hemlock-tea; our supper, boiled fish without bread, and hemlock-tea
without sugar.

To amuse ourselves, we built a nice camp on a wooded point overlooking
the harbour, and arranged everything comfortably to pass the night;
and, although we had such bad commons, we were merry enough,
considering we had nothing stronger to drink than hemlock-tea.

In the morning, as appearances were no better in respect to the
weather, and as we were heartily sick of boiled suckers, we determined
to do--as some of our party had done previously--take the bush-route
for Goderich.

Accordingly, we crossed the harbour in the canoe, which we hid amongst
the bushes, and commenced our journey along the lake-shore. In some
places we found tolerably good walking, while in others we were
compelled to mount the cliffs to avoid the break of the surges, where
headlands jutted out into the lake. For the most part, however, we were
enabled to travel upon natural terraces about half way up the bank,
which I should think averages nearly one hundred feet in height.

To our great delight, we discovered an abundance of fine wild
strawberries, the largest and most delicious I had ever seen. We found
this a very seasonable refreshment. The day was fine, and we enjoyed
the prospect, which, viewed from some of the highest points of land,
was truly magnificent.

About four o'clock in the afternoon we reached Goderich, weary and
half-starved. Thus ended our memorable pic-nic to the Nine-Mile Creek.