ROY AND HIS IO-POUND TROUT. 



reached Penetanquishene about I p.m. At 

 the dock we found the Ark awaiting us and 

 our luggage was soon transferred on board. 



The party of 18 consisted of my father, 

 mother, 2 sisters, 2 younger brothers, a 

 number of guests and myself. 



We arrived at our destination about 5 

 p.m. and soon had the Ark moored to an 

 island in a deep, clear channel, the gang- 

 planks out, and everything in residential 

 order. Roy and I suggested bass for sup- 

 per, and while jointing our rods, adjusting 

 reels, etc., Alex, our man Friday, equipped 

 a rowboat with anchor weight and line, 

 bait and landing net. I had been there in 

 '95 and '96 and knew the haunts of the bass 

 in the neighborhood. 



We rowed to a favorite fishing place, near 

 the Ark, in a narrow channel, between the 

 outer waters of the great inland sea, and a 

 large bay. Near the center of this channel 

 is a deep pool, called by us the " Pool of 

 Siloam." There we anchored and in a few 

 minutes we were each fighting a bass at the 

 same time. This was repeated several times, 

 and in less than an hour we returned with 

 a fine catch, ranging from 2 to 4 pounds 

 each. 



My sisters and a girl friend were ranging 

 all over the island gathering shells, wild 

 strawberries, and flowers. Suddenly we 

 heard a piercing shriek, followed by a shout 



of " rattlesnake." The whole party rushed 

 from the Ark to the spot whence the sound 

 came. It was only a few yards away and 

 there, indeed, was a large rattler, with head 

 extending from a coil and eyes glistening, 

 ready to strike at anything in reach. Bang! 

 went a gun and the head of the reptile dis- 

 appeared, never to be seen again. The 

 snake was large, with 16 rattles and a but- 

 ton, and was coiled within a yard of my 

 sister's feet when he rattled and alarmed 

 the girls. 



Not many rattlesnakes are seen in this 

 section of the country. There is another 

 snake on these islands which the Indians 

 misname a copperhead, and are much afraid 

 of. They report its bite more deadly than 

 that of a rattlesnake. Specimens of this 

 snake have been examined at Toronto 

 School of Science and pronounced Fox 

 snake — not poisonous, but might give an 

 ugly bite, as it grows to be 8 feet long and 

 thick in proportion. It is a handsome rep- 

 tile. The head and 2 inches of the neck 

 are a bright copper color, while the back- 

 ground of the body is yellow, covered with 

 brown spots. We killed 6 of these snakes 

 while at this island, one of which was nearly 

 6 feet long. 



The bass fishing was so good in the im- 

 mediate vicinity of the Ark, that we re- 

 mained 2 weeks and could supply the larder 



246 



