gracefully as a duck, we 

 got along very nicely on our course lo ihe mouth of the river. 

 The direction we took, which at times lay near a hold head- 

 land and again at some considerable distance from the shore 

 as we were passing a bay, presented lo tho eye an ever-chang- 

 ing and beautiful panorama, The agitated sea on the one 

 side, and the dark, interminable forests on the other, cul- 

 minating at the background in a high ridge with Mounts 

 Houghton and Gratiot, as distinctive features, displayed nature 

 in her weirdest, wildest grandeur, iiie shore, in places, 

 was rocky, aud discovered no coves in which the hardy mar- 

 iner could find a haven of refuge. 



Late in the afternoon w T e arrived at our destination. As 

 we were sailing into the river we observed a flock of thirty or 

 more ducks of the red-head species, directly ahead of" us. 

 Becoming alarmed, they arose and flew in a line for the lake. 

 which brought them over us. For a few minutes we had 

 sport such as the most enthusiastic duck hunter might envy, 

 and when it ceased we counted, as our trophy, ten tat, large 

 ducks. 



Selecting a spot for our camp within easy access of water, 

 we bade adieu to John and Frank, who were to return to 

 their homes and were desirous of taking Advantage of the 



