French River 
And Sandy McDonald owns the whole of 
this uncommon place. House, barn, store, 
for there is a store well stocked with fisher- 
men's needs next the house, fish-huts, fish- 
flakes, shaggy ox, and primitive-looking sled, — 
all are his. 
When we got there in the afternoon the 
day's work was done, the fishermen were scat- 
tered, and there only remained the evidences of 
their recent presence in the fresh fish that were 
lying about and the long, lank, newly hung 
strips of dogfish drying for the horses and 
cows. They told us that a horse fed on dried 
dogfish presently acquires a glossiness beauti- 
ful to behold. 
French River runs over a stony bed to the 
north of the house. It winds its shallow way 
to the sea untroubled by the fact that the 
McDonald household has to descend the bank 
to its level and carry back every drop of water 
the family uses. 
This is the romantic but extremely incon- 
venient habit throughout Cape Breton. Each 
house is built as near as possible to its own 
river or brook or spring. If the land in the 
immediate neighbourhood of water is not suit- 
205 
