"AftuL 30, 1904,][ 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
A. C. A. National Meet, Sugar Island, Thousand Islands, St Lawrence River, August 5-19, 1904 
Gamping and Canoe Cruising in 
Canada* 
BY R. W. ASHCROFT. 
{Continued from page 820.) 
Instead of an old bewhiskered Rip-van-Winkle her- 
mit, we found the island inhabited by as genial a gen- 
tleman sportsman as we had ever had the pleasure of 
meeting, viz.: Dr. Woodruff, ex-surgeon of the steam- 
ship Moana, lately plying between San Francisco and 
Sydney. The doctor bought this island from the 
Canadian Government for a song (the officials of the 
Crown's Land Department said there was "Q such 
island, as the maps didn't show it), and has built him- 
self thereon a comfortable cabin containing all the 
comforts of home. The walls are covered with tro- 
phies, and the doctor's arsenal and angling cabinets 
are most complete. That a physician's mind designed 
the place is evident by its neatness and cleanliness. 
The doctor has built two landing docks, one for use 
when the lake is high in the spring, and one . when 
the water is lower in the summer and fall. Indeed, 
in all its appurtenances, the little kingdom is most 
complete; and pleasant it was to come across the place, 
so far away from any other evidence of civilization. 
We ascertained here that we could reach Hollow 
Lake by two routes, both via Raven Lake. The first 
one was by proceeding to the north end of Lake 
Senora and then portaging two and a half miles through 
a swampy country to Wren Lake, with another por- 
tage of similar length to Raven Lake. As this meant 
an actual carry of our boats and stuff, without the aid 
of a wagon, it was out of the question with the weight 
we had. So v/e decided on the longer route, viz.: a 
five-mile wagon portege by the kind aid of Ward into 
the Black River and up the river into Raven Lake. 
During the course of conversation, the doctor's guide, 
Nick Harrison, began to discourage about the trout 
to_ be found in Black Lake — a lake at the foot of Black 
River. Of all lakes, he said, that should be our 
Mecca. As we were keen for sport, we decided to 
make a side trip, at least, to Black Lake, to test the 
old man's assertion. 
Toward sundown we parted with our i^oo<3 'friend 
the doctor, and journeyed back to Ward's. Passing 
through the Narrows we observed a pretty little fawn 
on the shore, and managed to get within thirty feet of 
her before she took alarm. I shot her — with' Gaffer's 
kodak — but the picture was a failure. We camped near 
Ward's olace for the night. 
Jt took us until one o'clock on Friday afternoon to 
reach Black Lake, and we made our headquarters in 
an old deserted lumber camp. We had been warned 
to be on our guard against one Fuller, said to be a 
iail-bird, and his two sons, who would steal the pennies 
from a dead man's eyes, and who were reputed canable 
of any crime if there was any plunder to be gained. 
Fuller's ostensible occupation is to keep a dam at the 
foot of Raven Lake. Maybe the government thought 
this was a good way to keep him oMt of mischief when 
he got out of jail. His two boys are said to be chips 
off the old block. Only a few days before we arrived 
in the localitv the elder one was said to have made 
off with a colt belonging to a neighboring settler, and 
we plainly saw the print of the unshod hoofs of the 
animal alongside those of a boy, for a couple of miles 
toward and past Black Lake. 
We thought we could fairly see the trout jump in 
Black Lake, and imagined we could hear the murrnur- 
ing of the trout streams as they poured themselves 
thereinto. Even Zach caught the infection, and swore 
by his bottle of snake-bite liniment that he saw a deer 
drinking on the opposite shore — at two o'clock in the 
afternoon, mind you! Casker, in his anxiety to locate 
the best stream for the next morning's fishing, took 
Zack in a canoe on a tour of exploration. They were 
away two hours, and returned sadder but wiser men. 
They reported that Black River was the only stream 
emptying into the lake, and stated that their opinion 
was that "there wasn't a trout in the whole damn lake." 
Old Nick! Lucky for you that you weren't around 
just then. Not even the doctor's guardianship and 
patronaare would have saved your scalp at that mo- 
ment. To send trout-hungry men to a troutless water! 
What more heinous crime could be committed? 
After a hasty supper we commenced to migrate 
again toward Raven Lake, in order to make up for 
lost time. Old Nick's ears must have burned for the 
next two hours. Four of us took the canoes and pulled 
them and toted them and the light gear up the .shallow- 
Black Riyer to the foot of the first slide; and two of 
us carried the heavy stuff back .over the trail to the 
same point. Then we paddled for a guarter of a mile 
to the next dam, and fpand that it mearit a car^v frora 
there to the third danf/" 'At the thirif dkm w^^ bridge^ 
^ the place was ajso to us, at least— as 
''Sand Ry Poict,** 
It had been a warm day, and we were dressed lightly. 
Casker, for instance, had on a pair of duck pants and 
his woolen shirt. The duck pants were a tight fit, and 
proved his undoing. He was carrying a heavy load — 
as became his physique — when, through some unac- 
countable accident, or, maybe, Baxter street tailoring, 
the middle seam of his pants gave way and exposed 
that portion of his anatomy which most needed pro- 
Camp Hoodoo. 
tection. The sand flies observed his dilemma and made 
the most of their opportunity, until dispersed with 
pennyroyal and tar. 
It was nearly midnight before we came across Ful- 
Ie.r'.fi habitation, as it was a dark night, and we fetched 
up in many a blind bay before we found the proper 
course. _ His domicile is a deserted lumber camp, too. 
We noticed a light in one of the windows, and word 
passed along to proceed silently. We did so, and ex- 
pected to pass without being observed, but failed. 
Precipitous Heights. 
There is a ford across the stream right opposite the 
camp, and all three canoes grounded on the gravelly 
bottom at this point. The noise was plainly audible, 
and the light immediately went out. I guess Fuller 
thought we were after the colt, so he kept quiet and did 
not emerge from his den. We managed to. get over 
the ford and into navigable water again, and were soon 
in Raven Lake. 
"But where, oh where, shall we camp?" was the cry. 
We spent half an hour in searching for a suitable spot, 
but none was sighted, so we finally went ashore on an 
island that seemed clear of trees. It was an isle of 
granite— nothing more and nothing' less — so there was 
nothing for it but a granite bed, "with the starlight in 
our faces." We laid our waterproofs on top of our 
blankets to keep off the dew, and in that manner 
sought slumber. We found sore hips, and "Camp Gib- 
raltar" will forever remain granity in our memory. 
'Tis Saturday morning, and we are within hail of Hol- 
low Lake— ^t least we think we are. So, despite cur hard 
bed and curtailed sleep, we embark with avidity. Zack 
pointed out what he thought was the right portage, 
but Casker had a dream on the granite last night where- 
in he saw a sign reading: "This way to Hollow Lakg" 
at the head of a nearby bay, so up this inlet we paddled 
until we could paddle no more. Then we paddled back, 
with Casker apologizing at evejy stroke. We put Zack 
ashore at his portage, and in an hour's time he re- 
ported that the route was O. K. and that, the trail 
was fairly good. However, he counselled that we 
cache about half of our edibles, which we did. 
Oh, Zach,. I do not envy thee the trails that it. must, 
have been thy lot to traverse, if this one may be called, 
with truth, "fairly good." I only know that, in my agony, 
and sore distress, when about half over it, I blurted 
out to the Gaffer some unprintable execrations. 
Casker's blind bay had taken half the ambition . oi;t. 
of me, and Zack's "fairly good" trail relieved pie of, 
more than I had left, and, for the first time, I felt, 
like a quitter, as did the Guv and Gaffer. 
Gun Lake was at the other end of the trail, , and 
Hollow Lake was two more lakes northeast by noxth. 
We proceeded to the upper end of Gun Lake and, then. 
Zack took two hours to find the trail to Long Lake. 
We argued: One hour for a "f-airly good" trail; two 
hours for — what sort of a trail? 
So, when Zack returned, a council was held over the 
lunch pail, and it was decided that Zack and Casker 
should take one canoe and proceed to Hollow Lake, 
and that the rest of us would wait for them in Gun 
Lake until Monday. 
They left us about two o'clock in the afternoon, tak- 
ing two days' rations. How they figured out they 
would need no sugar during these two days, but all 
the baking powder, was beyond my culinary ken. I 
tried to make bread as per the recipe I found in the 
Plasmon cook book that we had with us, but without 
baking powder, and the result was a hybrid pancake. 
Gun Lake was a blueberry paradise. How luscious 
that fruit was! Wild strawberries, raspberries and 
blackberries were not quite ripe, but we knew we 
would have our fill of these before our trip ended. 
And so we did. 
We made camp at the end of the trail leading to 
Raven Lake, and there proceeded to indulge in two 
, .days' loafing. Little we envied Zack and Casker tljeir 
express trip to Hollow Lake and back, even though it 
did mean a string of trout for them. Fatigue kills am- 
bition, and our week's hard work demanded recogni- 
tion. 
Towards 'the close of the afternoon the Guv. de- 
cided to make a raid on some ©f the edible luxuries 
that had been cached, and went back over the trail 
to get them. He went alone, and he nearly lost his 
life, as it proved. He v/ore a sweater, and the color 
of it v^/as the worst that could be selected for the . 
woods. It was the shade of fawn. As he neared the 
end of the trail he heard a noise as of an animal break- 
ing through the bushes. He thought it might be a 
bear; and, then, again, that it might be Fuller at ouf 
.'Storehouse. He stopped, and the noise also stopped. 
Then he proceeded slowly and cautiously, and, as he 
rounded a bend in the trail, found himself covered with 
ll:e ugly muzzle of a Winchester, cocked and ready for 
business in the hands of a woman fifty feet away. 
The Guv. can't recollect whether he said, "Don't 
shoot!" or "Good morning!" to the lady, but, anyhow, 
he finally induced her to lower her weapon. As I re- 
marked once before, the Guv. is essentially a lady's 
man. 
A few yards behind the woman stood her husband, 
with their canoe over his shoulders. Explanations fol- 
lowed, and they parted good friends. 
I was alone at the camp when the pair reached there. 
I thought the Guv. had made a mighty quick trip, over 
and back, and was flabbergasted to see two strangers 
approaching me. The sensation was similar to what 
one would receive if Broadway became absolutely de- 
serted at noon on a week-day. 
It turned out that the farmer and his wife were one 
of the two or three families of settlers living on Hol- 
low Lake; that they had bought a cow in Mindeii a 
week before, and that aforesaid cow had apparently 
started during the preceding night to make tracks for 
her old home. Anyhow, at four o'clock that morning, 
there was no cow to milk; so the pair had immediately 
started in pursuit. They tracked the animal for twenty 
miles or more, and then had lost the scent and wfere 
returning home, feeling sure that she would fetch up 
in her old stall at Minden, and that they would get her 
there a few days later on. 
That cow was a plucky beast! When we got back 
to Dr. Woodruff's hospitable cabin the following Tues- 
day — in time to attend the settlers' picnjc, of which 
more anon — we told him about the. cow. H^e said'that 
on the Sunday afternoon toward dusk the cow' 'had 
swam across Senora Lake, about half a mile to the west, 
of his island. The distance across the late at this pcpfi't 
was fully a mile a^nd a half. They sighted her with the- 
glass when she w^s h^lf a mile from shora, flying sig- 
