Morning journal and courier., 1881-08-29

and Fishfng-Beautffu1 Lake Umsas-
 kis-A Wedding which Disclosed Some
 s'Connecticut Morals"
 MT. KINEo HOUSE, ]
 MoosEHEAD LAKE, Me, Aug. g.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 We have just returned from 8 long trip through the forests and from this charming spot and well-flled and we'll kept hotel, ia miIiar to many New Haven people, it is a pleasure to review our adventures. We tray elled in birch-bark canoes, following the water courses, and no one who has ever tried these frail craft in fierce rapids, or on the waves of great lake, and has overcome the first feeling of insecurity, will deny that theirs is the very poetry of motion. We visited eight lakes, foated on six rivers and streams, journeyed more than two hundred miles. camped out nearly three weeks, hunted and fished by day and by night, and, con- bining the provisions carried with us with the spells won by rod and rife, lived on the fat of the land. At times we were forty miles from the nearest human habitation, and day after day was spent without our seeing human being.
 The most distant and most beautiful of inc lakes which we visited was Lake Umsask1s, or Long Lake. It is a charming sheet of water, nearly twenty miles long, and sur- rounded with forests which are unbroken down to the water's edge. On all sides dark blue ridges surround the lake, forming an exquisite frame for the mirror Here and there cold brooks come down from the mountains, at the mouths of which we took many speckled trout. At the head of thu lake the Allagash river enters through several channels, slugg1shly winding among low grassy islands fringed with hly-pads, and oyerhung with naples and birches and weep- ing elms and through these watery avenues we hunted night after night for moose, caribou and deer To hunt by moonlight or starlight in bark canoe is the most roman tic of all pursuits. Neither canoe nor paddle makes the slightest noise. In perfect still ness we glide among the shadows, or wind our way as if by magic among the weeds or around the points of land. The only sounds are those of nature. A few mosquitoes hover around our heads; afar off IS heard the murmur of a brook; now and then frog croaks from the river bank, or startled duck scuttles away with a nasty quack, or a night-hawk rises from his dive with his pe- culiar boom which resounds over the marsh, or bittern flaps his mighty wings, or the solemn boot of the owl comes out of the woods. Every few moments swimming muskrat makes dive close to the boat with a tremendous splash which causes the guide, used as' he is to it, to give start which IS felt through the whole canoe, while we smile in the consciousness of superior nerve. And amid all these noises we are listening with every nerve alert, for the well known tramp on the ground or splash in the water or crackle in the bush of a creature with horns and hoofs. We were not so fortunate as to hear it though one night while we were thus employed, the ladies at the camp, sitting on the shore and composing poetry and singing by moonlight, heard the call of moose coming over from the other side of the lake, and after listening for amoment in silent awe to the tre- mendous below, simultaneously exclaimed, ssCome, let's go in !" and took to their heels. But on the morning of our departure. as we were gliding through the marshes, we saw afar of red speck which was undoubtedly a deer Slowly and cautiously we padded toward him, taking advantage of every elump of bushes and hillock of grass to hide from him But he saw and partially scented us, and had already turned to retreat into the woods, when, rounding point, we caught glimpse above the grass not very far away of slender head and neck, and the ridge of a slender back. The canoe stopped One instant, and the sharp crack of rifle rang out. Did we get him Don't you wish that you knew ? It is against the law to kill deer in Maine at this season of the year, and no man is obliged to criminate himself.
 Our camp was lovely one, ,on high ground
 |