The next morning was beautiful: the sun shone brightly, though the lake
was yet heaving and swelling from the recent storm,--altogether it was
like the laughing eyes and pouting lips of a half-appeased beauty. About
nine o'clock we ran down into a lovely bay, and landed to breakfast on a
little lawn surrounded by high trees and a thick wood, abounding in
rattlesnakes and squirrels. Luckily for us, the storm had dispersed the
mosquitoes.
Keeping clear of the covert to avoid these fearful snakes, I strayed
down by the edge of the lake, and found a tiny creek, which answered all
purposes, both of bath and mirror, and there I arranged my toilette in
peace and security. Returning to our breakfast-fire, I stood some
moments to admire the group around it--it was a perfect picture: there
lay the little boat rocking on the shining waves, and near it Content
was washing plates and dishes; Pierrot and Masta were cooking; the two
Indian girls were spreading the tablecloth on the turf. Mrs. MacMurray
and her baby--looking like the Madonna and child in the "Repose in
Egypt,"--were seated under a tree; while Mr. MacMurray, having suspended
his shaving-glass against the trunk of a pine, was shaving himself with
infinite gravity and _sang froid_. Never, I think, were the graceful,
the wild, the comic, so strangely combined!--add the rich background of
mingled foliage, the murmur of leaves and waters, and all the glory of a
summer morning!--it was very beautiful!
We breakfasted in much mirth, and then we set off again. The channel
widened, the sky became overcast, the wind freshened, and at length blew
hard. Though this part of the lake is protected by St. Joseph's and the
chain of islands from the swell of the main lake, still the waves rose
high, the wind increased, we were obliged to take in a reef or two of
our sail, and scudded with an almost fearful rapidity before the wind.
In crossing a wide, open expanse of about twenty miles, we became all at
once very silent, then very grave, then very pathetic, and at last
extremely sick.
On arriving among the channels of the Rattlesnake Islands, the swell of
course subsided; we landed on a most beautiful mass of rock, and lighted
our fire under a group of pines and sycamores; but we were too sick to
eat. Mr. MacMurray heated some port wine and water, into which we broke
biscuit, and drank it most picturesquely out of a slop basin--too
thankful to get it! Thus recruited, we proceeded. The wind continued
fresh and fair, the day kept up fine, and our sail was most delightful
and rapid. We passed successive groups of islands, countless in number,
various in form, little fairy Edens--populous with life and love, and
glowing with light and colour under a meridian sun. I remember we came
into a circular basin, of about three miles in diameter, so surrounded
with islands, that when once within the circle, I could perceive neither
ingress nor egress; it was as if a spell of enchantment had been wrought
to keep us there for ever; and I really thought we were going with our
bows upon the rocks, when suddenly we darted through a narrow portal,
not above two or three yards in width, and found ourselves in another
wide expanse, studded with larger islands. At evening we entered the
Missasagua river, having come sixty miles, right before the wind, since
morning.