disturbed by
the approach of a boat, when they dive clumsily but quickly. Occasionally,
one sees an otter, with seal-like head above the surface of the water,
swimming swiftly from haunt to haunt in pursuit of the bass; and small
coteries of summer ducks fly swiftly from sedge to sedge.

The acoustic properties of the river would make an architect die with envy.
The light breeze bears one's conversation audibly for half a mile; one
hears the splash of a fish that jumps a thousand yards away; and the grim
cliffs at the foot of which the canal winds in and out take up the
profanity of the towpath and hurl it back and forth across the river as if
it was great fun and all propriety. The stalwart exhortations and clean-cut
phraseology of the mule-drivers and the notes of the bugles go ringing over
to Virginia's shore, and fill the air with cadences so sweet and musical
that they sound like the pleasant laughter of good-humored Nature, instead
of the well-punctuated and diligent ribaldry of the most profane class of
humanity in existence. It is perfectly startling and frightful to hear an
objurgation of the most utterly purposeless and ingeniously vile
description transmitted half a mile with painful distinctness, and then
seized by a virtuous and reproachful echo and indignantly repelled in
disjointed fragments.

"Y'ill take care, sorr, an' sit fair in the middle of the shkiff," said Mr.
McGrath as I got into his frail craft at five o'clock in the morning on the
bank of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal near Point of Rocks. "It's
onconvanient to be outside of the boat whin we're going through them locks.
There were a gintleman done that last year, an' he come near lavin' a lot
of orphans behind him."

"How was that, McGrath?" said I.

"Begorra! the divil a child had he," he replied.

"But do you mean that he was drowned?" I asked.

"Faith, an' he was that, sorr--complately."

I promised Mr. McGrath that I would observe his instructions carefully, and
that gentleman, after placing the rods, live-bait bucket, luncheon-basket
and other articles on board, took his seat in the bow, and we proceeded. We
had two boats for my companion and myself, and an experienced man in each.
Mr. McGrath had fallen to my lot, and my companion had a darkey named Pete.
We were to go up the canal some four miles, and then, launching the boats
into the river, were to fish slowly down with the current. We had a horse
and tow-rope, and a small boy,