ON THE MAMMALIA OF THIS DISTRICT. 177 



stillness which reigns throughout the autumnal 

 landscape, unbroken save by the chattering of the 

 fieldfares and redwings passing southward, and 

 the occasional hoarse croak of the raven or hooded 

 crow — all plainly spoke to us in mute and eloquent 

 language of the " dying year's decay." 



We had some very fair sport with the rod, and 

 I reached my friend's house by sundown ; and, 

 before turning in, we agreed to start early next 

 morning, fish the little mountain- streams up into 

 the forest, and find out, if possible, the most likely 

 ground to look for elk. 



The situation of this estate is peculiar. The 

 house, saw-mills, iron-forges, and cultivated land, 

 are situate at the bottom of the mountains, by 

 the river-side, and the water that works the 

 machinery is supplied from the mountain-lakes. 

 These lakes lie, as it were, in a chain one above 

 the other, connected by streams which, in many 

 places, form pretty cascades over the bed of rocks, 

 in which are dams here and there for the purpose 

 of stopping and letting on the water, and long 

 shoots, or sluices, for carrying down the timber 

 from the high mountains to the saw-mills below, 

 which is an immense saving of land carriage. 

 When the water is well on, I never saw better 

 streams for trout — here and there a still, deep 

 hole, but most of the water full of small eddies, 



N 



