The sun., 1873-08-22
TIE TOURISTS PARADISE.
FISH, FUy AND FRoLIC AMoNo TUB
THOUSAND ISLES.

Berthunc- Big Mu-cHlonge- VI idsunimer
Recrcations on the ~. Lawrence.
Correspondence Of The sun
ALEXANDRIA BAY, Aug. H.-There are
two ways to visit the Thousand Islands. one Is
to go TO Clayton or Alexandria lay, secure
quarters In hotel and hire an oarsmsn to row
you on the river. This Is the way the fashion
able folks do. The programme for the day Ia to
get an early breakfast, secure a lunch basket
well filled and take to the water The oarsman
rows you from one island to another. His skif
is elegantly cushioned and carpeted ana nxed
with revolving chairs. Two trolling poles fitted
with lines. spoon hooks, &c. are fastened with
rings to the sides Of the boat and reach over tho
water. The bait drags two hundred feet astern.
On the end Of the pole is ssmall bell. Those
who nah because fishing Is fashionable, recline
in the luxurious chairs and doze the boat
glides smoothly along. Pretty soon the bell
rings and the oarsman without changing his
stroke or moving q muscle quietly says, " Fish
on the right hand hook, sir" The right hand
pole Ia seized and the unucky piscatorial victim
Is reelcd In. Those who enjoy fishing hold the
rods firmly and don't have to be told to pull in.
At noon shady nook h selected and the OARS
man, Transforming him elf into a cook, prepares
fresh nsh, coffee and potatoes. The lunch
basket Is produced, portable table is adjusted,
and an enjoyable meal Is served. Then follows
more fishing and the party gets back to the
nice and cheap, but the oarsman is careful
to take strangers not over four miles from the
hotel their notion OF the Thousand Islands 10
somewhat contracted, and the lovers ~ natural
scenery are compelled to make excursions on
the little steamboats, to see old st. Lawrence
In all her glory.
now OTHERS co.
The other trip, which on account Of cheap
meas and novelty Il fast becoming popular, Ia to
hire q small yacht and a man 20 run Il at one OF
the fishing towns at the foot of Lake on
tario and cruise flrst among the islets In tho
lake, and then among the thousand Islands in
the St Lawrence river. The best point to take
The water is Henderson IIarbor, which is reached
by stage from Adams, station on the Rome,
wateltown and ogden,6urs Railroad, twelve
score of honest Hshermen who have suitable
boats for the trip. am also told that Sacketts
Cape Vincent are desirable starting points.
They are situated IN the lake shore in Jefferson
and cruising nrst IN the like, then down the
river To Ale xandria Day and back. trip Of about
through the best fresh water fishing grounds In
the Eastern States. There are good camping
Thousand Islands can be seen in all their glory
and the tourist i fiee to explore wherever in
clinatlOn dictates. The tent can be pitched In a
now spot each night, ur permanent camp may
be established ON any attractive island. The
Long Island, twenty miles In length, stretches
from Lake Ontario nearly 70 CLAYTON. Near II is
Carlton Island, beautiful for lie trim farms and
slopng banks. and interesting on account OF the
ruins of AN old French fort at its head. Black
swim all around IL. Just above clayton the
river breaks up into mall islets, and the glory
Of the Thousand Islands begins to show itself.
Their green slopes rise from the smooth water In
aYlriety OF shapes.
TnE ISLANDS.
The islands are legion In number and are OF all
slzrs from three miles in length to "A small rock
projecting from the water. There are undOubt-
edlS nearer Two thousand than one thousand of
them. some re close together that u small
skir can barely pass between them. The river
H. from Ave to eight miles wide, but at no point
f.rh hHrp m Canadian shore
seen, thickly L. 1t studded with islets. Many 81
them are half a mile lung,and are seemingly solid
granite rock with a little shrubbery on their top
These often rise several hundred feet from tht
sf IsGs bSory and apIe aS ear5 S eVery island S
its clumps II cedar. Norway pine, and scrui
farmers wives and daughters drive lively bar
gains with tourists selling milk, eggs ana chick
ems. The water s not as clear as In Lake ontario
but one can the pebbles and weeds ten %
nfteen feet below the surface. There Is sligh
current, not enough However, 20 be peTeepuo,., pn,
being forty or nfty feet in places. the averae
out OF the channel being about twenty.
AT ALEXANDRIA BAY
ecores Of swift skins dart from Isle 4
another; the white tents ~ a dozen campin
parties look out from under shady branche'
The water Is alive with small sails schOoner'
and nropellors Occasionally a huge raft u
timber is towed past and steamer crowde
with excursionsts plouehs by. Among tn
periodical visitors II h's become popular I
purchase small islands and erect thereo
summer cottages hence the tourist is agree
bly, surprised On rounding into a little bay Il
shooting past point to suddenly discover
neat little home, and merry party making u
woods rings with joyous laughter. aud the clio
of crpquet mailcts: Pullman, Of palace e.
notoriety, has one Of the most beautiful cottage
on the river. aud his parlors continual
crowded with the merriest Of the merry. hosco
Conkling recently sujourned week with hin
and a year ago he entertained President Gran
The sland- are being raPldly bought up an
The mcrrlest parties however are the camper
They are here from all over the Eastern an an
Middle states, and white tent or w" decI
most Of the islanls. Many Of them are geutl
men with their wives and children. They pa
-the ISLANDS with occasionai trips t. Can sd
Their provisions are brought from Clayton
Alexandria some stay two days, some wee
some a month
The best fishing in these waters Is found aho
'the group Of Islands at the foot 81 Lake ohtar
and III the mouth Of the st. Lawrence rive
The most beautiful scenery is midway betwe
Clayton aud AeNandrit Bay, n'ar the Canad
shore. Near the latter resorts the sporting
good, but the Nah are small compared o. tho
taken at the mouth Of The river, neither are Il
=" numcruIs ihcre Is better nshlhG wlthin :
miles Of Cape Vincent than further down I
river A. CLAYTON or AieS9ndriin ne ayera vera
and sunf.h, Is -i1iy pounds, while around Gre
adler Gali9e OF Garon ,o sand5 i ,,, IS comm
two pounds weight apiece, many Of them reac
ing three, four, and live pounds, besides 60
string Of ,keTel, pike, aud snail Try The he
OF Long Island, In the mouth Of the river,
yield even better sport than this.
The King hsh of the st. Lawrence Is the MI
caongs. lie grows 10 enormous size, Al
never gives up without a terrible nght. III
not very plenty, and but two or three
caught daily between Cape Vincent and Ogdei
burgh. Here the per- IN who catches the b
gest muscalonge j. the lion ~ the day. The
habitants and guests gather IN the wharves
sunset a. the boats return after the days H.
ing. Everybody is interested There IA riya
between the Oursmen and there are wagers /
tween the guests. when muscalonge
caught the uarsmHn hoists little white nag
the bow II his boat. aud runs up his colors
the stern. As the boat approaches the villa
the nags are seen n mile away with glasses, a
the town becomes wild, Everybody rushes
that particular boat, and the monster IA carri
TO the nearest scale to he weighed. The luC
sportsman Is congratulated, and the oarsn
repeats the story OF how IL was done to thToI
Of other oarsmen for hours aftetward,
MuscalOnge have been caught here u
weighed Is pounds. The average weight, hu
ever, Is about 30 pounds. They bite readily
the artificial or natural minuOw and at
spoon trolling hook. These bats drag "A ht
dred OF Two hundred feet back from the DO
and after the fsh sciLes II the battle to get b
into the boat II long and fierce.
rHE MUsCALONGE A NOTED DIVINE CAUGH
Tho late Rev. DIR. Bethune, well known to y,
army of readers, who spent his summer va
tons here, was very successful muscalOI
fisherman, and many stories are told Of his h
ties with the monsters.