Letter Number Three

The day fixed for ourflshing expedition [iroved to beoneofthe most delightful ones of the season. Arriving at our temporary home after a most enjoyable trip to Petoskey, I found everything in readiness for our departure, which, to our imaginativo minds, was to be the crowning success of all our pleasure excursions. Tuis being my first trip of the kind I looked with dismay at our boats fllled with all sorts of things in the line of provisions, tinware, blankets, guns, ammunition, etc, and concluded that our commissary had docided to remain a month instcad of a few days. After a slight delay, caused by the ladies wanting to take one thing more, we were all stowed away and olï for the Sturgeon river. Here we found our Indian guide with a couple of ludían ponies smaller than any one of our party. The wagon which was to j unible us tkrough the woods made up for all duiicieucies in the way of -size, being large and roomy and not overburdened with springs and comfortable seats. We thought it best to take one of the largesl boats with us, and how to carry it was soou dcterminod by taking off the wagon-box and substituting the boat, which was all very well until we came to ride in it. It had a way of making one teel slightly elevated, of which we ladies had the full benefit, the gentlemen preferring to walk and by the way in which they eycd their guns I verily believe they expested to shoot a bear or a deer. The welcome sound of "all aboard," was soon haard and we started en route for Bass Lake, distant about three miles through tiie most magnificcnt forests of tall pines with not a tree or bush to impede our progress; notüing but beautiful beds of gruen mosses made more beautiful by the dense shade of the grand old pines. I had oftcn heard of greyling expeditions and they were associated in my mind with ill sorts of hardships including rougli road, etc. Tliinks I, people must be mistaken for this is perfectly charmïng. The day was lovely, and that, in connection with the novelty of our position and the grandeur of the surrounding Bcenery, made a forcible and laiting impressiou on my mind. Wc reached the lake in the course of a few hours and soon had our tents pitched and all things ready for our evening's enjoymeut, consistiug of rowing by moonlight, telling stories, singing songs, cracking nuts aud jokes aud playing whist; most too quiet a game for the immediate surroundings, but it helped to while away the hours which passed only too quickly. I must teil you about our flre which to me is one of the pleasantest features of camp life. Strong and willing hands made short work of feiling some of the large trees which were piled up high forming a back ground to the fire causing it to throw its light and cherry warinth directly into the tent, and by fastening back the flvs at the front we had a warm, dry, and inviting place to spread our blaukets for the night'a rest. Om camp fire burned bright and cheerful all night, ana lying down on our lowly beds we could look out be3-ond the lire and see the beautiful lake in thedistance, and the changing shadows caused by its flickering light made a most beautiful and weird like picture on which we]gazed "till tired nature's sweet restorer balmy sleep," cast its soothing mantle over us from which 1 did not awaken until the early morning hours. The first souDd that greeted us was from a member of our happy little party singing "Come jine the huckleberry picnic," which caused a commotion among the heretofore silent group of campers. Our breakfast was gorgeous, spread on a table made of tree bougbs with a tree Irunk for seats. Ne ver did coffee taste so good, never wa3 fish and game eaten with keencr relish ; our tin p!ales and cups seemed more invitiug than the fiuest china and polished silver ever looked at home. Af ter breakfast we drew cuts to see who should hunt frogs for bait, and the lottfell to me which doomed me to stumble over bush and briar in search of thoae "hop, skip and jump" little iellows which furnish such tempting bait for bass fishing. The frog hunt was not a success, yet we managed to pass the day quite pleasantly with fishing and other sports; and altbough I caught do fish I was continually buoyed up with the idea that I was just going to and in that pleasant anticipation the time passed quickly. The following morning bright and early, four of our party in cluding myself, startcd off for the greyling fishery, leaving our Indian guide and the rest of the party to pack up and follow. After walking about two miles we carne lo the Sturgeon river where it is said the ijreyling, the fiuest and most game3' fish in all our northern rivers, are to be found in great abuudance. The river, a stream fed by gushing springs of ice cold water that rushes over its bed of white sand in a swif t aud precipitous current, displayed its finny ïnhabitants sporting and darting through its crystal waters, apparently ' 'so near and yet so far" from our tempting barbs. After flshing for a while we decided to cross the river to gather some of the agates and curious specimens of petrifaction along its pebbly shore. Unfortunately ïny avoirdupois, a "leetle" in excess of my coinrades who crossed it before me on a floating log, prevented this successful effort. Po walk this log without its sinking and rolling over, precipitating me in the swift current, was a "trapeze"performance I had not learned and consequently I was left n the rear with my faithful dog "Zip" as my only companion, my "liege lord" ïaving gone home a few days previous. lowever, I was determined to cross and ooked around for another method of geting over. While thus engaged, my feet shpped out and I slipped in and was the cause of my crossing the river in a somewhat hurried manner. Soon after, a messenger arrived from our party to teil us "we must be on the move," as dinner was awaiting us at "Enos Camp," ibout a half mile distant. We boon reached the camp and to our surprise found that a bear had been captured. After dinner, which consisted of bear steak, greying, and "other fixings," we all started off :or the "upper dam" of the Sturgeon river, where the fish were said to be more Dlentiful. Then I began to realize what was me ant by a "rough time" as applied to greyling fishing. The roads were worse than imagination could paint theni. We were jolted over, around, and under the wagon for about three miles, to the great amusement of those who were fortúnate enough to be footing it; and to make a aad matter worse it rained in torrents. But we braved the storm without rubbers, umbrellas, or anjthing to shelter us. Soou after reaching our destination it cleared off, and we, drenched and dragled, could not help from admiring the wild and picturesque scenery around us. Here let me introduce to the reader an infinitesimally small insect which abounds in this región. Invisible to the naked eye but visible enough in its effects, rightly named by the Indian guide "no see ems, raise heil ems." We stayed here andfished till our proyisions gave out and then started for home. I didn't ride, but started on foot in advance of the carrivan and gathered some of the beautiful mosses and ferns that lined our way on either side. We arrived at home safely with rich and piquant stories to relate to our friends, of our famous expedition to the greyling grounds. Aud thus ended, take it all in all, one of the most enjoyable trips of the season. For the benefit of my hay fever friends 1 will say that during the whole lime I had no signs of that distressing malady. One can stand any amount cf exposure in Northern Michigan without sneezing or being sneezed at. For this and other reasonsl look forward with pleasure to another "boatride through the woods" in 1881.