IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) m.^. 1.0 I.I 1.25 u 11° ■ 40 2.5 IM 1.8 U IIIIII.6 <^. /a % c^l v: '>> :% A "^Y ■> y /A ^"\'V!1^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 1980 Technical Notes / Notes techniques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Physical features of this copy which may alter any of the images in the reproduction are checked below. L'institut a microfilmA le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Certains ddfauts susceptibles do nuiro d la quality de la reproduction sont not6s ci-dessous. n Coloured covers/ Couvertures de couleur D Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur D Coloured maps/ Cartes ij^ographiques en couleur Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages ddcolordes, tachetdes ou piqu^es Tight brnding (may cause shadows or distortion along interio*^ margin)/ Reliure serr6 (peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge int^rieure) D D Coloured plates/ Planches en couleur Show 'through/ Transparence Pages damaged/ Pages endommag6es D Additional comments/ Commentaires suppl^mentaires Bibliographic Notes / Notes bibliographiques n Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Bound with other material/ Reli6 avec d'autres documents Cover title missing/ Le titrj de coi'verture manque Plates missing/ Des planches manquent D D D Pagination incorrect/ Erreurs de pagination Pages missing/ Des pages manquent Maps missing/ Dls cartes g^ographiques manquent U Additional comments/ Commentaires suppl6mentaires possible considering the condition and legibility r* the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettet6 de I'exemplaire film6, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol -^ (meaning CONTINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaftra sur la der- nidre image de cheque micofiche, selon le cas: le symbole — »• signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole y signifie "FIN" The original copy was borrowed from, and filmed with, the lk on the latter, on any bright day in sum- mer, is one of rare glistening beauty. There is good boating and fishing on the lake, and, within easy hail of the town, the sportsman, in the proper .season, can bag a good showing of partridge and dnck. Continuing our journey we come to Was- hago and Severn Bridgu, at the further end of the waters of Couchiching, which here find their way by the Severn Kiver to the Georgian Bay. At VVashago the district becomes singularly interest- ing to the geologist and sternly appalling to the poor free grant settler. Here occurs a curious »ptilting of the ground floor of the primeval rock, and for miles great masses of gneiss seem to bar aM progress save, w* it would seem, to the realms of the Cyclops. After passing Severn Bridge the granite frown upon Natnre's face visibly softens, and mercifully f^> for the poor settler, for we now enter on the tract of land which the Provincial f Jovernment, by the Free Graivt and Homestead Act of 1868, reserved as the territorial heritage of the immigrant settler. The area of these Free Grant Lands is very con- siderable, extending north and south from the Severn River to Lake Nipissing, and east aud west, from the Georgian bay to the Ottawa. Th* Muskoka and Perry Sound districts alone com- prise nearly six thousand square miles, and hitherlK the conditions of settlement have been very advantageous to the bona fide settler. For Hvt most part the Free Grant territory is a wild region suited more for grazing than for agricultural p»r poses, though despite the amount of lock and watei with which it is bestrewn, there are many pockefc* of rich alluvial land where a vrjriety of root crop? and the. hardy cereals do well , vihile. with a littk cultivation. {;rapes and strawberries can be raised in abundance In the early history of the regioFi the first settlers cirtainly had a hard time of it ; and we have heard many harrowing stories of th* rigours of residence in Muskoka and of the hard ships of i.solation bravely endured by the early pioneers.which for a time greatly deterred immigra- tion. But though long the abode of solitude, sav« for the few hardy pioneers, and the many bear; and wolves which used to infest the region. th« district has of recent years rapidly been broughl within reach of civilization, and here and thcr* under a fair measure of cultivation The trutk about Muskoka is happily not now a matter o doubt ; it has had its day of small things and tht settler his hour of trial. Isolated from his fcl 4 him. Arriving at firavenhucst, the railway jour ney for the Muskoka tourist is completed, and the train 'or the lakes is shunted down a side line to the ,'''a f, while the through train steams oft" for l^ke Nipissing and its C. P. R. connections with the Far West. Little is seen of Gravenhurst from the station or the wharf, partly for the reasoa that the village was recently devastated by fire and partly from the fact that it lies a little aside 8 THE MUSKOKA DISTRICT. from the line of the railway, on the shores of Gull Lake. At the wharf the roug'i picturesqueness of the region is dominated by the lumbering opera tions of many saw mills, and the eye is fain to seek the placid beanty of the water as a relief to the uncouth disarray of the sc^neon shore. Lake- ward all is inviting, and one or more of the trim little steamboats of the Muskoka and Nipissing Navigation Co. at the moorings is impatient to bt- oft. Let us pause here to pay the tribute of our admiration to the enterprise of this company, and particularly to its zealous and genial Manag- ing-Director, Mr. A. P. Cockburn, formerly the the Dominion representative of the District, to whom the settler and tourist public are heavily indebted for the travelling facilities so well pro- vided for navigating the lakes of the region. Steam navigation on these beau'.iful water-stret- ches, thanks to Mr. Cockburn's energy and public spirit, was be"»un so long ago as i8G6, and the ser- vice furnished by this gentleman and his partners has since been periodically increased and im- proved so as to anticipate and fully meet the an- nnallv growing wants of the Muskoka travelling public. A like service is also rendered to the settler and the tourist by the Muskoka and Nipis- sing Navigation Co in other sections of this attrac- tive region. The steamboats o) ..e company w*!! be found plying on the Georgian Bay, from Peiie- tanguishene to Parry Sound and French River ; and on the Magnetewan River, from Burks Falls to the further end of Ah Mic Lake. The boats on these various lines are all well manned, well equipped, and in all respects safe, clean, and com- fortable. What is of no less importance, the tour- ist will soon discover for himself, namely, that th? officers and employees of the boats are attentive and courteous ; while on all of them it is possible to get a good and appetizing meal. On the Mus- koka Lakec the company's steamers are three in number — the Nipissin<^r, Ktnozhn, and Oriole. The service of the latter is confined to the lov^er lake (Muskoka), plying daily between Gravenhurst and Braceb idge, and semi-weekly betwee" the former port and Bala. The Nipissing, in addition to her service on Muskoka Lake, makes a daily trip from the head of I^ake Rosseau and back. The Kmozha plys also daily between Gravenhsrst and Port Cockburn, at the head of Lake Joseph. The length of the single trip of the two latter steamers is about fifty miles ; and they are both timed to make daily connection with thf railway service at Gravenhurst and Bracebridge, for the convenience of tourists going either north or south. ^ 4 "— THE MUSKOKA DISTRICT. 9 The "up " boats leave Muskoka wharf daily about two o'clock p.m., and bring the tourist through the length of Lake Muskoka to the head either of Lake Rosseau or of Lake Joseph — according to the steamer he may board — in time for an evening meal and a comfortable bed. The - down " boats arrive at Gravenhurst shortly after one o'clock p.m., in time for the trains going, as we have indi- cated above, either north to Lake Nipissing, or south to Hamilton and Toronto. Since the above was in print, we learn that it is the design of the M. & N. Navigation Co., during the months of July and August in each year, to run the boats of the Company twice daily up anli down the lakes, an extension of the steamboat service which no doubt will be much appreciated by the travelling public. During these months, therefore, a steamer will leave Gravenhurst, going north daily at 7.30 a.m. and at 1.45 p.m., taking the tourist to the head of navigation, both on Lake Rosseau and Lake Joseph. Going south, there will also be two daily services during July and August, from Rosseau at 7 a.m. and i,/^ p.m., and from Port Cockburn at 7.30 a.m. and 1.2.40 p.m., the steamers on both lines stopping at the usual ports of call. There will be a daily ser- vice to Bracebridge and a tri-weekly o«a to Bala. The three 'akesthat specially comprise the Mus- koka system are Lakes Muskoka, Rosseau and Joseph. Their configuration delightfully defies description. On the yellow ground tint of Cap- tain Rogers' admirable map of the region, the water surface 01 the lakes looks as if one had upset a bot- tle of green ink over the paper and the fluid had run about the sheet in the most fantastic and self- willed fashion, circling round innumerable islands of all forms and sizes, leaving here a jutting out point and there making a deep and promiscuously formed indentation. We know of no lake system which Nature has so capriciously and picturesquely formed. Geologically speaking, Nature seems first to have scooped out the hollow basin ; then to have stirred the volcanic fires underneath, which shot up an eruptive array of elevated points and dots, of every conceivnble size and shape ; and, finally, to have poured a flood of brown water in and round about the whole, leaving only the tops of the irregular and detached masses unsubmerged. The accuracy of this attempt at a description of the plan of the lakes, the tourist, as he leaves Grav- enhurst, if he is not absorbed in the scramble for di'iner, will note and attest* Passing " The Nar- rows," which seem almost to close the waters of Lake Muskoka from intrusion into the port at 10 THE MUSKOKA DISTRICT. Gravenhurst, the steamer begins to thread Us way through a succession of islands little, if at all, inferior in romantic beauty to those on the Upper St. Lawrence. The interest of the spectator is delightfully called forth at every turn. Now we are attracted by some tiny, moss-grown islet, a mere speck of rock above the water, but upon ■vhich, nevertheless, a few stunted specimens of the red pine of the region have contrived to gain a foothold. Anon, we brush the margin of a densely wooded island, whose shady ravines and hillsides are clothed with a vegetation almost tropical in its vindisturbed luxuriance, A few more revolutions of the paddle-wheels, and we come upon a shapely point of land jutting far out into the water, its beautifully timbered surface sloping backward in a succession of gaily decked terraces, crowned, it may be, with a Swiss-looking chalet or summer- house, having a charming outlook down the lake. But while we are gazing entranced on the scene and longing to transfer bits of it to our sketch- book, the steamer, meanwhile, has traversed the long reach of gleaming water that fills the lower basin of Lake Muskoka ; and for th:j next half- hour we skirt on our left two of the largest islands in the Lake, their banks laden with a tangled lux- uriance of brushwood, bramble and wild flowers. The first of these (Browning's Island) is parti owned, it will chill the heart of the lover of th picturesque to learn, bv the Muskoka Mill and Lun ber Company. The second ( " Eilean Gowan ") i a veritable Kden : and, as such, long may ii woodland shrines be preserved from the desecra ing hand of Commerce ! Arriving at the eastern front of the latter islanc we come upon the delta of the Muskoka Rive Here the alluvial deposits washed down by tt stream extend far into the lake and necessitate wide detour in the Nipissing's path to enable tV helmsman to strike the channel. The course of tl' Muskoka River is tortuous and full of surprise At one time the steamer seems to be heading ini a precipitous cliff fringed with forest, at another ( be " boomed " by a mass of rank vegetation in cut (ie sac of green. For six miles we pursue oi sinuous course until the echoes of the steamer whistle are borne back to us from the cascade I heights of Bracebridge, beyond which lies tl town. Bracebridge has long since achieved the di I tinction of being the metropolis of the Free Gra I District, as it is the chief supply station for tl j sportsman and settler in the region ; and for a tin ' it was the only means of access to the many pictu esque townships that lie to the eastward, who THE MUSKOKA DISTRICT. 11 { vaters arc drained by the two branches of the i Muskoka River. Here, moreover, is the chief , ;ii;c;Bcy of the Immigration Bureau ; and from this ;< centre settlers were wont to be forwarded, in the early history of the district, to their locations, either about the lakes, or distributed at near or distant points along the (Government colonization roadb that penetrate the region. In winter, when the lakes are frozen, and Parry Sound and the Ceorgian Bay are, too, in the grip of the Ice-king, Bracebridge more than ever asserts its supremacy, for it then becomes the sole dependence of the inland settler ftor his extraneous wants, and to and from it come the passenger stage and the daily mail, together with the ample-robed conveyances •f those who traffic in the woods. The extension ©f the railway from Gravenhurst to Lake Nipissing kas of late shorn the town of not a little of both its summer and winter trade: but this is in part being made good by its growth as a manufacturing centre and in the industries useful to the settler. In and about the town there is much in the way of line scenery. In full view of the tourist the Brace- Widge Fall, sixty feet in height, displays its allure- ments as we approach the landing ; and to those who are content with a superficial inspection of the cascade a view may be h.id witlicut quitting the steamer. But a stroll to the bridge that spans it, and an excursion to the South Falls of the Mu.s- koka, some few miles from the town, are well worth a day's sojourn at Bracebridge, even if the tourist is unwilling to extend his trip to the series of lakes that lie to the north-east. To the canoeist, as weli as to the sportsman, the whole region is unique in its attractions ; the chain of connected waters, reached by way of the South Branch of the Mus- koka River, embracing the Lake of Bays, Penin- sula, Fairy, Vernon and Mary Lakes, and returning by the northern waters of the Muskoka, opens x panorama of thrilling pleasure and delight to those who enjoy Nature in seclusion. This attractive region can, however, be reached more directly from Huntsville, which the railway now passes, though we still recommend the old and favourite route, by stage or private conveyance from Brace- bridge to Baysville, thence by steamer on the Lake of Bays, and, with a short portage, on to the extended chain of lakes northward to Huntsville and Hoods- town. In the lakes and streams of this section of the country the fishing is still good, while in the woods, in season, there is plenty of game. The tourist at Bracebridge should not omit a visit to the South Falls of the Muskoka River , which ara extremely picturesque. A drive of some thrtic a 12 THE MUSKOKA DISTRICT. miles from the town will bring the visitor suddenly upon the cataract, for it is not seen nntil he pulls up on the bridge, a short distance from the upper basin. The scene is a wild one, the river shooting a series of ledges and making a descent of over a hundred feet in the space of three times as many yards. The visitor should view the Falls both from above and from below the " chute." Seen from the bridge, the river, which for miles has been .saunter- ing along in idle dalliance, the dark forest crooning over the Stygian stream, suddenly awakes from its .sleep, and flings itself headlong through a narrow, wmding gorge, the sharp ledges of rock fretting it into foam, and here and there dashing the water up in spray with an impact that shivers it into beauty and lightens up the gloom of the beetling crags that overhang the torrent. At the foot of the cleft the river passes again into gloom and stillness, as it winds its way in swirling circles of white bells to the lake beyond. Approached by caroe from below, the view is a memorable one : the torrent, lashed into foam, hurling its mass of gleaming water down the ravine ; the stern grandeur of the jutting cliflFs, their gray walls moistened and black with the spray of ages ; the bridge, clean cut against the sky, poised over the roaring abyss ; and the weird pines on the summit singing eternal dirffts tn harmony with the scene. The visior while it delights, also awcs, and one is glad er long to tnrn from it and get into the quiet beaut ot still water, the sunshine glimmering softly dow on the stream, or breaking in patches of ligli through the branches of the over-arching treei But we leave the scene, and again return by th highway, the air filled with the resinous odours c the surrounding pine. As we re-enter the village great burst of colour in the west throws a tinge c softened red on the dark green of the forest, an gilds the river with a flame of light. oarding the steamer again at Bracebridge, w set otf down the river to regain the lake, an resume our trip to Port Carling and the heaa < Rosseau. At the debouchment of the river, tb steamer is headed north-west for Beaumaris, o Tondern Island, the Anglesea of Muskoka water: and one of the most attractive summer quarters o the lakes. Hei"e, "at the height of the season, the scene recalls in miniature the arrival of th Ramsgate boat from London, the summer lodgei at Prowse's hotel close by having ijathered at tl wharf, either to meet or to part with friends, or ( gratify curiosity by seeing "who's who" oh tl boat ; while innumerable urchins, in every coi ceivable boating-costume, disport themselves io a THE MUSKOKA DISTRICT. 13 jnantier of craft on the waters of the bay. Due 'A-est from Beaumaris, in the western recesses of the lake, are the pretty village and Falls of Bala, and the outlet of the waters of Muskoka, by the Mus- kosh river, into the Georgian Bay. A mile or two to the west of the village, the Moon river, one of th6 finest streams for maskinonge and brook-trout, branches ofif from the Muskosh, and loses itself in the unsurveyed township of Freeman, or turns up, a \vestern Congo, in the township of Congo. The scenery on the western waters of Muskoka easily rivals, if it does not surpass, that on the south and east ; and to the angler and camper-out there open bewildering attractions in the innumerable lakes, bays, and islands of the region. Here, as elsewhtre on the lakes, islands of every size and form rise in picturesque beauty from their glassy setting, the largest of them dense with forest to the waters edge. Many of them bear names well-known in the business and social circles of the Provincial capital, and the summer-houses of their owners peep at you, in every form of rusticity, as you pass on the steamer < Leaving Beaumaris the steamer is headed for the upper end of the lake, and threads its way through the Seven Sister Islands, an archi- pelago lying to the south of Point Kaye— on past Jdlewild, One Tree, and Horse-shoe Islands — into i the converging channel of the Indian River and the lock at Port Carling, which admits to the waters of Rosseau and Joseph The view of the contracting channel that leads into the Indian River from the open lake is par- ticularly pleasing. In early spring, when the woods put on their fresh robes, and in late autumn, when the frosts of October deck the leaves in their many hued beauty, the scene is surpassingly lovely. At both of these seasons Muskoka should be visited, though the spring-time, with its birth-crop of mosquitoes and black flies, detracts from the thorough enjoyment of Nature's unfolding bea.u.y at that delightful period of the year. In the Fall, however, there is no alloy in the cup of the tour- ist's satisfaction, "barring" the coolness of the nights. With this exception, the latter part of September, in our opinion, is the most enjoyable time to spend a holiday in Muskc':a. For families this, of course, is too late ; though we often regret the hegira that takes place from the region with the opening of the city schools — a period of the year when Muskoka is seen at its best. But the steamer's whistle breaks in upon these reflections, as we approach Port Cr.rling, the Gov- ernment lock on the Indian River, which gives access to the waters of the Upper Lakes. Thu 14 THE MUSKOKA DISTRICT. t name of ihe village, with that of Port Saudfield, the site of the cutting between the waters of Kosseau and Joseph, recalls the earl} days of colonization in the region, when the Hon, John Carling was Minister of Public Works in the Local Government of John Sandheld Macdonald. The village has grown and become more attractive since then ; while the comfortable and liomelike hostelries about, with their facilities on land and water for ministering to the enjoyment of those summering in the region, are a vast improvement an the engineer's or excavator's shanty, which was •nee the only accomodation of th'= " interlacken ' stopping-place, save the rude slied, placarded "dynamite," in which was stored the material for blasting the basin of the lock and its water- approaches. Several good hotels, boarding-houses, stores, and two or three churches, with a few resi- dences, a post office, and a lumber mill, comprise the buildings in the village. An unpretentious swing-bridge over the lock supplies the link of connection between Port Carling and Bracebridge. There is a pretty and sheltered sheet of water, just beyond the lock, on which there is good boat- ing, and in the river above there is a little fishing. The scenery is wild and varied in the neighbour- hood, and the village boasts of a special attraction in the vicinity, in the charming bye path througlu the woods to Rockhurst. opposite Port Sandfield. Of the reality of this woodland conduit the writer of this sketch can vouch, for he has a vivid and pleasant memory of its delights. A mile or two's steaming above the lock brings us to the upper end of the Indian River and to the foot of Lake Rosseau. Here we come to what many consider the prettiest part of the lakes. From Baker's Island round to Ferndale, Eagle's Nest, and on to Port Sandfield, the steamer's pathway is fairly gemmed with a profusion of islets, many of which are owned by Toronto, citizens, of known aquatic tastes, and whose sum- mer cottages peer out of their sylvan settings at every bend of the lake. As we pass the foot of this channel, on our way to Windermere and the head of Rosseau, the evening sun paves it with flame. If ever there was an Eden, we think, we must hnd it here. Seldom has our eye lit upon a. lovelier scene, we have repeatedly remarked, as its beauty has again and again been impressed upon our mental vision, and never, to our mind, has Nature made a more effective use of her materials. Sky, and land, and water, here all combine to make a perfect picture, the effect of which, par- ticularly when the woods are ablaze with the Iglh !ld. ter "f^!"""^, THE MUSKOKA DISTRICT. 16 rolouring of a Canadian autumn, is almost inde- scribable. Here the hemlocks mass up, in spots familiar to us, with an effect that would ravish an artist's heart, their lighter colours and moregrace- iil forms relieving the sombre character of the intermingling spruce and pine. Traversing the foot of Lake Rosseau, we strike •jlue north till we reach Windermere, which has few visible attractions from the steamer to remind valk, there is an allurincr sheet of water locally known as the Three Milr Lake. For the next hour we steam alongside the eastern flank of Big (Tobin's) Island, whii h looks as if it had fallen jiccidentally from the shoulder of some giant aloft, and had escaped being chopped up into the 3ittle islands which strew the lake with their tree- In fted beauty. The coast-line on either side, as ■>ve proceed northward, preserves its pleasing irregularity, and in parts is quite pretty. Pre- rently we touch at Juddhaven, of which, however little is seen but the wharf and lone postal landing- AAaiter. On the opposite side of the lake is Skele- lon Bay, the entrepot for the waters of Skeleton Lake atul River. On the latter are the beautiful Minne» haha Falls, and in the bosom of the former thts disciples of Izaak Walton will find abounding sport. To the northward still continuing our voyage, we come to Rossea Falls, the poetry of its name disappearing with an impatient glance at its saw mills. The shadows of evening will have begun to close on the scene as we reach Rosseau village and the high wooded bluffs that give character and beauty to the head of the lake. Just before reaching the village and the steamer's moorings for the night, stoppage is made at Maplehurst, the fine new summer hotel which makes good the loss, some years ago, of the re- nowned hostelry of Pratt. The hotel aims at maintainir«f the traditions, with the state and circumstance, of its burnt prototype ; and the glit- ter of lights, bespeaking comfort and good cheer, that sheds its radiance down the steep ascent from the wharf, with the dress-parade of fashion w« meet on the hotel-galleries as we approach th« house, are indications that the ambition of its proprietors is in part at least realized. Not the least of the attractions of " Maplehurst " is its charming situation, with its magnificent outlooks down and across the lake, and the comfort which comes, even m the hottest day in summer, from its breezy, elevated position. Added to this are 16 THE MUSKOKA DISTRICT. P the advantages of large and commodious sleeping rooms, dining rooms, and parlours, with compara- tive freedom from that bane of most watering- place hotels— the slattern, hugger-mugger domestic economy and table-service which too often at- taches to them. In the village, across the bay, furthe; and good hotel accomodation may be had in the " Monteith House," with excellent boating facilities, and the opportunity of driving or walk- ing along the colonization roads that branch off from the village in various directions. At Rous- seau, as elsewhere on the lakes, the visitor will find the same common, yet attractive, features that characterize the region— the water, the sky, and the surrounding gloomy woods. Besides tlicse, and the invigorating ozone of a high north- ern latitude, there are the usual accessories of a Muskoka watering-place — the shelving rocks and the muslined womanhood that people them ; the boats and the young paddlers that swarm about them ; the islands and the boating and fishing parties that resort to them Rosseau, hoM'ever, has one distinguishing feature over its fellow watering-places, in the rare and exclusive posses- sion of a half-magical stream, poetically christened " Shadow River." Every visitor to Rosseau must see " Shadow River," as every visitor to Scotland must see the Trosachs, Abbotsford, or the Tweed. It is the show-place of the region, and unlike most show- places, it is worth seeing. This magical stream, which varies from twenty to forty feet in width, can be explored by row-boats for about four miles It issues into Lake Rosseau in one of the bays at the upper end of the lake, near the village of Ros- seau, and within a mile of Maplehurst. Th«; chan- nel mouth is difficult to find, in the mass of reeds and pond-lilies which conceal the entrance to its waters — nature guarding in this way the intrusion of all but those who are in sympathy with its hidden charms. Once launched upon the stream, the visitor to this inner shrine of nature will instantly surrender himself to the illusions of the place. Here, verily, he will say, is the home of the Naiades ; and at every bend of the river he will look to see a trooping band of the deities who preside over streams, springs, wells and fountains, issue forth from the woods or meadows on either side, to sport among the reeds and rushes on the banks, deck themselves with water-lilies in the gleaming mirror, or take their afternoon plunge in the glassy pools of the stream. The silence of the place heightens the effect and imparts irresist- able witchery to the scene. As the boat glides •wvipni c T \ G C 1 mi- THE MUSKOKA DISTRICT. 17 along under miles of over-arching tree», every rood of water has its surprise. In its magical depths each separate tree, branch and leaf, is mirrored and minutely reproduced, while the sky o'erhead has a nether sky to match it, till the on- looker finds it difficult to say where the real and tangible ends and the mirrored copy begins. In the duplicating process, boat, occupants, and dripping oars are included, as well as the flight across the stream of the startled bird whose pri- vacy we have invaded, and every feather of whose outstretched pinions is momentarily reproduced in the water beneath. At Rosseau, though we are over a hundred and fifty miles north of Toronto, the village is, as it were, but a flounce on the flowing garment of civilization. Away inland stretches a kingdom that in winter might be ruled by a Jarl-King of Norway, and in summer by a successor to the Doges of Venice. Tn the Parry Sound and Mus- koka Districts there some seventy townships, covering an area of six or seven thousand square miles, Of these townships, less than seven are watered by the Muskoka Lakes ; we are therefore only on the frontier of a realm of solitude. The colonization road to the Magnetewan, and on to Lake Nipissing, which runs almost due north from Rosseau, gives access to much of this territory, though it can be more conveniently reached from Gravenhurst and the south by the railway ex- tension to Callendar. The Magnetewan region is the Mecca of sportsmen, for here in lavish plenty is to be ff^'ind every variety of fish and game. The river traverses an immense tract of country, and, with its affluents, may be said to water half the District of Parry Sound. Th« tourist or sportsman will find Burk's Falls the objective point for this region, and to tliose who desire "fresh fields and pastures new," we con- fidently commend a holiday on the Magnetewan. At the Burk House the visitor will find hotel accommodation little inferior to that of the Queen's or Rossin in Toronto. Near by is the steamboat landing and the moorings of the Wenonah, on which the tourist can make a most delightful eighty • mile excursion, between breakfast and supper, and see the picturesque solitudes of the Magnetewan River, and the smiling beauty of Se-Sebe and Ah Mic Lakes. We return to Rosseau. The traveller, should he decide to confine his present excursion to the Muskoka Lakes, may pursue one of two courses in proceeding to Lake Joseph. Either he may return by steamer to Port Carling, and set out from 18 THE MUSKOKA DISTRICT. there tor Port ijandtield and sail up the lake, or — the course we would commend — take the stage, or hire a conveyance at Rosseau village and go aver the Parry Sound colonization readjust north of the lakes, to Port Cockburn and the head waters of Lake Joseph. Should he take the latter route, a day can be delightfully spent by turning aside to Thomson's hotel, on Star Lake, where there is good fishing and very pleasant accom- modation ; proceeding afterwards to " Fraser's," at the head of Lake Joseph. At Port Cockburn the tourist will find, most comfortable quarters, a large sprinkling of the fashion of Toronto and the towns and cities of the south, and unlimited facilities for boating, shooting, or fishing. In many respects Lake Joseph is more attractive than the other waters of the Muskoka chain ; and as a '^amily resort Port Cockbuvn is consequently a vigorous rival to the other watering-places of the region. No one, we believe, leaves "Fraser's" without pleasant memories of the place. The route homeward from Port C^ockburn may lead us either directly down the lakes to Graven- hurst, or by stage or private conveyance over the rough but picturesque road to Parry Sound, thence by steamer to Penetanguishene, through the maze of islands that gem the inshore waters of the Georgian Bay. Should the tourist prefer the latter, he will meet much to interest and plea.^e the eye in the succession of lakes that vein the region on the way to Parry Sound , while, if a sportsman, he will find infinite satisfaction in ex- tending his excursion north-eastward from Pariv- Sound as far as McKellar or Dunchurch, the Venices of the North, returning thither by a scries of natural canals and the Seguin River to the Canadian Adriatic — the inner waters of the Geor- gian Bay. Whichever his choice, despite thiv solitude and the " roughing it," he may be assured 01 both pleasure and sport. The dominant trade- of Parry Sound is lumber, and though a univcr.'^.-i( industry in the region, and thus not to be lightly spoken of, its operations greatly detract from its picturesque situation and mar the aspoct whicU Nature strives to produce in the beautiful water- courses of the district. But for this Parry Harbour and Sound would be an unrivalled artistic posses- sion ; though, once out on the Archipelago of th" Georgian Bay, Nature asserts herself in rega! fashion. The coast-line from Byng Inlet at i\in mouth of the Magnetewaii, or rather from Frenc'i« River, a little to the north, down to the outlet u( the Severn, in Matchcdash Buy, i.'< chafed and frayed in a marvellous manner ; ten thousantV Sh ••^; /2J t>« A f /; \' ^-*iJ^ • «% , 7'HE MUSKOKA DISTRICT. 19 ■islands are said to bestrew the path of the steamer from Parry Sound to Penetanguishene. At the latter village — historically famed, in connection with the early French Missions, and \vith the British naval occupation of the place in the open- ing years of the present century — as well as at the adjoining village of Midland, railway facilities can be had to conduct the tourist southward > his home and civilization. Both villages, and Wau- •baushene, close by, are rapidly making new history for the region, aided by the railways, which at Penetanguishene and at Midland, tap the com- merce of the inner shores of Lake Huron. On these waters the M. & N. Navigation Go's, steamers, Imperial and F. B. Maxwell, will be found conve- niently at the tourist's service. ^The bulk of travel from Port Cockburn will, presumedly, seek to return by way of the lakes. With this m view, we shall now board the Kenozha or the Nipissing, and conclude our tour by a run down Lake Joseph into Lake Muskoka, and so back to Gravenhurst. Setting out from " Fraser's," ■we shall be favoured if we are convoyed for a little by the fine pleasure steam yacht, Onaganoh -owned by the enterprising proprietors of Summit House. Whether or not this compliment is paid the parting guests of the hotel, they will find a vista of rare beauty to rejoice the eye for many miles down the lake. The places of interest passed en route are many and memorable. A little way down we come to Morris, McMurrich, and Mac- lennan islands, which nestle under the lea of Equity Crest. Farther on, other posies of islands are met with; then we run into " McLean's," on Shanty Bay, and emerge into the lake again in the neighbourhood of Yoho. The island of Yoho, or, if the strange mouthful, " Yohocucaba," can be grappled with, is one of the prettiest and most cultk/ated of the islands on the lake. It is the apple of the eye of the Muskoka Club, an early organization of campers, whose advent and many summers' visits to the region haunt the memcry of its modern discoverers with yet unchilled delight. Its seemingly Indian appellative is in reality a conglomerate poly.syllable, made up of the first letters in the surnames of the island's original owners. Still further on we come to the islands of the Ponemah group, that stand warder at the entrance to Little Lake Joseph. The larger of the group is called Chief Island (owned by Mr. Her- bert Mason), and from it may be seen the lonj; water lane of Little Lake Joseph and the delight- fully situated summer hotel of Craigie-Lea. I» this neighbourhood is Governor's Island, the at- 20 THE MUSKOKA DISTRICT. tractive summer quarters of an ex-Lieut. -Governor, and here the lake seems to rise to the height of its fascination, and to clasp in its jewelled embrace a galaxy of islands, a summer sojourn upon which must be a perpetual and delirious pic-nic. Con- tinuing our descent of the lake we come upon Hemlock Point, the woodland home of the hydro- grapher of the lakes, in the vicinity of which may be met with one or other of the fine steam launches which Captain Rogers' enterprise has placed at the service of tourists and pleasure-seekers on these waters. From here to the Government canal that cuts the sandbar, which the waters of Joseph and Rosseau have jointly thrown up to estrange the lakes, little calls for notice. But here, at Port Sandfield, we come upon another delightful stop- ping place, where the tourist will do well to sojourn for a while. There is at " Prospect House " com- modious and comfortable accommodation ; and the scenery in the neighbourhood, especially between Port Sandfield and Port Carling, is per- haps unrivalled on the whole chain of lakes. On tlie beautiful bay opposite " Cox's " there is good fishing and boating, as there is also in a number of bays and inlets to the south of the canal. The sail round the peninsula from Port Sand- field to Port Carling is perhaps the most enjoyable on the lakes. The water-way is strewn with island8» and we have to thread our path through clumps of green in a setting of silver, and past innumer- able points, heavily wooded to the shore, the whole forming a panorama of exquisite and impressive beauty. The points of call are many, (< - here the hotels and summer houses abound, atti ^ting popu- lar appreciation of the attractiveness of the region. Among these are Clevelands, to the north of the Joseph River; Oaklands, on Tobin's Island, and Ferndale, in a pretty bay, just north-west of Port Carling. All of these resorts, with those at Ports Sandfield and Carling, give increasing accommod- ation to the throng of visitors that frequent the lakes in the summer months. But we must take leave of the region, permitting the tourist to find his way back at his pleasure to Gravenhurst, and to wherever may be his home in the south. If our pen has been faithful, the reader of these pages, will be slow to dismiss from his mind the beauties of Muskoka, or to forget, if he has accompanied us on our tour, the most attractive of Ontario'.^? forest and lakeland shrines— the lovely " Fdens of the (Northern) wave." THE END. r »/ Compiled for ilie Muskokn ft Nipiuing N»vig«tion Co. Uv S. R. G. Pinion, Tokonto. Engravkd »v C. Mir' V, Toronto,