g are we on the lake?" asked Scott.

"About seven hours; but not all of it is so bad as this. We go among
the islands by and by."

Doubtless the Wenern Lake fully maintained its reputation on the
present occasion, though none of the young salts were sick. The boat
stood to the northward, and the short steamer and the short chop sea
would have made the passage very trying to landsmen. Nothing but the
distant shores were to be seen, and the monotony of the passage was
the only disagreeable circumstance to our tourists. For the want of
something better to do, they went below, and, lying down on the sofas
in their state-rooms, went to sleep without much difficulty, for
the red-backs and fleas kept shady in the daytime. The boys were
accustomed to being "rocked in the cradle of the deep;" but at the
expiration of three hours, the heavy motion ceased, and the change
waked them. Going on the hurricane deck again, they found the steamer
was among the islands, which were generally low, rocky, and covered
with firs and pines. A crooked channel was carefully buoyed off, and
the boat was threading its tortuous way with no little difficulty.

Presently the Wadstena made a landing at a rude pier on an island
where only a rough shanty was in sight. Several row-boats at the wharf
indicated that passengers came to this station from other islands.
Again the steamer went out upon the open lake, and soon after entered
another group of islands, among which she made a landing at a small
town. Passing over another open space, the entrance to the canal was
discovered, marked by two low light-houses, in the form of the frustum
of a pyramid. As the Wadstena entered a lock, the captain told the
party they might take a walk if they pleased, as there were several
locks to pass in the next three miles. This was a grateful relief to
the voyagers, and they gladly availed themselves of the opportunity.
The country was a dead level, with an occasional small farm-house, and
with many groves and forests. But the walk was interesting, and the
boys would gladly have continued it longer; but at the last lock of
the series, the gate-man told them, through Ole, that they must wait
here in order to go on board, for the steamer could not make a landing
again for several miles. The party remained on the hurricane deck till
the cold and the darkness drove them below. Turning in at an early
hour, they slept as well as the vermin would allow, until six o'clock
th