866 

FOREST ANBES TRE ANS 
[JUNE 2, 1906. 

natured old salt. Takes life easy and smooth, 
like his boat. He is supposed to make a daily 
trip across Lake Nipissing and down the French 
Be a This scheme, however, does not always 
work, 
The day was bright and clear, the ride on the 
water most delightful. After about two and one- 
half hours’ running we arrived at Island No. 116, 
my destination, where I found my friends, Rev. 
Charles A. Bragdon and family, awaiting me. 
This island is well located on the main channel 
with a natural landing place, also on the route of 
the proposed new ship canal. It contains twenty- 
seven acres, is well wooded and has a pleasing 
outlook, with Contentment Island in the fore- 
ground, All in all, it is an ideal spot for a 
Canadian summer home. Situated as we were, 
good boating and canoeing was always available, 
for if the front channel was rough water, there 
was smooth water in the back. 
The delightful hours we spent floating about 
among the Islands, with new vistas of beauty 
opening up before us can only be appreciated by 
experiencing them. 
Being a tenderfoot as to canoeing I had to 
have my experience. It came on my second day. 
After a refreshing swim and sun bath we loaded 
our canoe to return to camp. I thought I had 
stepped into the center very carefully, but I must 
have made the wrong combination, at least my 
friend Orrin thought so, as we crawled out of 
our second swim with clothes on. It did not wet 
us any more to gather up the cushions, books, 
etc., from the bottom of the river. But the un- 
certainty of canoeing is not its only pleasure. 
The fishing in the French River is good. Bass, 
pike, pickerel abound, and maskinongé of large 
size are caught in many places. A fine one of 
the latter we saw, weighing 35 pounds, and meas- 
uring four feet. There is no trouble in keeping 
the table supplied with all the fresh fish you 
need; indeed, you get tired eating them. Twelve 
or I5 pounds of bass is no uncommoun one-half 
hour’s catch, 
Probably the best fishing ground is down at 
the Chaudiere Falls. Toward that part of the 
river many of the large camping parties go. It 
is a beautiful portion of the stream, with good 
facilities for locating camps. While speaking of 
campers it is well to add a word of caution in 
respect to fires. The scant soil on these islands 
is largely made up of pine needles, leaves, etc., 
many inches deep. A fire will smoulder in this 
for hours, and long after the party has gone, will 
break out and run over the island before anybody 
can reach it, Some very disastrous fires occurred 
in this way this summer, and islands ruined. 
Some years must elapse before the growth will 
amount to anything, 
Captain McCall lost his island and a cottage, 
just completed. He had touched at the island 
early in the morning, and when he returned at 
noon he found. all devastated. Another large 
one, No. 154, was discovered on fire. A company 
of campers had gone from it a few hours before 
without thoroughly extinguishing their camp- 
fire. It came to the surface and burned for quite 
a while before seen. Even after it had been 
fought and, supposedly beaten out, it started 
again and ruined half of the island. If every 
party would thoroughly drench with water the 
site of their fire, and several feet around it, or, 
better still, build their fire on one of the many 
flat rocks that are scattered about, much valuable 
property, belonging to somebody else, whose 
hospitality they are enjoying, would be saved. 
Indeed, so frequent has become this abuse of 
hospitality, that many owners of islands are seri- 
ously considering the withdrawing of camping 
privileges on their property. 
With the thought of mutual protection some 
of us met together at Ferguson Lodge and or- 
ganized the Nipissing Cottagers’ Association, 
shaped after a similar one in the Muskoka region. 
After a few convictions at law it will be made 
manifest our determination and ability to pro- 
tect our property from depredation of all kinds. 
We are fortunate and privileged in having Hon. 
John S. Hendrie, a member of the Provincial 
Cabinet, as honorable president. 
We had an experience with fire on Dr. Brag- 
don’s island, which was a very active one for a 
half hour or so, while it lasted. One of our 
party, going down to the water’s edge for a pail 
of water discovered smoke in the bush. He 
yelled “Fire,” and ran for it. It was astonishing 
and commendable with what speed the local fire 
company responded. I have seen many other 
better organized companies get on the scene of 
fire more slowly, 
It amazed me, too, to see the large number of 
pails that could be unearthed in a summer camp. 
Our united efforts were rewarded with success, 
and the island saved in spite of a fierce wind. To 
the amateur photographer this region offers many 
opportunities. ee, 
We were fortunate in having a dark room, 
where conditions could be tested, though my 
Wynne meter proved invaluable. It is better to 
be provided with some extras, for instance, I 
broke my ground glass in the first few days I 
was there, and was forced to do all my work 
with a piece of oiled paper. It answered every 
purpose, however, had to in fact, since I could 
not get any more glass. 
This region is a fine place to recuperate after 
a hard winter’s work for the business man, the 
housewife and the growing children. Clear, 
bracing atmosphere, air dry, filled with the odors 
of pine, of which trees the islands are covered. 
Scarcely any flies or mosquitoes. Nights cool 
and refreshing. To the one that can accommo- 
date himself to primitive conditions and semi- 
roughing for the sake of ozonic effects, he will 
find a month or six weeks spent on the French 
River of great benefit. It is better to take life 
easy, simply soak in the life-giving sunshine and 
outdoor conditions. rather than to be on a con- 
tinual “go.” The object of such a vacation is to 
store up energy for the coming months of fiard 
work with mind and body. 
A delightful method adopted by some is to hire 
a houseboat and tug, go where you please, tie up 
as long-as it suits you, and the fishing lasts, at 
any particular point. We were fortunate to see 
this worked out in the houseboat party of Hon. 
John S. Hendrie and his charming wife. The 
pleasant hour spent with them will always be. 
recalled and the thrilling “good-by” notes of the 
bagpipe heard, when we look on the photograph 
taken at the time. 
To the lover of nature with his camera and 
fishing tackle will come an endless succession of 
pleasure and profit. 
Our home trip out the river was in a furious 
storm of wind, rain and hail. We had scacely 
gotten on board the boat when it broke upon us, 
and kept up till we were.well down to Sturgeon 
Falls, Our boat was the Northern Bell, Captain 
Clark, large and commodious, which rode the 
storm. smoothly and with ease. The wind and 
rough water made it impossible to land at North 
Bay, as the wharf was not suitable for rough 
weather pounding. | 
As I had a comfortable daylight trip coming 
up, I decided to take a sleeper on the Grand 
Trunk for Buffalo. JI found the berth all that 
could be desired and enjoyed a good night’s sleep. 
It gives me great pleasure-to add my tribute, 
as a physician, to the benefits of a summer on 
the Canadian waters. And it was with satisfac- 
tion that I purchased an island on the French 
River, expecting to spend future summers there. 
The Belle Meade Deer. 
THE Nashville, Tenn., Banner of May a1 re- 
ports that the Belle Meade deer are now the 
property of the people of the State of Tennessee, 
and as such they will be protected to the fullest 
extent of the law by State Game Warden J. H. 
Acklen. The formal transfer of the animals took 
place this morning, J. B. Richardson, administra- 
tor of the estate of Gen. W. H. Jackson, convey- 
ing the animals to the Department of Game, Fish 
and Forestry, the consideration being funds col- 
lected through the Banner from the subscribers 
to the Belle Meade Deer Fund. 
“The Belle Meade herd, thanks to the public 
spirit of the Banner and those who have sub- 
scribed to such a worthy fund,’ says Col, J. H. 
Acklen, State Game Warden, “now belong to the 
State. I am gratified that such a consummation 
has been achieved, and the public can be assured 
that I shall take pleasure in using every energy 
and every piece of legal machinery at my com- 
tionally to the State. 


mand to duly protect them. There is a law on 
the statute books of Tennessee at present, and 
continuing for two years more, making it a fine 
of $50 and three months’ imprisonment for the 
killing of a deer. I shall vigorously enforce that law 
in each and every instance. I want it to be known 
too that half of the $50 fine will in every case 
go to the informant, the man who makes known 
to me that a deer has been killed. Not only is 
it unlawful to kill the animals in the State, but 
It is against the law to run them with dogs.” 
This is the edict of the State game warden, 
and he means what he says and his language will 
no doubt set some to thinking. Colonel Acklen 
believes that the game of the State should be 
preserved for its people, and he believes that 
there will be deer in abundance in the Old Vol- 
unteer State if it is properly protected. For 
some time he has entertained the idea that it: 
would be a great thing for the State to own and 
protect the Belle Meade deer, and now that the 
Banner’s move has’ been successful, Colonel 
Acklen will take pleasure in seeing that the 
noble animals are preserved and the hand of the 
slayer will be stayed in every instance and he 
will be punished. 
The deer, as stated-above, now belong uncondi- 
All of the purchase price 
has not been paid, but Mr. Richardson has con- 
veyed them unreservedly, nevertheless, without 
retention of title, and they belong to thé people 
of Tennessee. Those who subscribed to the fund 
and who have not yet paid up are urged to send 
their checks in to the Banner at once. In addi- 
tion to contributing most cheerfully the sum of 
$50 to the fund, Mr. Richardson makes the fur- 
ther contribution of $25 to-day. This fund will 
be paid to the Banner and will be used in having 
printed several thousand circulars that will be 
distributed through the country notifying the 
people of the fact that the State now owns the 
deer and that they cannot be killed under ‘any 
circumstances. 4 
The deputy wardens of Colonel Acklen’’ will 
distribute these circulars through the country so 
that “he who runs may read,’ and all may know 
that the Belle Meade deer are abroad in the land 
and are not to be harmed. 
A Stayer. 
SOME two years back there lived in this city 
an aged woodsman, who had been given over in 
his boyhood days to the sports of gun and dog. 
One evening several of his hunting friends were 
telling about the running qualities of their dogs, 
and no doubt some rather careless handling of 
the truth was done for his special benefit. After 
each one had given an instance of the marvelous 
staying qualities of a certain dog he used to own 
the old fellow gave them the following: Rak 
“Well, boys, some of you have had some pretty 
fair dogs, I admit, but before this meeting breaks 
up I must tell you of a dog I owned when I first 
came to northern Wisconsin in ’72, He was a 
handsome and intelligent creature, and had, I 
think, the sweetest voice of any hound I have 
ever seen or heard. We started out one October 
morning, and before going far Zeph was running 
a deer. After listening to him a minute, I started 
for a runway, where I knew they would go, but 
they passed and were far away before I reached 
my stand. .I waited round about for two or three 
hours, when I heard Zeph in the distance, coming 
closer and closer, though not coming near enough 
for a shot. Then they made three more rounds 
and I got a shot at the buck, while I noticed Zeph. 
was gaining on him. The next time they got 
within hearing I whistled and called to the dog, 
but he did not or would not hear, and I started 
for home, expecting he would soon follow; but I 
went to bed minus my dog. 
“Being a little anxious I was out early next 
morning, but found no dog; and so I started back 
to the woods. After reaching the spot where I 
last saw Zeph I began looking around and call- 
ing to him. Soon I heard the old familiar chorus 
nearing me, and shortly I saw the buck and Zeph 
running for all they were worth (though it was 
not very fast), with their tongues out, Zeph yelp- 
ing as usual, but he was about three rods ahead 
of the buck!” W. W. L. 
