acres of land, beautifully diversified by sun and shade, are contained in the island, every portion of which has some special attraction. The entire island is under the management of "The Round Island Park" Company, a stock company with a capital of $50,000. The hotel is modern, and well conducted. There are no two sunsets just alike at Round Island. Each day brings some special beauty. The going down of the sun, as it sinks upon the green Canadian hills, realizes the finest phenomenon in nature, save only that of

light itself. Whether the declining orb drapes himself with the purple and gold of a royal couch, or sinks amid the tears and sackcloth betokening a coming storm, he is always grand in his leavetaking. Men in all ages have contemplated this phenomenon with awe and admiration-even to adoration. What a place for a moonlight row! What enchanted islets to thread between, if one but knows the way! In midsummer

BETWEEN THE ISLANDS.

there are veritably but five hours of darkness upon the St. Lawrence. At 10 o'clock the sunset yet stains the western sky; and soon after 3 there are manifest tokens of the coming of another day.

The Methodist organization, known as the Thousand Island Park Association, began its operations in 1875 by the purchase of a large territory at the head of Wellesley Island, aggregating 1,000 acres. Thousand Island Park now stands, with its 300 tasty cottages, as the most extensive of the denominational resorts upon the river. The large hotel recently erected is a fine and costly structure, which must aid greatly in advancing the interests of the

park. As at Chautauqua, a regular programme of the season's exercises is announced.

It is a mooted question if the islands which dot the broadened river in front of Alexandria Bay look prettiest at sunrise or eventide. At evening the camp-fires begin to twinkle out of the mellow purple gloom, and the merry sounds of human occupancy float out from the island homes. It is an hour of repose which even the wordy wrangling on the dock concerning the "catches" of the day can scarce disturb; but wait, a finer thing is yet to come. Take supper and come out half an hour later. Now, displayed against the

black masses where the islands stand, beneath the lingering stain of the sunset, are a score of devices, wrought in twinkling lamps; here an anchor, there a star, a harp, or initial letter. Far up toward the cap of the lofty tower upon the Thousand Island House glows the white heat of an electric lamp, and along every cornice through the garden below and over among the rock and verdure of the illuminated Crossman House, a thousand lamps and torches dance in the eddying night-wind, each tiny flame caught up and reflected on every ripple of the deep black stream; and as we gaze and admire, the night is pierced by the swift flight of rockets, which mount into the dome of heaven, and, shattering there, scatter particolored stars far out upon the silent tide.

The largest and most costly, if not the most picturesque, of the many hundreds of cottages along the river are found in the vicinity of Alexandria Bay, many of them being within an easy row of the dock. The passing voyager, who only looks at these places from the steamer's deck, can have but slight idea of the loving care, even extravagant outlay, lavished upon many of them. One of the best-known properties in the vicinity is "Bonnie Castle," the property and favorite home of the late Dr. J. G. Holland. It is said that the final words of that genial and popular writer, who died in October, 1881, after a joyous summer at "Bonnie Castle," related to his life here, which had extended through five summers. "It is to me," he said, "the sweetest spot on earth." He then went on to speak of the constant, all-winter longing he felt, almost counting the days to the approach of the time when he could escape the weariness, or, as he expressed it, the "incessant grind," of the city to this delightful home. Dr. Holland is also credited with the mot: "We stay in New York, but we live upon the St. Lawrence."

Over beyond the islands which shut out the western horizon when looking from the bay, is Westminster Park, which occupies an extensive domain upon the lower end of Wellesley Island. This park, like others upon the river, is under denominational influence, being Presbyterian in form. The hotel, known as the Westminster, is composed of two roomy buildings. In Poplar Bay one finds a commodious dock, and a semicircle of bright and pretty homes. Just here is the entrance to the weird Lake of the Island, a large pond hidden away in the midst of Wellesley Island, to which access is had through a narrow and precipitous channel. This pond or lake is two miles in length and nearly a mile in width.

On leaving Alexandria Bay for Montreal, scattering islands, many of them quite as wild as when the white man first voyaged here, are passed all the way down to Brockville, where the Thousand Island system terminates in a group called the "Three Sisters." Brockville is a substantial Canadian city of 10,000 people. It is 125 miles from Montreal by the river. The traveller will note the large number of fine private properties along the rugged river front, both above and below the town. Immediately opposite is the American town of Morristown. Fourteen miles beyond, the Canadian town of Prescott and the American city of Ogdensburg stand vis-a-vis upon the banks of the river. A railway connects the St. Lawrence at this point with Ottawa, the Canadian capital. Ogdensburg is the focal point of three lines of railway, and a depot for a vast transshipment of grain and lumber from the West. It has an ener

getic population of nearly 12,000, largely engaged in manufacturing and internal commerce.

Five miles below Ogdensburg is Chimney Island, where vestiges of French fortifications still exist, and immediately below are the first of the series of rapids, the Gallopes, and shortly thereafter the Rapide de Plat is met. Neither of the swift places is especially exciting, but they serve as a preliminary to the great Long Sault (pronounced long sou), which is next in order. A long reach of smooth water intervenes, however, during which we pass the small American town of Waddington and the attractive Canadian city of Morrisburg. Just below this place is the battle-field of Chrisler's Farm, where an engagement occurred in 1813 between British and American forces, while the latter were marching to the capture of Montreal and Quebec. Over upon the American side is Massena Landing, whence a stage connecting with a steam ferry runs to the fine old medicinal resort known as Massena Springs, which, aside from its picturesque and healthful location, the excellent Hatfield House, and good fishing, boasts of remarkably strong and potent sulphur

waters.

rent.

At Dickinson's Landing, the boat, which is well fitted for her daily task of breasting the wild surges of the rapids, turns in the swift current, and a mile ahead the passengers see the white, stormy waters of the Long Sault stretching from shore to shore. Now the real fun begins. There is a sudden hush to the monotone of the steamer's pulsations. We are in the grasp of the curExtra men are at the wheel, and others are aft in charge of a spare tiller. If you are inclined to be nervous now, remember that steamers have been going down here ever since 1840, and no passenger vessel has ever been wrecked in the rapids. The first plunge is over a cascade at “the cellar," and is exhilarating. In the vast expanse of broken waters fresh sensation.s await us. Now across our way a vast green billow, like the oncoming surge of the ocean upon soundings after a nor' easter, disputes our passage. It is of the beautiful green where the sunlight shows through its wedge-like cap that one sees upon the coral beds of Nassau, or at the deep centre of the Horseshoe Fall at Niagara, or in drug-store jars. It does not rise and fall, advance and recede. It simply stands there forever, a vast wall of water through which we cleave our way with a fierce, brief struggle, only to meet a second, a third, a fourth like wave beyond.

The rapids are about two miles in length, but there is a continuance of reasonably swift water for several miles further. The actual fight between