beauty.  The waters of this little lake are clearer and more transparent than those of any other we had seen; we could see the white shells on its sandy bottom, fifteen feet below the surface.  This peculiarity induced us to believe that we were above the stratum of iron ore which seems to underlay most of this wild region, coloring, while it does not render impure, the waters of most of these lakes and rivers.  I have frequently, in my wanderings in these northern wilds, stumbled upon outcropping orebeds, which, were they nearer market, or more accessible to the energy and enterprise of the American people, would be capable of building up gigantic fortunes, but they are all valueless here, and probably will continue so for generations to come.

We saw the fresh tracks of a moose on the sandy beach, tracks that had been made that morning, and we concluded to spend the day here, in the hope of securing one of these gigantic deer.  We rowed to the island, intending to encamp there.  We entered a little bay, of half an acre, the points forming it coming within a few yards of each other, and the branches of the trees intertwining their long arms lovingly above.  As we landed, our dogs began nosing and dashing about, as if suddenly roused into excitement by the hot scent of some animal that had been disturbed by our coming.  They broke into a simultaneous cry, and plunged like mad into the thicket.  We pushed our boat back towards the open water, when we heard the plunge of some animal into the lake, on the other side of the island.  Martin, who was in the leading boat with me, by a few vigorous pulls at the oar, rounded the point between us and the spot where we had heard the plunge, and there, not ten rods from the shore, making for the mainland, was the game which, of all others, we most desired to see.

“A moose! by Moses!” exclaimed Martin, in huge excitement.  “Hurrah! hurrah!  A moose! he’s ours! he can’t escape!” and away he dashed in pursuit.  The other boats now hove in sight, and a loud hurrah! went up from each, when they saw the nature of the game that had been started.  There was no difficulty in overtaking the animal, desperate as were his efforts to escape.  We shot past him, and turned him back in a direction towards the island again, and I picked up my rifle to settle the matter.

“Don’t shoot him,” said Martin; “don’t shoot him yet; he can’t get away, and if you kill him, he’ll sink; and if he don’t, we can’t get him into the boat.  Let us drive him back to the island.”  The other boats were, by this time, up with us, every man in a wild state of excitement, eager to be first in at the death.  We had headed the animal towards the island, with our three boats so arranged, as that he could swim in no other direction, without running one of them down.  The dogs had started a deer that had taken to the water, on the other side of the island.

“Look here!” said I; “gentlemen, this game is mine.  I claim him by right of discovery, and my right must not be interfered with.”