22 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Aug. 4, 1887. 



he ^parhnjHn ^anmi 



GRAND LAC MACKINAC. 



THE Laurentian Club of Montreal has recently been 

 organized for the purpose of preserving numerous 

 lakes in the Province of Quebec for the benefit of its 200 

 members. Both game and fish are carefully protected 

 and about 100 square miles of territory has been leased 

 from the Provincial Government for an unlimited period, 

 Mr. Ohas. E. Levey, a member of the club, who takes a 

 great interest in its welfare, while visiting the club house 

 at Lake a la Peche with his friend and camping com- 

 panion, Mr. Norman Whitehouse, upon having a conver- 

 sation with the very able organizer of the club, Mr. Wm. 

 Parker, decided to push as far as the new region, brought 

 under Laurentian rule by Mr. Parker's efforts, the Great 

 Lake Mackinac, which had never been visited by any 

 member of the club before, or, as far as could be learned, 

 by any sportsman. The reports as to its size, the variety 

 of fish that it contained, and as to the best and easiest 

 way of reaching it from the village of Grands Piles, were 

 most conflicting. It was at last decided to attempt it by 

 way of the rivers St. Maurice and Mackinac, which latter 

 stream empties from the Mackinac Lake into the St. 

 Maurice River, and the following account of the trip is 

 given by those gentlemen: 



We hired a guide from the Laurentian Club at Lac a la 

 Peche and were most generously provided with two more 

 by Mr. Wm. Parker, and, having packed our traps and 

 been wished bonne chance by him, started off for the 

 Grands Piles, from which place we were to make our 

 start. We found an excellent man who had been to the 

 Lake Mackinac some years before in the capacity of a 

 lumberman, Pierre Barry by name, and a godsend he 

 afterward proved to us. The start on Monday morning 

 was not very favorable, owing to a high wind blowing 

 down stream, which, when combined with the Bwift cur- 

 rent, made progress extremely slow. After much hard 

 work, however, we arrived at the mouth of the Mackinac 

 River, fifteen miles from Grands Piles, and found the 

 ascent quite easy for four miles in our barge and canoe; 

 but there the rapids began and soon became unpleasantly 

 frequent. In j)laees they were very long and shallow, and 

 it was only with considerable difficulty that the boats 

 could be forced up. We remained for the night at George 

 Forque's, at the top of the Rapide Blanc, which is nine 

 miles from the mouth of the river. Up the Rapide Blanc 

 a boat cannot be drawn, as it is full of huge rocks and a 

 mile and a half long, and we consequently had to make a 

 portage of the distance of our boats and baggage. The 

 road is good, and a horse and sled can be hired from 

 Forque. By these people we were led to suppose that the 

 water was fairly high and that there were not many 

 severe rapids to be encountered from that point to the 

 mouth of the lake, which they considered to be between 

 six to nine miles distant. 



We started at 8 o clock in the morning, full of life and 

 spirits, thinking that we had an easy day before us. Had 

 .we known what awaited us we should have turned back 

 and not thoiight of attempting such an arduous under- 

 taking. After a mile of still water some small rapids 

 were encountered, and then rapid succeeded rapid, until 

 after five hours terrible toil, up to the shoulders in water 

 at times and to the waist most of the time, we came to a 

 tremendous shallow, which seemed to extend for a long 

 distance. We had managed to advance at the rate of 

 about a mile an hour, and judged, from the information 

 that we had received, that we were not more than a mile 

 or two from the mouth of the lake at this point, and that 

 this was the last rapid before reaching it, which they bad 

 warned us was extremely bad. After partaking of food 

 and stimulants to prevent cold and encourage the men, 

 we attacked the shallow. Hour after horn' we toiled on, 

 at times nearly exhausted with fatigue and literally 

 hardly making any progress at all. The shallow resolved 

 itself into one of the nastiest rapids to be encountered 

 anywhere; and, with only slight breaks, we calculated 

 that it must be very nearly five miles long. At times we 

 began to doubt whether any lake existed at all, and al- 

 most despaired of being able to reach it if it did exist. 

 None of us, nor anybody else, as far as we could find out, 

 had ever been up before by the river to the lake, people 

 usually going round by St. Thecle and Lac Long, which 

 way presents no particular difficulties. 



Night began to descend upon us and a hopeless feeling 

 crept into our hearts. We could not turn back, as it 

 would have been impossible to descend the rapids which 

 we had only ascended with such infinite labor. Roads, 

 or even the slightest paths could not be found in the woods, 

 and the banks of the river were at times very steep and 

 always thickly overgrown. At last our spirits rose, as 

 Pierre Barry stated in rather an uncertain sort of way, it 

 is true, but still did state that he thought that the lake 

 was behind a hill covered with dead timber about a mile 

 distant. He remembered that just such a "brule" stood 

 at the end of the lake and thought this the same one. 

 The drooping heads lifted themselves with hope and we 

 bravely struggled along once more for this hill. A shout 

 of joy arose as we saw the first opening pond, and we 

 began to forget our fatigue and soaking clothes. We had 

 been twelve hours hard at work with only three resting 

 spells of half an hour each, when at last we reached the 

 first point at the mouth of the lake. We judge the dis- 

 tance from Forque's to this point to be between eleven 

 and tw*lve miles and consider this way of approach to 

 the lake, by means of the Mackinac River, to be utterly 

 out of the question. By the time we had set foot on the 

 welcome shore rain began to fall; and everything being 

 saturated in the boats we were unable to obtain any dry 

 clothing and spent a most wretched night, naming the 

 place Point Misere. 



In the morning the weather cleared and we started 

 upon our voyage of discovery. The lake ran due north 

 and south and seemed very large. We found it after- 

 ward to be thirteen miles long and in places between two 

 to three miles broad and hedged in by precipitous rocks 

 and cliffs, which rise to a very great height, and at the 

 foot of which the water is extremely deep, a rope with a 

 weight attached to it, when let down 900ft., fairing to 

 find bottom. The mountains and rocks are grand in the 

 extreme, and the lake superb. Most unfortunately 

 winter fishing through the ice and the nets of one or two 

 enterprising individuals from St. Thecle, have done much 

 to ruin the fishing, which must, a few years ago, have 

 been magnificent. The only two fish which seem now to 



inhabit its waters are the dore (wall-eyed pike) and the | 

 brochat dore (golden p'ckerel). They all ran about of a • 

 size, from 3 to 51bs., and we caught without trouble a fair 

 quantity. In one day's fishing we landed 30 fish, 12 of 

 which were dores and 18 brochats, weighing together 

 911bs. 



About seven miles from the head of the lake a long bay 

 runs in on both sides, forming a cross, and is called by 

 that name, Baie de la Croix, and upon the west side of it 

 Mr. Ritchie, the lumberman, has built a shanty, which 

 now is inhabited by a curious man-hater, whom we after- 

 ward found to be at heart a most excellent fellow, George 

 Billet by name. He has lived in this place for eight years 

 and often does not see a human face for months together. 

 At times he goes down to St. Thecle to fetch provisions, 

 and seems quite contented with his lot. We let our men 

 sleep in the shanty and we spread our tent near by and 

 made ourselves entirely comfortable with beds made of 

 balsam boughs. We made our exploring excursions from 

 the bay and found George an excellent guide and a mine 

 of information in regard to distances and everything con- 

 nected with the lake and its surroundings. He accom- 

 panied us on some of our trips and fishing excursions, and 

 it would have been impossible for us to have procured 

 much satisfactory knowledge without his help. 



The small lakes round Lake Mackinac are very difficult 

 to reach, being all four to five miles distant, with no por- 

 tages cut through the woods. In one of them, Lac la 

 Truite, the spe kled trout are very numerous and take 

 the fly well, and the lakers run very large; but these lat- 

 ter can only be caught with a spoon. Caribou tracks are 

 to be seen in every direction, and we heard a moose call 

 while at Pointe Misere. Bear also seem to be plentiful, 

 but keep themselves hidden from the eye, although their 

 "ravages" are constantly being met with. We consider 

 it the grandest lake that we remember having seen in 

 this vicinity, and if properly preserved it would abound 

 with fish. On the east side, M. Baptiste has erected a 

 large depot, which was used for storing goods in lumber- 

 ing days. It is placed on the bank of the river Brochat, 

 which feeds the lake, and which in winter is an excellent 

 fishing ground. The west side of the lake opposite this 

 depot is now undoubtedly the best spot for the noble 

 sport. We trolled round the whole lake and found very 

 indifferent sport elsewhere. 



We spent four days upon the lake, two in fishing and 

 two in explorations' and explored as thoroughly as two 

 amateur surveyors well could, sparing no pains. The flies 

 were veiy thick and dreadfully ferocious and our experi- 

 ence with them was most unpleasant. We started upon 

 our return journey on Sunday morning, July 17, at 5 A. 

 M. , and were at St. Thecle village at 5 o'clock in the even- 

 ing. To leave the lake we returned to Pointe Misere, 

 opposite which the creek is situated, running into Lac 

 Long. We ourselves preferred to walk over by 'the port- 

 age; but sent our men with the boats round by the creek. 

 It has but a few rapids and presents no difficulties, being 

 not over a mile in length. Embarking once more we 

 pushed through a succession of narrows and small rapids 

 for about another mile and then found ourselves at the 

 dam at the head of Lac Long proper. This lake is divided 

 into two parts; the total length of both being nine miles. 

 At the end of the lake there is a portage of 1\ miles to 

 Lac Encoeur, which is but a small pond in comparison 

 with the large lakes that we had left behind us. A horse 

 can here be procured and the three miles portage to the 

 village of St. Thecle accomplished without any difficulty. 

 From the village a train runs once a day at 6 P. M. to St. 

 Tite, on the Grands Piles Railroad, and consequently there 

 can be no choice as to routes in seeking access to Grand 

 Lac Mackinac, which we both once more vote to well de- 

 serve the title of Grand. Chas. E. Levey, 



Norman Whitehouse. 



THE FLYING CLAM. 



ONCE and only once I went into the boat building busi- 

 ness, but I had such lots of fun out of the venture that 

 I transcribe the results as an inducement to others to go 

 and do likewise. There was the Housatonic River close 

 by me and Hatch's Pond not a great way off, and pickerel 

 and black bass were fattening up on minnows ana calling 

 out to me to come and have a shy at them. I took two 

 12ft. boards, a chestnut stem into which they fitted; then 

 covered these boards with ^in, pine on the bottom ; cut 

 down a good slot through the center; fitted it up with 

 casings and trunk for acenterboard; added seats, thwarts, 

 rowlocks, paddles, a basswood pole for a mast, a lug sail 

 with a jack yard to slide up and down the mast, a 14ft. 

 mainboom, with sail made of unbleached American 

 domestic, run through a sewing machine; and here was 

 a home-made article costing almost nothing, "a rum 

 thing to look at but a good one to go." I impressed my 

 old chum Charley into the service as an able-bodied sea- 

 man; half a dozen village boys helped us lift her up on an 

 old wagon, and with a "g'lang Bill" we started up the 

 road, bound north by east, I at the helm, Charley on the 

 lookout, and a grand chorus of whoops and cheers ring- 

 ing out after us from every one in the village. The send 

 off was good as a circus. An hour's ride brought us to 

 our destination. Driving down close to the pond we 

 backed old Bill down to the water's edge, and knocking 

 away the chucks "the beautiful yacht glided into her 

 native element." I believe that expression is considered 

 "the correct thing." 



" Looks just like an old flatiron. Captain." Well, there 

 was no denying the fact; still, with her glistening black 

 sides, and two shining clam shells on each side of her 

 bow (from which she was named) like a Chinese junk, 

 she had a long, low, raking look, and she seemed able to 

 carry us. 



Hatch's Pond, some three miles from Kent, in Litch- 

 field county, Conn., is a lovely sheet of water, fringed 

 on its western side with pines and beech and maples. 

 There are fish in its waters, which are clear and spark- 

 ling, that I know. There are quail and ruffed grouse not 

 many along the borders. It was a pleasant sunny, breezy 

 day in July, so hauling on my main halliard so that I 

 could hoist the sail or let it go in an instant, I made sail 

 on her, and stood out boldly to sea. Everything had been 

 prepared for the trip beforehand. I was sailing master 

 and Charley was to attend to the fish. Paying out on the 

 two lines with their glittering spoons, the breeze just 

 fresh enough to take us along as fast as we could paddle, 

 the fun began. How the pickerel did go for us, and we 

 for them. Tacking across the pond and up to the head, I 

 would let out on the mainsheet and run down past the 



lily pads, keeping my companion hard at work pulling™ 

 the fish and throwing out the lines. I am free to confesaj 

 that I have strong likes and dislikes. Cats and pickerel I 

 hate cordially. I have eaten both of them, and ratkejA 

 prefer cat, though I do not " hanker" after him. BotHfl 

 are beasts of prey, both treacherous, revengeful and cruelm 

 always ready to kill and feed on better animals than 1 

 themselves, always hungry. The black bass can whim 

 the pickerel any day in a fight, and that is not the lea™ 

 of his good qualities. So it was with great satisfactioiij 

 that I saw how we were getting the best of these ponm 

 sharks. 



My boat, as far as I knew, was the first sailboat eve® 

 put on the pond, and as the down express from Pittsfielfl 

 flew by the engineer gave me a rousing toot on his whistle 

 and the fluttering handkerchiefs waved in welcome tqfl 

 my craft. We had sailed four or five miles in an easafl 

 way, and now, by mutual consent, we headed the boan 

 for shore, and getting our lunch basket, "fell too" with 

 such an appetite as only hunters and fishermen can ap- 

 preciate. Nineteen nice large pickerel all present ana 

 accounted for and more to come in the afternoon. Dowu 

 on the grass under a wide-spreading maple near a lovelsj 

 bubbling spring we threw ourselves full length, lit ou| 

 pipes and gave ourselves up to the full enjoyment of the 

 scene. Then later on we again hoisted sail, stood out tc 

 sea, and cruised round for pickerel. 



Some few men there were in two old leaky boaffl 

 anchored near what they fondly deemed good fishing 

 grounds, but in fishing they were nowhere. Charles 

 was a handy Yankee and I soon showed him how to steal 

 the boat and promoted him to be skipper, while I set U 

 work fishing. We would swoop by the men in the tub, 8 

 bite, a yank, haul him in, and a wild yell of triumph a* 

 the pickerel found himself pulled in; and so away wffl 

 would set sail in pursuit of fresh victims, until we botr] 

 cried "Hold, enough." What was the use of further fisl|| 

 ing — 40 odd fish — as many as we could eat and give away, 

 The Flying Clam, luckier craft than many others, haw 

 more than paid for herself on her first voyage. So mooifi 

 ing her with stout padlock and chain we drove home in < 

 the cool of the evening delighted with our first cruise. 



When I moved away from the Housatonic to the dea} I 

 old Hudson I took my old boat with me. Go back or 

 such a tried and trusty friend? Not much. Baggagemen 

 and brakemen on the Housatonic Railroad came to knosjj] 

 the craft as far off as they could see her, she was worths! 

 dozen Saratoga trunks. They had to "lift her up tender-'] 

 ly, handle with care." She was practically "non-smastel 

 able." So, too, over the Poughkeepsie railroad, he;| 

 fame had preceded her. Long will the captain of thi I 

 Poughkeepsie ferryboat remember her, for when the mal I 

 drove on board with an immense van loaded with my im ] 

 pedimenta, and the dear old lady perched up on the toj f 

 of all, her rowlocks got caught in the roof, and there waif 

 a time when it seemed as if the roof or the boat wouSj 

 have to come apart; it was a tight squeeze, but the horse . 

 pulled her through in safety. And so up and down thti 

 river from Rondout to New Hamburgh, the dear old Flyl 

 ing Clam was almost as well known as the Mary Powefii 

 In all times and all weathers, blow high, blow low, will 

 my favorite setter Duke — of whom I shall write mori J 

 fully one of these days — and my Parker gun, I haijl 

 chased ducks up and down from "morn till noon, froai 

 noon till dewy eve," a whole fall day, and with what peri 

 tinacity and endurance North River men will chase aj:| 

 day up and down that river such ucbappy ducks as peel 

 chance come that way, will always remain a mystery oil 

 mysteries. 



Brother boatmen of the North River who go sailing |1 

 small craft, let me give you a wrinkle. If you want to f 

 make friends with the tows, carry along a lot of newM 

 papers with you. I have sculled that famous river £q| 

 many a year, in the Undine in the olden time, the famoftf 

 Gypsey, the bewitching Louisa, the saucy Doris and th-j 

 peerless Bedouin; yet have I had more fun in my littfel 

 boat. I always had a supply of papers and if I wanted 'jl 

 tow I would ran up alongside, throw them a rope, gfll 

 safely hitched on and then go on board and have a taM 

 with the skipper and leave them something to read. II 

 there's a tow on the river that does not know me or dmI 

 boat all I have to say is they must have come on veni 

 lately; and I recall while now hard at work writing 31 

 my log how one fall day I had hardly hooked on to off J 

 of my friends, when a weather-beaten old boatmal 

 roared out to me, "Say, Cap, has Lousvanna gone fti j 

 Hayes?" 



One feat I performed with my boat that may prove ir 

 teresting. I had skated over one morning in December t 

 Poughkeepsie, when in the afternoon there came a brea 

 and crack in the ice, leaving clear water all the wa 

 across — at that time I was living on the opposite sholl 

 and the Flying Clam was stowed away in the boat housj 

 close by. Calling out to two or three fishermen to beartt 

 hand, we launched her into the water, made sail on hail 

 sailed across and back and put her up in her winter qua;! 

 ters. Not many boats have done this. 



On another memorable occasion I crossed over in hei | 

 tied her up at the dock, and while uptown some urcbir. | 

 went off in her on a sail and left her so carelessly tie [ 

 that away she presently floated down the river all by hel l 

 self. My old friend the captain of the Hudson Taylor we I 

 coming up from New Hamburg that morning and keejl 

 ing a bright lookout, and well he had to, for they we» { 

 building the West Shore road then, and not long befo) j 

 had let off a blast and sent a rock weighing half a to 

 just over his pilot house; had that struck the boat si I 

 would have gone down in ten seconds with all on boarcl 

 Well, Captain Bill saw my sailboat and saw her suddenl 

 transferred to the deck of a three-masted schooner, a»l 

 made up his mind something had to be done, and quickl; J 

 too; so he steamed up alongside. "Hello! hello! I watj 

 that boat." "Does she belong to you?" "Never mind, | 

 want her." "Who is going to pay me for my trouble I 

 "Nobody." "Well, take your boat." And the inhuraa| 

 monster launched my boat over the taffrail, sails, oai t 

 mast, etc., slap dash into the river, and sailed away, cuM 

 ing all creation. So the Captain towed her up to the doc I 

 for me. But when did Captain Bill ever hesitate to fll 

 an act of kindness? 



Once while looking at the old boat I heard a splash IB 

 the water, and the next moment a cry, "My brothaB 

 drowning." There was a boy 9 years old strugghngJH 

 the water; one of 12 on the dock crying out lustily w«| 

 fright, and I with a gorgeous new gray suit on fresh frail 

 the tailor's. Rough on me. No time for howling, lp 

 went. Down went the boy, and down I went after hifll 



