Lake of Bays
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1903. FIFTE~NTH EDITICN. HIGHLANDS OF ONTAIUO. HIGHLANDS Of ONTAPIO. AN HUNTSVILLE & LA E Of BAYS NAVIGATION ROUTE . HUNTSVILLE & LAKE OF BAYS NAVIGATION ROUTE. LAKE OF BAYS. "Straight my eye hJth caught new pleasures, Whilst the landscape round it measures." t'1E hundred and forty-six miles north of T oronto, on stretches, the beauties of Killarney, and the poetic splendor of Lornond the line of the Grand Trunk Railwav, nestles Hunts or Katrine, are all embodied in the Lake of Bays District. A well ville, a pretty little town nearly in the centre of what known traveler and litterateur, while speaking of this district, said: is known as the Lake of Bays District. The region "Irish lakes are good in their way, but their whole region is but a in this locality is replete with natural beauty and love trifle ; English lakes are placid and poetical, but ,ve are not all poets; liness, and comprises some of the most beautiful Scotch lochs are well enough, but soon got through with; Swiss lakes water-stretches and picturesque landscapes, for which that vast portion are charming, as well as Italian lakes, but they are a long way off, of northern Omario is becoming so famous with the ever-increasing and I fail to see any beauty in any of them (and I've done them all) and fastidi ous army e x ceeding those of tourists, w h o here.'' each year are look The navigable ing for fresh fi elds water svstem, of to explore. \ 'en · which Huntsville few people, even is the starting in Ontario, r ealize point, includes that Canada pos Lakes Vernon, sesses such a mag Mary, Peninsular, nificent p I e a s ur e Fain, Lake of ground as thi s ; Bays; Hollow and and ret, it is a re Kimball, and the gion . that will fill north branch of the the ideal of the In M uskoka River. dian's happy hunt Vernon Lake has ing grounds in the many high and good bye and bye. bold promontories, Here are lakes and deep corres and winding rivers ponding bays, and and islands innu several beautifully merable; water ab wooded islands, solutelv soft and the largest o f \\·ithm; t a1n- ad which, Hood 's mixture of miner Island, contains al s, as it percolates 600 acres. At the through the rock s head of this lake and soil; fo r this the waters of Lakes portion of the Round, Buck and countn· res ts upon Fox flow through the primitin: gran a gorge, down a i t e ro c k ,\· hi c h rapids with a fall Lover:.;' W al k,ILa ke of Bays. geologists r e p ea t· of some forty odd edlv tell , , contains no "rgani..: remains, and sin ce the cooling earth's feet, the landscape heing grandly picturesque. From Huntsville cTus( al that sta ge contained 110 soluble minerals, there can be none to Mary Lake is a dclightfol sail. Muskoka River is deep and here now in the waters of th ese lake s and rivers. The scenic grandeur winding, and the overhanging foliage forms an effectual sunshade. of hill and mountain, the pl acid beauty of the lakes, the lovely rivers The outlet at Port Sydney, at the southern extremity of the lake, ,vi th their pellucid waters Aon ing through banks of delightfully Rows over falls about thirty feet in height. Here the Muskoka River 1·ariegated fo lia ge, are not surpassed in an v country. again takes up the thread of travel. The sail to the east of Hunts· The grandeur of the Scotch lochs, the quiet beauty of England's ville, through Fairy Lake, past "Scotchman's Bonnet," the first i,'.,11": · Lake District,'' the solemn loneliness of the Swiss and Italian water- of the many that are scattered over the bosom of this pretty ,heet ' " water, and through Peninsular Canal and Lake, is most enjoyable. The shores of Fairy Lake are everywhere rocky and precipitous. Finely cultivated and really ex ceUent farms are to be seen everywhere on these shores. The Lakes lie in a deep basin, with fine farms on all sides. Between Fairy and Peninsular Lakes, a narrow opening, into which the boat is carefully steered, connects the two bodies of water. This opening was formerly a creek, but has now been transformed into a canal of suf ficient depth to allow of steamboat navigation. Crossing Peninsular Lake to the eastern end, a distance of about three miles, the portage is reached, where a transfer is made to a comfortable coach, and the journey is continued over one of the best wagon roads ever built by the On tario Government. The distance from Peninsular Lake to Lake of Bays is only a fraction of a mile, but the surroundings are delightful and the trip one of much picturesqueness. Two fine steamers of the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Navigation Route ply on these waters. Lake of Bays is the largest in the Lake of Bays District, being eighteen miles long, with a coast line of 36 5 miles, and it already possesses a continental reputation for grandeur of scenery. The waters abound in speckled and salmon trout, and the adjoining forests in deer and other game. To make the round trip of Fairy, Penin sular and Lake of Bays, takes an entire day's sailing. Port Julian Bay, Lake of Bays. Nowhere in the known world can the tourist feast his eyes on such splendid landscapes, and at such a trifling cost. People steamer is run in connection with the Huntsville and Lake of Bays are waking up to the great possibilities of the future of this country as Navigation Route, for th ,: convenience of tourists and sportsmen, and a health and pleasure resort. Tourists are more and more coming in, is reached from the Lake of Bays via Dorset by stage line, a distance year after year, and greater accommodation is being provided this year of four miles. than ever before. Annually, canoe parties in hundreds visit this dis Though no graphic pen has hitherto immortalized these lakes; no trict, and ere many years there will be few unoccupied resorts along "lovely Ellen," of Scott, or "charming Sweet Jessie" has yet been the shores of the lakes. On famed in song along their shores ; no '' lofty Ben Lamond'' or Hollow Lake a "bold cliffs of Ben venue," or "ever fair Killarney" has thrilled a people in descriptive narrative, yet each and every one has its prototype in scores of instances in the Huntsville Lakes and along their lovely shores. The rugged tree-topped mountains and hills along their banks, the neat islands snugly resting on their bosom, their springing fish, and glassy surface re flecting the romantic scenery, all rival the beauties of Lamond and Katrine. ·Manv a "fair Ellen" or '' sweet Jessie'' may be se~n in the cottage homes of the hardy, honest settlers. Manv of these are the descendants of brave British soldiers of the stormy times of the rebellion of ' 3 7, of the Crimea, the Indian Mutiny and African wars. The great charms and advantages of the locality are rendering the lake district of Huntsville unsur passed for summer outing in Canada. Every variety of scenery, the calm pastoral of \' ernon, the romantic and rugged mountainous grandeur of Hollow, with its Haystack Bay, Lake of Bays. mountains, hills and hollows, the fine bathing and quiet scenery (5) (6) of Lake of Bays, Brook trout are also numerous in the smaller streams which flow and the picturesque into the different lakes, and for the zealous angler, capital sport may beauty, coupled with he had. Sometimes the trout will rise to the fly, and again at the unsurpassed fish times they are so sly that nothing but a minnow will tempt their ing and hunting along dainty appetites, or perchance a grasshopper or a piece of pork. the entire chain, lend There seems to be no end of the supply, for when one pool is to these waters an at exhausted it only needs a change of position to another spot, and traction and a charm. up they rise, with their painted sides glistening in the sunlight. On The ease with which the larger lakes, such as the Lake of Bays itself, passengers on the any point along the steamer can see the speckled beauties jumping in all directions, system may be and a morning's fishing at any point on this lake will warm the reached, and the heart of the most ardent follower of Izaak Walton. Salmon trout facility with which in season are successfully caught with the troll, in the deep waters from the solitude of of these granite basins. primeval forests, deep For the hunter, partridges are plentiful ( open season, Sept. 15 to glades, mountain Dec. 15), but a dog is a necessity to success. Guides may be pro dells, babbling cured who have hunting dogs. Ducks are fairly numerous ( open sea brooks, and enchant son, Sept. I to Dec. I 5). Beaver and otter can be found in goodly ing lakes ( the haunts numbers, but are protected by the Government until November I, of fish and game,) 190 5. The open season for deer runs from November I to Novem the tourist may find ber I 5, and the exacting laws of the Provincial Government, enacted a base of supplies, to protect these animals, are enforced with such vigor by the game together with the su wardens, that during the open season the deer are most numerous.