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[ SECOND EDITION, ENLADGED. ]

SPOETING NOTES

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IsTE^WT^OTJISnDL AJSTD ;

BY

CAPTAIN W. R KENNEDY,

H. M. S. *« Druid.

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FEB 28 19S3

J. C» Withers, Queen's Printer.
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PREFACE.

The following Letters were written for The
Field, under the nam dc plume of ** Mariner," and
subsequently re*printed in a Local paper. They are
now re-produced, in Pamphlet form, under the belief
that they may } Tove of some little interest. It has
been said that ** Sailors go round the world without
seeing it," and this is probably true, as a rule ; but
in the case of Newfoundland, Naval OIBcers have
unusual facilities for visiting all parts of the island,
and judging of its capabilities. Since these Letters
were written, many things have happened. A Rail-
way has been projected, to connect the mining region
with the Capital, and already the greater portion of
the N. E. Coast has been claimed, with a view io
mining operations. It is rumoured that the much*
vexed question of the French Shore is about to be
arranged. If so, the sole obstacle to the develop-
ment of the country will be removed, and Newfound-
land will advance, and take her place amongst the
richest mining countries in the world.

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PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION, v

1

Tub First Edition of this Pamphlet having.bcen

speedily exhausted, the continued demand seems to

cull for a Second. I have taken the opportunity of

addinjj a considerable quantity of new matter, in the

hope that thereby this little contribution to the stock

of information regarding Newfoundland may be made
more interesting and useful.

It is gratifying to me to find that my hopes re-
garding the progress of the Colony have been more
than realised since the appearance of the First
Edition. The Railway which' is to connect the
capital and principal towns with the mining region,

9

and open up the most fertile lands for settlement, has
been commenced, and the first fifteen miles will be
in running order before the close of the year. The
work will be pushed rapidly forward, and its comple-
tion may be looked for in two or three years. That
it will produce a vast and beneficial change cannot
be doubted.

Not less important is the announcement recently
made that the vexed '* French Shore Question" has*

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PRHFACE TO THE SECOND EDITIOK,

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been virtually settled by the concession to the local
government of the right of issuing hind and mineral
grants on this part of the coast. This will tend to
promote a good understanding between Newfound-
landers and the French Hshermen, by removing the
main grievance of which the islanders have long
complained, while all the fishery rights, secured to
the French by treaties, will be conserved and re-
spected. A brighter future now opens to this
** ancient and loyal Colony.'*

W. R. K.

Nov., i88x.

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SrORTINO NOTES IN NEWFOUNDLAND.

^HERE is probably no country in the world about
*t) which so little is known as the Island of New-
foundland— the oldest, and certainly not the least in
importance, of our colonial possessions. The fact is,
no one goes there, at least to stay, except the few
whose business calls them tliere, and they remain
no lonp;er than they can help. People touch at St,
John's en route to Halifax and Canada, an:l thank
their stars they are not destined to remain ; and yet,
if they only knew it, there ari many \. arse plnccs,
and I may say few better.

The fact is, it is because Newfoundland is so
little known that it is so little appreciated, so nejjlec-
ted and despised. Those who form their ideas of the
country from a hurried visit in an Allan steamer are
apt to think of it as a land of fo^, with a strong
flavour of fish ; and I must admit the first impres-
sions on a bleak winter's day are not inviting. But
to one who, like the writer, has had the opportunity
of seeing more of the country, of mingling with its
warm-hearted inhabitants, of sailing round its rocky
coast, visiting its magnificent harbours — second to
none in any part of the world— of penetrating into
the vast and almost unknown interior in quest -of

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8

eport, Newfoundland presents a very difTcrent aspect,
whether it be from a sporting, an artistic, or a social
point of view. First, as regards the climate :

To form an idea of this climate from that which
prevails on tlic ** Banks" is to gather a very unjust
and erroneous impression of the reality. True it is
that the seaboard, especially on the East and South
coast, is frequently enveloped during many months in
the year in a dense fog, caused by the meeting of the
cold Polar current with the warm waters of the Gulf
Stream ; but these fogs seldom if ever penetrate inland ;
and I have no hesitation in saying that for four or five
months in the year, namely, from June to October,
inclusive, the climate is far superior to that of Great
Britain, whilst the winters are undoubtedly milder
than those of Nova Scotia, Canada, or New Bruns-
wick. During the months of July, August, Septem-
ber, and part of October, the weather is magnificent,
the thermometer ranging occasionally as high as 85*.
At this time the country presents a most beautiful
appearance, resembling in parts the Highlands of
Scotland. The mountains are clothed to their tops
with many kinds of woods, conspicuous among which
are the fir, the pine, maple, birch, and hazel. The
barrens are covered with a rich carpet of moss of
every shade and colour, and abound in many sorts
of wild berries, pleasing both to the eye and taste.
The banks of the rivers are also at this time fringed
with wild strawberries, raspberries, currants, blue-
berries, bake-apples, &c., and adorned with many

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kinds of lovely ferns and wild flowers ; while foaming
torrents and tumbling caseades complete a picture
delightful to the eye of the artist or the salmon
fisher. The scenery of the South coast is of the
grandest description ; deep gorges in the coast line
lead through narrow entrances, with ,.recipitous cliffs
on cither hand, to ma^^'iiinccnt harbors, where ^the
navies of Europe may lloat secure from every gale.
Every twenty or thirty miles along the coast there
are harbors such as these ; and not even the fiords of
Norway present such perfect security for the tem-
pest-tossed mariner as are to be found in Newfound-
land. On the West Coast the harbors, though not
so frequent, are spacious and secure. Towards the
North, and on tlie coast of Labrador, the shores pre-
sent a more rugged and less inviting appearance ; but
here again the harbors of refuge are second to none.

In the matter of agriculture this Island is back-
ward, partly owing to the scanty population which
fringe its shores, earning a precarious living by fish-
ing, and partly due to the rugged and inaccessible
nature of the country and the shallowness of its soil ;
t)ut where agriculture has been attempted, such as
may be seen in the Codroy valley, St. George's Bay,
the Bay of Islands, and in the neighborhood of St.
John's, the finest crops have been raised. But in
this respect t\ie country is in its infancy. In the
interior of the island there are thousands, aye, mil-
lions, of acres of good land suitable for growing
crops, or raising cattle and sheep, as shown by the

i:

10

magnificent wild hay which grows in all the swamps,
and upon which the deer feed unmolested, save when
a solitary hunter intrudes upon their sanctuary. The
time will come, and may be is not far distant, when
the shrill whistle of the railway will he heard in
these solitudes, the pioneer of the emi[;rant ; when
the swamps and valleys will be drained, and thrivini^
homesteads sprinj^ up where the deer, the beaver,
and the wolf, now reign supreme.

For the present, the harvests of Newfoundland
arc gathered, not from the earth, but from the sea,
and they have the advantage of being inexhaustible
— the supply will be always equal to the demand.
A Great Creator has ordained that the very elements
which make Newfoundland what it is — the fogs, the
icebergs, the cold currents, and the banks — shall all
contribute to its prosperity. The banks are the
spawning grounds of the cod, and the cold water at-
tracts the multitude of fish which constitute the
wealth of the island. The icebergs and field-ice
bring down seals by thousands from their breeding
grounds in the far north, giving employment to the
labouring population at a time when they would
otherwise be idle, and bringing wealth to the mer-
chants of St. John's.

In many parts of the island, especially in the
vicinity of the Exploits, the Humber, and the Gander
rivers, the finest timber suitable for building and for
ships' spars is to be found, and the timber trade
forms an important industry in the Colony. Unfor-

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tunately, the wanton destruction of fine timber, and
the terrible fires which devastate larj^e tracts of coun-
try, have seriously affected this industry; and unless
steps arc taken by plantin{;c, &c., there will soon be
no timber of any value left in the island.

A comparatively new industry has been lately
discovered in the valuable copper mines which arc to
be found in many parts of the island, and which are
now being worked with profit to the fortunate, pos-
sessors; and it is in this direction that the great
wealth of the country will be developed. Unfortu-
nately, the treaty rights possessed by the French
militate very seriously against this important indus-
try ; but that is a question into which it is not my
province to treat in this sketch, so I shall leave it,
with the hope that this difficulty "'ill vanish at no
distant period. On the west coast, in the neighbor-
hood of Port-au-Port, there is a valuable lead mine
containing a large percentage of silver, the working
of which has been for many years suspended, owing
to this cause. Coal has been found in the neighbor-
hood of Grand Pond (a lake sixty miles long), but
the quantity is inconsiderable, and it is doubtful if it
would pay for the working. Marble and asbestos
have also been discovered on the west side of the
island, and a marble quarry on a small scale may
now be seen on the banks of the Humber river,

Mr. Alex. Murray, the eminent geologist, (who
knows more of Newfoundland than any one else,
having surveyed it from east to west), has lately dis-

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covered fjold in the neighborhood of Bri^'^us, in Con-
ception Bay. The f;old is iound in quartz veins and
in sulTicicnt quantities to justify the hope, in Mr.
Murray's opinion, that, with capital and skilled labor,
it may be worked to advantage.

In the same vicinity slate and porphyry have
been found, and in all parts of the island granite,
both grey and red, may be seen in any quantity. A
railway has been projected across the country to
connect the capital with St. George's Bay on the
west coast, where an extensive coal-field has been
found. The idea,. I believe, was that passengers
coming out from Europe to Canada might disembark
at St. John's, traverse the island by rail, and re-em-
bark at St. George's Bay. '

If such an idea were ever contemplated, it is
not likely to be carried out, for I cannot fancy any
passenger taking the trouble to leave a comfortable
ship for a very uncomfortable railway journey, with
the prospect of another sea voyage on the other side.
A more feasible plan is to run a line touching the
heads of the bays on the N. E. coast, and thus bring .
the mining region into immediate connection with
St. John's. By this means the ore might be brought
down by rail and embarked at St. John's, and thus
the vexed question of the infringement of French
rights be avoided. It is possible that this plan may
be adopted, but at present there is a strong feeling
in the colony against any railway ; many people pre-
ferring that the country should remain in its present .

1

13

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and
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been

primitive condition, and that anything which would
add to its future prosperity should be avoided.

Ah'cady the telegraph system has been extended
to all the principal ports on the south coast as far as
Bonne Bay on the west, and the mining ports on the
cast. In this respect the telegraph is in advance of
its time, as it is not unusual to anchor in a magnifi-
cent harbour such as White Bear Bay, where the
only living souls are the operator and his family.
In the matter of mail service the colony is well
served ; the Allan steamers touch at St. John's every
fortnight, on their way to and from Halifax, during
nine months in the year ; for this luxury the colony
pays a subsidy of ;f 17,000 per annum. A line of
steamers also runs to New York, Halifax, and Mon-
treal ; and a local line carries the mails, &c., to the
ports round the coast. Considering the important
geographical position of St. John's, it is a marvel
that it is not more considered by the home autho-
rities. Possessing a fme harbour, within a week's
sail of Great Britain, the importance of the place as
a naval station cannot be overrated. A trifling outlay
would make the harbour impregnable, and the en-
trance could also be easily defended by torpedoes. A
dry dock capable of taking the largest ironclad is much
needed, and an admirable site for one is to be found;
at the head of the harbor. At present there is no
port nearer than Bermuda where one of Her Majes-:
ty's ships could be repaired, except in a temporary
manner ; and the fact of so many disabled, steamers:

',;

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14

putting; into St, John's to be patched up, before pro-
ceeding: on their voyage, sliovvs plainly the necessity
fur a dock, even in linio of peace. In the event of a
war with America, when the American ports would
be closed to us, the advantage could not be over-
estimated.

At present the military element is represented
by a few mounted police, and the naval force consists
of throe vessels which cruise round the coast during
the summer for the protection of the fisheries. The
captains of these ships are made J. P. 's for the island
and the Coast of Labrador, and are consequently sea
lawyers, in addition to the numerous functions ex-
pected of the captain of a man-of-war. Magistrates
are scarce on most parts of the coast, so the poor
fishermen gladly carry their grievances to the quarter
deck, where they generally obtain justice, if not law.
Some amusing^ stories are told of the legal decisions
of naval men, in which occasionally the case is heard
by the " justice" standing up to his waist in the mid-
dle of a salmon river, the complainant and the de-
fendant shouting their grievances from opposite
banks. All parties then repair on board, when the
case is properly gone into in the captain's cabin, and
usually settled to the satisfaction of all coneernedi
and the bargain concluded with a glass of grog.
Stories are afloat also of certain *' skippers" condo'
ning a case of arson or forgery, or. even inviting the
parties to appear at a certain hour the next morning,
by which time the ship is miles away ; but these are

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evidently libels circulated in all probability by gen-
tlemen of the legal profession, who are jealous of the
superior attainments (I) of the sea lawyer, and his
ability to settle off-hand cases which would last them
a whole season. Quarter-deck law has at all events
one advanta(;e — it costs nothing.

As regards salubrity of climate, Newfoundland
has no equal. On our visits round the coast the doc-
tors* duties are absolutely nil, their chief labors being
conlined to the poor half-starved fishermen and their
wives, many of whom suffer from exposure, combined
with poor clothing and scanty fare. The women espe-
cially flock on board a man-of-war in crowds to see the
doctor, and are perfectly satisfied if they get a bottle,
no matter what the contents, to take away with them.
Such implicit faith do they place in the doctor that
they come to see him although they may have no-
thing the matter with them, but because they ** had a
cold last year," or something equally frivolous, in
which case a bottle of distilled water and some bread
pills sends them away happy. With the men a
bottle of something stronger has the satne result.
These poor people, leading the same monotonous
dreary life, have no ideas beyond a cod fish. Ground
dovvn as they are by the detestable " truck" system,
they live and die hopelessly in debt, living from hand
to mouth without a shilling to call their own. Pos-
sibly education may in time awaken them to a sense
of their degradation, but at present there seems no
remedy for this evil. A bad fishing season throws

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hundreds of these unfortunates upon the Govern-
ment, and no less than ioo,ooo dollars is paid out
annually in pauper relief amonj,' a total population of
ivSo,ooi). In ihc town of St. John's the labouriufj
classes are more independent and well-to-do; and
the eity, although none of the cleanest, is remark-
ably heallhy, as mtiy be seen in the robust forms of
the men and the beautiful complexions of the women
and children. Nearly two-thirds of the inhabitants
are Roman Catholics, and most of these are of Irish
descent.

Of the original inhabitants of Newfoundland not
a trace remains ; all that is known of them is that
they were a hardy race, living by hunting and trap-
ping, as their successors, the Micmac Indians, do
now. Of these there are perhaps one hundred fami-
lies, who are distributed about the coast, mostly at
Green Bay and the Bay of Despair. These people
emigrated originally from Nova Scotia ; they lead a
happy life, and in some respects are more independent
and better off than their white brethren, whom they
hold in supreme contempt. They are far better
hunters and trappers, and are not to be excelled at
lumbering, boat-building, polling up rivers, and all
the incidents of a backwoodsman's craft. They
know every inch of the country, and follow a trail
with the sagacity of an animal. As a rule, they
are sober and honest, although they have the credit
of being exactly the reverse. The Indian leaves his
home in the early spring, and takes to the woods in.

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quest of beavers, otters, foxes, and martin-cats j of
these the beuver is the most valunble, the fur of a
fiill-^TOvvn beaver fetchin)^' as much as sixteen shil-
linf^d, more or leas, uceortlinff to the quality. A good
tiuppcr will sometimes kill thirty or forty in a week,
and probably average two a day all the season
through. Fox skins are valuable, especially the
black fox, but scarce, and not so easy to kill. Tfie
folUnving is about the average value of skins, taking
one year with another : —

IJlnck Fox ;^I5 o o

Silver I*'ox 6 0 0

Circy I'ox I lo o

Kfd Fox 080

Uilcr I 8 0

Beaver (sold by

the $) 8s. tO;^o 16 o

Benr ;^2 to 3 0 o

Deer o 15 o

Wolf($5 to$6,)say X o o

A Government reward is offered of twelve dol-
lars for every wolf skin ; but this is seldom claimed,
owing to the extraordinary sagacity of the animal,
which makes it difficult to either trap, shoot, or poi-
son him.

Having obtained all the skins he can pack either
on his back or in his canoe, the Indian, as the winter
draws near, establishes himself on the banks of a
lake, where the deer are in the habit of crossing in
their annual migrations from north to south ; he then
kills what he wants for his winter supply of meat,
and makes tracks for home, where he disposes of his
furs in exchange for pork, flour, tea, molasses, to-
bacco, and such like necessaries of life. The Indians
are often accused of slaughtering deer in a wholesale
way ; but of this I feel confident they are guiltless;

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The deer and beaver supply them with food, and
they could not exist without them ; therefore it is
their interest to protect them, killing merely what
they require. Not so the white settlers, who openly
boast of the number they slaughter in the winter
time for the sake of their hides and horns. I am
sorry to say also that parties of English gentlemen,
calling themselves sportsmen, have also been guilty
of this atrocity, one party having, some years ago,
massacred over one hundred, leaving their carcases
to rot. The only deer in the island is the caribou, a
noble animal, inferior only in size to the moose and
the wapiti. These animals roam on the barrens or
highlands by thousands. They may be killed in the
manner above mentioned, or stalked in true High-
land fashion. The latter is the only way worthy of
the true sportsman.

Foremost among game birds is the grouse,
or, as they are called in the country, partridge.
These birds are identical with the Norwegian * ryper.*
Their proper name is, I believe, the red or willow
ptarmigan (Lagopus saliceti), differing from the true
grouse in having the toes thickly feathered as well
as the legs. The common or grey ptarmigan (Lago-
pus mutus), which abounds in Norway and in Scot-
land, is also found in Newfoundland, but is more
rare. The former are numerous all. over the island,
but are especially abundant on the south coast, where
immense numbers are shot by the settlers in the fall
of the year. They breed mostly in the interior,

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island,
:, where
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interior,

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where they are not disturbed, but shift towards the
coast as winter approaches. The coveys average
from eight to twelve ; they lie well to dogs, and afford
good sport, except in the interior, where they are so
tame that they may be knocked down with sticks or
stones. The grey ptarmigan is known in Newfound-
land by the name of the ** rock" partridge. Proba-
bly the best bird for the table is the Esquimaux
curlew (Numenius borealis), which make their ap-
pearance on the shores of Labrador and the Northern
part of Newfoundland in August, preparatory to their
annual migration to warmer latitudes in the South.
Unlike the larger species common in the British
Isles, these birds are delicious eating, whether cooked
fresh or potted. They arrive in immense flocks, and
feed greedily upon the blue berries which are plenti-
ful on the barrens, coming down to the beach at low
water and returning as the tide rises ; they are so
plump that they sometimes burst on falling to the
ground, and so stupid are they that after a discharge of
both barrels into a flock the remainder invariably
wheel round to see what is the matter. In this way
man} hundreds are killed, and, if not a very sportsman-
like proceeding, it is certainly excusable, as the birds
are very highly esteemed. By September they have
all left the country, probably for the swampy marshes
about New Orleans, from whence, I suspect, few re-
turn. Wild geese are numerous in all parts of the
Island; they breed in the ponds of the interior and
in the neighbourhood of Cape Race ; they are hand-
some birds, easily domesticated, and cross readily

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with the tame goose, the result beinjj the mongrel
goose f>o much appreciated by epicures.

Of wihl (lucks there arc sevcfal kinds, but they
arc not nearly so numerous as one would suppose
them to be in a country onc-third of which is water.
The black duck is by far the best, as it is also the
most difOcult to approach. I have heard that there
arc cider duck on the Coast of Labrador ; but if so
they are not protected by law as in Norway. It
seems a pity that such a source of wealth should not
be encouraged ; but in a country where every fisher-
man carries a gun for seal shooting, or anything he
can get, no bird or beast stands a chance.

There is not a great variety in the game birds of
Newfoundland. Snipe are more plentiful in the neigh-
borhood of St. John's and on other parts of the penin-
sula of Avalon than elsewhere ; but they are certainly
few and far between in other parts of the Island.
One may wade through marshals all day without see-
ing one. Woodcocks there are none, which is the
more remarkable, seeing that they abound in Cape
Breton Island and Nova Scotia; and more likely
ground could not be than in Newfoundland. I be-
lieve they might be imported, also blackcock, which
thrive well in Norway, a similar country,

Arctic hares are tolerably numerous ; they ap-
pear to be similar to the blue hares of Scotland, only
larger, and they also turn white in winter, as do the
deer. The American hares (Lepus Amerieanus)

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were only introduced a few years ago, but have
now spread all over the Island. As there are no
crops to speak of, or sugar canes to destroy, they
do no harm, and may be encouraged ; but some say
that they destroy a great many grouse eggs by run-
ning over them. I should doubt it. They are called

•' rabbits" in Newfoundland.

♦*■

Wolves are not, in my opinion, so numerous as
many suppose. I have never seen one, and seldom
seen their tracks ; but a better proof is that when
deer stalking in the interior we never found the offal
disturbed where a deer had been ** gralloched," al-
though it remained on the ground for days. I do
not believe they do half as mucli harm as they are
credited with, ai I eertainly not as much as the packs
of half-wild, half-starved curs whieh infest the coun-
try. If Government were to give a reward for every
one of these brutes which was shot, it would be more
to the purpose. They are without doubt the curse
of the country ; no farmer can keep either sheep or
cattle for fear of them. The settlers keep them for
hauling lumber out of the woods in the winter time;
but horses could do the work far better, or even the
caribou might be trained to draw sleighs, as they do
in Norway, Iceland, and Greenland. The caribou
is the same animal as the reindeer, only larger and
stronger; and I believe they could be easily caught
when young, and domesticated. These brutal dogs
are not fed, but are left to get their own living. They
are supposed to have a huge log tied round their

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necks to prevent them hunlinp: sljecp ; but this docs
not stop Ihcni ahviiys. I well remember a bulloeic
being worried to decUli at Bonne Buy by a pack of
these curs, many with loy;s on them. The poor
farmer came to me in despair, and said all his cattle
had been killed, and he dare not send his children to
school for fear of the dogs. My advice was to shoot
every do}]j, logged or not, and to say I told him to do
so. I wished him good sport, and was glad to hear
afterwards that he had bagged ninety-two. More
power to his elbow I Here was a case of a man
giving up farming and going to leave the country in
disgust on account of these worthless curs. But for
them sheep farming might be encouraged, and the
women taught to spin and weave the wool to make
clothes for themselves and families, as they do in the
Iligiilands of Scotland, instead of going about in
that climate scantily clothed, and their wretched
children half naked, because they are too poor to
buy any clothes or material to make them.

On our visit round the Island we met with sights
enough to sicken one, and we felt ashamed to think
that these poor creatures were British subjects like
ourselves. On parts of the Labrador the people were
actually starving last winter, owing to a bad fishing
season, and many w^uld have starved altogether had
it not been for a steamer being wrecked on their
coast, loaded with bullocks and flour. As one of the
settlers told me, with tears in his eyes : " Yes, sir,
we was on the point of starving when the Lord took

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23

compassion on us, as he does to all who trust in
Ili.nl"

The people livinp; on what is wrongly called the
•' rrunch Shore" are better off; the French supply
them with seed and provisions, in return for having
their boats and gear looked after during their ab-.
Bjucc, and the French, doctors look after them the
Biimc as their own people; all credit to ihcm 1 ^ If
the poor settlers would only keep gouts, it would be
a help to them. The goat is the poor man's cow —
a hardy beast, who gets his own living ; but, before
all, death to the dogs I or, at all events, to nine-
tentlis of them.

The worst of it is, the settlers will insist, very
naturally perhaps, on establishing themselves on the
most inclement, bleak part of the Coast, merely be-
Ciiuse it is convenient for their fishing operations.
Fvurything is sacrificed for fish, as these people
know no other industry, and do not take kindly to
tilling the ground. In the glorious arms of Bona-
vista Bay there are admirable sites for settlements,
witii perfect harbours, good soil, well watered, fine
limber, grand salmon rivers, and not a soul living
there ; whilst at Greenspond, a miserable rocky
islet close by, some fifteen hundred people eke out a.
wretched existence. We left one of the former
anehoragcs one lovely June morning, the thermo-
meter standing at 79^ in the shade, and the same
evening anchored at Greenspond, where the ther-
mometer showed 49*; a bitter N. E. wind howled "

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ovtr lliis dcsolt'ittcl spot, and iccbcr^js were to be seen
in all directions ; but ccdlisli were abundant at the
latter place. Putrid codDsh were piled upon the
beach, and the air was so tainted by it that we
smelt the place four miles off I This is no isolated
case ; at Rencontre there is a comparatively well-to-
do seUlement, but Rencontre, (called by the people
" Round Counter"), a barren, rocky spot, is suitable
for lishin^' ; whilst at Hare Hay — a lovely secluded
anchorage only seven miles off, with a fine salmon
river at the head and game in abundance — not a soul
exists! Even the fishing is not made the most of;
nothing but the cod are considered worth catching
for food, except salmon, of which more presently.
Herrings are as plentiful on the South Coast as they
are in Scotland, and quite as fine, but they arc used
merely as bait or to manure the ground. Capiin, a
most delicious little fish, are served the same way.
No attempt is made to preserve them. These fish
arrive on the coast about June in countless millions,
followed by shoals of cod, salmon, and sea trout,
which eagerly devour them ; the wretched capiin
are so terrified, that they cast themselves ashore,
till the coast is covered with their remains for miles
and miles. • They are used largely for manure, and
the country reeks of them. It is thus that the
bountiful gifts of Provid'>;nce are wasted whilst the
people are starving from want. The settlers them-
selves have told me how they catch trout of 31b. and
41b. weight by cutting a hole in the ice on the lakes
in the winter. "And what do you do with them ?'*

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I uskcd. '* Oil, cut them up for briit for cod I" I
wonder the ghost of old Isauk Walton docs not ap-
pear lo protest a^^ainst such a scandal. Bait for cod,
indeed 1 The monster I ,

Salmon fishing with the fly is disappointing
sport in Newfoundland, and must be so until steps
are taken to protect this noble iish. Notwithstand-
ing local laws and proclamations, the rivers of this
country arc disgracefully abused by nets set across
their mouths, and in the pools, traps, weirs, and
dams, till the wretched fish are almost exterminated.
The result is that all the large breeding fish are cap-
tured, and only a few grilse escape. They occa-
biunally rise to the fly, and good sport may be
sometimes had. But the best sport is with the
bca trout, which arrive on the coast about the 20th
July, and take the rivers in thousands. Excellent
bport may be obtained with these game fish, which
run from lib. to 41b., or even larger. Very heavy
river trout are also to be caught in any of the
streams round the coast. The lakes afford poor
sport, the fish being small and hardly worth catch-
ing.

The great drawback to the fishing is the mos-
quitoes and black flies, which swarm during June,
July, and Aug'ust. The best, and, indeed, the only
remedy, is a mixture of tar and oil, which keeps
them off well ; a spoonful of tar to a bottle of oil
frequently applied ; it washes off easily with soap
And hot water.

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I propose to r.cnd you some furtlicr parliculars
on dccr-st:ilkin^' and fishinj; in this country ; but shall
now conclude tliis long letter, which I trust may
prove of some interest to your readers.

[No. 2.]

FISHING IN NEWFOUNDLAND.

I endeavoured, in a letter published in The Field
of January 15, to convey to your readers a general
impression of our Colony of Newfoundland. I now
propose to give them some further details as to the
sport to be obtained there. First, as to fishing.

To say that rod fishing in Newfoundland is a
delusion and a snare would perhaps be wide of the
mark, and yet I hvave no hesitation in saying that
anyone coming out to that country for the purpose
of fishing for salmon and trout would be woefully
disappointed. As regards salmon, he most certainly
\vould. The sea-trout fishing is merely a question
of being on the right spot at the right time, in which
case the sport is second to none ; but if the fish are
not ** running," the sport is nil. I speak from two
years* experience on the coast, during which time I
have had unusual facilities for prosecuting this fasci-
nating sport, having fished every likely-looking river
round the island and on the coast of Labrador. The

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fji'st season's experience proved tliat it was of no use
fishing for sea-trout much before the 2oth of July,
about which time these lish arrive on the coast and
begin to ascend the rivers. From that date the sport
steadily improved, and some fine baskets were made.
Our second cruise round the island told precisely the
same tale, although in the one case we went round
the south coast, and so on round by the west', and
descending by the north ; on the second, vice versa,
I hope some day to give an account of all the best
rivers, where we got sport and where we did not ;
but to condemn the latter would be unreasonable, as
it was merely on account of our being there too early.

The reason why salmon fishing proper, i, e,,
with the fly, may be pronounced a failure, is due to
two causes, one of which may be easily remedied,
the other not. The first is because almost the whole
of the noble salmon rivers are ruined, either by bar-
ring, sweeping with nets, traps, weirs or mill-dams,
in defiance of all laws and proclamations ; so that
very few salmon are able to ascend the rivers, and
those only of a small kind, generally grilse of 4 lb.
and 51b. Secondly, because when they are in the
rivers, they, as a rule, will not take the fly. I can
fancy some brother angler saying, ** humbug 1" I
have taken them with the fly, but this is only the
exception to the rule. I killed five grilse myself
with the fly the first season, and eight the second,
besides losing several snares, as did some of our Offi-
cers ; but this represented many days' hard work,

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wading for ten and twelve hours a day, and fishing
the most likcly-h)oking pools. In some of these the
salmon were disportin|;j themselves by dozens, leap-
injj over the line, and rising exactly where your fly
had passed the minute before. The fact is, the sal-
mon of Newfoundland have not as yet been educated
to the lly. An occasional youngster does rise and
get hooked ; and I believe that, if one happened to
be on the water just as a fresh run of salmon entered
the river, good sport might be had ; or, as it happen-
ed to me on one occasion, if you can reach a pool
beyond which they cannot go, by reason of a heavy
full or jam of logs, tlien they will take the fly; but,
compared with the sport to be obtained in the rivers
of Canada, New Brunswick, or Norway, the salmon
fishing of Newfoundland is a faihire. I have said
that the first objection, that of barring the rivers,
&c., might be remedied ; and so it might. A few
guardians stationed round the coast, and paid by the
Government, as in Canada, would soon make a clean
sweep of the nets ; and the result would be that in
a few years the rivers would so far have improved
that they would be eagerly sought by sportsmen from
the old country, who would gladly pay the guardians
themselves. At present they are, with few notable
exceptions, not worth wetting a line in. To give an
idea of the way these rivers are treated, I may men-
tion that in one bay alone there are no less than
thirty-six fine rivers completely barred by mill-dams,
without so much as a trap or gate for the passage of
fish. In all these cases the sawdust is thrown into

mmmmmmmm

99

ling
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the river, or piled up on the banks, from whence it
is blown into the river, and the fish killed thereby.
It may be said that the lumber trade is more valuable
than the salmon, and the latter must be sacriBccd ;
if so, of what use are laws and proclamations forbid-
dinjj the use of these dams, &c. ? But there is no
reason why the one should interfere with the other
if proper precautions are taken, as in Canada, &c.
The lumber trade is already declining, whereas the
salmon will last for ever if properly protected.

In other parts of the coast the rivers are barred
by nets stretched across from bank to bank, staked
up above high-water mark, so that not a fish can
escape, or, if they manage to pass the first net, they
are invariably caught in a second of smaller mesh
placed directly behind it. Of course this also is
illegal, and the captains of our cruisers for the pro-
tection of the fisheries (or rather the fishf as it
ought to be) are empowered, by virtue of their posi-
tion as justices for the colony, to proceed against
persons so offending ; but it is impossible for them to
be everywhere at the same time, and the nets are
usually taken up on the appearance of a man-of-wari
to be replaced as soon as she is out of sight. It has
been oiir good fortune on one or two occasions to
catch some of these individuals before they have un-
buttoned their eyelids in the early morning, and the
result has exceeded my most sanguine expectations.
One instance will suffice to show that I have not
exaggerated the mischief done on the one hand, nor

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the good results accruing from the suppression of the
same on the otlicr. Having rcuson to suspect Unit
u beautiful siilmon river ut the head of one of the
bays on the west coast was barred, and had been so
for twenty years, I left the ship at midnight, and ar-
rived at the mouth of the river just as dawn was
breaking. The first object we saw was a boat with
one man in it, making up the river as fast as possi-
ble, but, alas for him I not fast' enough. We were
soon alongside, when, with a cheery good day, we
inquired if there was any prospect of sport up the
river ? ** No, sir ; not a great deal." ** Then you
don't think it is worth while putting up the rod even
for a cast ?" " No, sir; I hardly think it is; there
hasn't been a fish in this river for many years."
** Well, it is a pity, after coming so far, to be disap-
pointed. I think I'll just wet a line." The old sin-
ner's face dropped, and he disappeared into the bush,
whilst we proceeded. We had not gone a mile fur-
ther before a sight met us enough to make any true
angler collapse. Right across the river, from bank
to bank, staked high above the water, was a splendid
net, and suspended in the meshes just as the water
had left them were some fine salmon, and noble
trout of 31b. and 41b. weight. Above this net were
three others, all containing fish ; and above that
again not a living thing to be seen ; and no wonder.
Chucking away our rods, gaffs, &c., we set to work,
lifted all the nets, and put them in the boat, together
with the fish, drew the stakes, and sent them float;
ing down the stream, and dropped down to the mouth

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31

of the river to enjoy our breakfast, which we felt we
had earned.

Soon our old friend hove in sight. ** Well, sir,
did you have any sport ?" ** Yes, thank you, pretty
fair, and better than I expected," at the same time
holding; up a fine salmon. '* Lor, sir, you don't say
so 1 I really didn't," &c. *' Yes ; and the next time
I come, I hope to have better ; for, if ever I catch
you a^ain, you will be fined fifty dollars in addition
to the confiscation of your nets." The old reprobate
didn't wait to hear more, but retired into the bush
again with the '* compliments of the season."

At the same time that this was going on, another
of our boats went down the coast to the mouth of a
celebrated trout stream. Arriving on the scene at
daylight, they found eight nets set in the river, right
across, one above another. Sweeping away the
whole of the nets, to the irrepressible disgust of the
natives, our boat returned on board, our united bag
for the morning's work being twelve nets and a good
haul of fish.

As a sequel to this story, I must mention that
the following year I again visited the salmon river in
company with a youngster eleven years of age. "We
poled up the river as far as we could, waded a mile
or so more, and found ourselves at a likely-looking
pool, below which was a rapid or ** rattle," as it is
called in that country ; then another pool, and
80 on.

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Selecting One of Fallow's lovely * sliver doctors/
I commenced at (he head of the upper pool, whilst
Jim fished below. About one-third down, a rise 1 and
1 was fast in a 3lb trout, which was speedily landed,
and to cut a lon^' story short, I took out of that
pool before I left it eighteen others, averaging from
2lb. to 3lb. I then moved down to help Jim, who
could not get his line out to the further bank where
the fish lay ; so together we went down to the rattle
and the pool below. At this place we found the trout
"jostling each other,", so thick were they that, al-
though there were salmon in the pool (we could see
them), they stood no chance, as the more nimble
trout seized the lly immediately it touched the water.
For upwards of an hour the fun was fast and furious,
as we generally were both playing fish at the same
moment ; the beach was sloping, gravelly, and clear
of trees, so we gave them the- butt freely, and after
a few rushes hauled them out by the hair of the head I
The strand looked as though a seine had been hauled,
the speckled beauties of 3lb. to 41b. lying about in
all directions. At last the fish slacked off, as well
they might, and we hove to for a cup of coffee which
was being prepared for us on the bank. After a few
minutes for refreshments, and to rest the water, we
set to work again, but the trout had had enough of
our flies. I rose a goocl salmon in the tail of the
pool, and Jim hooked another, which he lost. We
then fished the pool over again, with a small trout
on spinning tackle, taking three brace more big trout,
after which I went up to the upper pool and took

i

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35

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^

n grilse with the ily, and half a dozen more h\g
trout.

It was now 3 p. m., and we had a lonp: journey
before ur j so, putting our fish into a light skiff, which
had been poled up whilst wo were fishing, we drop-
ped dowr' the river, and then on board. Our bag
weighed exactly 981b., out of which there were thir-
teen trout which scaled over 31b., and twenty-live
over 2lb. weight. Not a bad bag to be made between
II a. m. and 3 p. m. I think after that I am justi-
iied in stating that, with proper precautions and fair
play, the rivers of Newfoundland would be second to
none in any part of the world.

I- subsequently met a lumberer who was with me
on this occasion,ar l he assured me that he had discov-
ered another pool higher up the river, wherein the sal-
mon and trout* were even thicker than in the one we
fished. I hope to revisit this spot on a future occasion.

The above represents an exceptionally good day's
sport even for Newfoundland, certainly the best I
ever had. I have heard of bigger bags, but not in
less time. As a rule I should consider 2olb. to 3olb.
weight a good basket for that country, and several
times I have brought that weight on board after a
hard day's work. The sea trout run about ijlb. on
an average ; thus a basket of 3olb. weight would pro-
bably be composed of about twenty fish.

At the risk of wearying your readers, I must
now beg for a little more space to give an account of
a '* day amongst the grilse."

1

i

vii

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One lovely morning in July, 1880, we anchored
in riall's 13ay, one of the hcautiful estuaries in the
Day of Notre Dame ; this is one of tlie finest lumher
regions in the colony ; it is also rich in mineral
wealth, and several copper mines are now beinjj
worked in the n'M^'hbourhood.

A fine salmon river, called Indian Brook, de-
livers itself into the west side of the bay, and pjreat
quantities of lumber are sent down the brook to be
cut up at the saw mill at the mouth. Indian Brook
is a sporting looking stream, and I was anxious to
examine it, especially as the chart mentioned a fall
127 feet high some three miles from the mouth. I
accordingly engaged two Indians to pole me up the
river. On our way I hooked and killed a lively grilse,
which took the fly as it was trailed astern. Arrived
at the fall, I was disgusted to find that, instead of
being 127 ft. high, it was certainly not more than
20 ft. ; possibly it may have shrunk since it was sur-
veyed. A mass of logs, many of large size, com-
pletely blocked the passage, and prevented any fish
from ascending the fall, which presented a fine sight
as the foaming torrent rushed over and through them
with a deafening roar. Close below the broken water
was a deep still pool/ in which the water glided si-
lently to some rapids below. Here again was another
*'jam** of logs, which were thrown about in every
possible position like spillicans. stepping out upon
the rocks I dropped my fly, a small yellow one, lightly
into the oily looking pool ; instantly there was a dash,

35

ored

the

mber

ncral

de-
great
to be
3 rook
us to
I fall
h. I
ip the
{];rilsc,
arrived
ead of
5 than
as sur-
, com-
ly fiuh
,e sight
h them
[1 water
ded si-
mother
1 every
at upon
.lightly
i a dash,

1

:

a bright silvery object came out of the depths, the
line tuughtcncd, uiul u lively grilse sprung out of the
water, and was all over the pool in a few seconds.
In three minutes he was cleverly netted by one of the
Indians, and I took a spell to rest the pool.

Whilst enjoying a cup of coffee and a cigar, we
noticed several salmon and heavy trout rising in the
pool. Changing my lly, 1 hooked another grilse with
the third cast. This one, after several leaps, went
over the fall, below, and was landed lower down.
After a few more throws, I was fast in another. This
one also went over the falls, but left my fly hung up
on a log. The next served me the same way ; and
the fifth in his first jump landed on the logs, and we
parted company. After this I had no further luck,
for, although I rose and hooked several — at least a
dozen in all — they went over the falls in spite of all
I could do to stop them, and I saw no more of them.
After this the salmon left off rising, and the trout
commenced. I killed six heavy trout, averaging 31b.
each, and returned to the ship not altogether satis-
fied with the day's proceedings. Two days after-
wards I visited the same spot, taking Jim with me,
when the little fellow had the delight of landing two
salmon to his own rod. We got altogether three
grilse and as many big trout before seven a. m., when
it came on to rain, and the fish ceased to rise.

This proves pretty clearly what the rivers of
Newfoundland would be if they had fair play, and
bears out what I say, that under certain ciroum*'

f»

^

« • M

k

1"4

m^

3(3

y'.unix' the salmoa of that country will take a fly,
'.his ••...• had not been netted, and was full of iish,
which, owin^'; to the jam of lo^s, were unable to get
liif;her up. I have no doubt that lirst-rate sport may
be had in Indian Hrook ; but our short stay there
prevented any further enjoyment of it. I hope to be
better aotiuainted with the river by-and-by.

Some of the rivers arc unfortunately elaimcd
(unjustly so) by the French, who bar them in the
most unblushing; manner. One splendid stream has
been thus l)arre(l for years; and last year, when I
visited the s[)ot, the Frenchman told me he had
already takon iifty-eight barrels of salmon out of it.
As the question of the rights of the French to these
rivers is now under discussion, I was reluctantly
forced to leave the Frenchman's net as I found it,
right across the river. Another fine stream on the
west coast has been completely ruined by wholesale
netting ; and, where eighty barrels of salmon have
been secured in a season, this river yielded only one
and a half last year. Another river was for many
years barred by a Frenchman, who" built a weir
across it, in defiance of the protest of every naval
officer who visited the place. One year five hundred
dead salmon were picked up above the weir, being
unable to return to the. sea. Fortunately the ice
(assisted probably by the hand of man) has removed
the obstacle, and the Fren"hman and his weir have
disappeared together, it is to be hoped, never to
return.

.1. ■ "■ '

1

si

fly.
iisli,

may
I he re
to be

imcd

the
n has
icn I
; had

of it.

these
tantly
nd it,
»n the
)lesale
I have
ily one

many
X weir

naval
Lindred
. being
:he ice
imoved
r have
jver to

; K

if'-

37

I have, however, said enough on t!n3 bubject,
and shall now leave it, hoping that these remarks
may be of benefit to my brother anglers, who may be
contemplating a visit to Newfoundland.

The difliculty in getting round the coast is an-
other serious objection to lishing in these waters, as
the coastal steamers do not touch at the best places,
consequently the only way of getting about is Gy a
man-of-war or a steam yacht ; the latter an expensive
luxury. A small coasting vessel might be hired by a
party of sportsmen, and good sport enjoyed ; but
everything in the shape of provisions, &e., must be
taken with them, including a tent, as no sort of
accommodation can be found on any part of the
coast.

The mosquitoes and black Hies are a very great
nuisance during the summer months, but the same
applies to all the rivers of Norway, Canada, Nova
Scotia, &c. ; and, although undoubtedly a .great
drawback, it is not suflicient to deter an enthusiastic
angler from enjoying his favourite pastime. The
remedy, as I stated in a former letter, is Stockholm
tar and oil, freely applied ; the flies buzz round as
before, but they do not hanker after it. Veils are
absolutely useless j one cannot see v/here one is
going, and will probably step on a boulder and take a
header into the river ; moreover, a veil interferes with
smoking, and you cannot see your fiy or a fish rise,
besides that it is uncomfortably hot. A word as to
dress : ordinary light Scotch tweeds £re t'^ best,

\.:.a

( ' !

fi:l

m

ii-,'''' ;

:''-i

■nlJ

'■1 '■■'■**

33

with thick stockings and nailed boots. Wading is
indispensable, but in the summer the water is not
too cold, and after a rub down and change one is
none the worse for it. Let those who prefer waders
wear them ; they do very well for a Highland river,
where one stands in a pool all day, but not where
you often have to walk half a do;;en miles to the
water and back again over a very rough country*
The population of some districts of Newfounc!land
being mostly composed of Irishmen, distances are
reckoned by the Irish mile; so, if an unsophisticated
native tells you the river is five miles off, you may
make up your mind to a good three hours' walk, and
are lucky if you find it at that.

I have already trespassed too long on your
space, and shall now conclude, merely remarking
that if any of your readers care for further informa-
tion on the subject of sport in Newfoundland, I shall
be happy to afford it.

v..

■:"t-,;

■ <■ *i)

: ■ V-.

1 '*'

g is

not
lie is
ders
•iver,
^here
the
ntiy.
!lancl
are
cated
may
, and

your

it.

[No. 3.]

CARIBOU SHOOTING IN NEWFOUNDLAND

AND LABllADUU.

■■r

This noble animal, (Corvus tarandus,) is distri*
buted all over the northern parts of Europe and
America ; it is also abundant in Newfoundland and
Labrador. In Lapland, Norway, and Iceland, it is
known as the reindeer ; on the Ameiican side of the
water as the caribou (or ** cariboo," as it is more
generally written). The two animals are specifically
identical, except that the latter are larjjer, heavier,
stronger, and carry far finer antlers. This is pro-
bably due to better feeding, and from having more
extensive pasturage.

Caribou appear to have been indigenous to New-
foundland, as may be surmised from the stone arrow-
heads belonging to the aborigines of that Island,
which are occasionally found on the shores of the
lakes, and which could have been used for no other
purpose but for slaying deer. There is no doubt also
that ihe Island has been largely recruited from time
to time from Labrador ; and settlers have told me that
in severe winters, when the Straits of Belleisle have
been frazen right across, they have seen large herds
crossin°^ on the ice from the coast of Labrador to the

lit

[■''I A

;!;$

^^:

1:

n

1ii

"ul li.'l

•k ^- '■

40

comparatively more genial climate of Newfoundland.
It is not likely that they would ever return, seeing
the magnificent pasturage they would lind in their
new home. The habits and general appearance of
the caribou may be familiar to many sportsmen ; to
others it may not be so. It is therefore to the latter
I venture to address a few remarks gatlicred from
personal observation, and from information picked
up from the Indians familiar with the subject.

In general appearance the caribou somewhat re-
sembles a gigantic goat ; the body is heavier and
more clumsy than that of the red deer, the legs
shorter and stouter, feet broader, head more cow-
like, eyes smaller, ears horter, and nocitrils larger.
The skin is brown in suinm^r, brown and white in
autumn, and white in wintc. , it is extremely thick
and beautifully soft, being covered with thick wool
underneath, and long white or mottled hairs over all.
This gives it a soft, springy touch, unlike the wiry
hair of the red deer. The antlers of the caribou stag
are palmated, sweeping backwards, and of magnifi-
cent proportions, the brow antlers meeting over the
nose like a pair of hands clasped in the attitude of
prayer. In all respects the animal is admirably pro-
vided to resist the inclement climates he is destined
to inhabit. His short, strong legs carry him over
ground such as no horse could traverse, and his
broad foot prevents him from sinking deep into the
snow. A popular delusion is that the palmated horns
pf the caribou are given him to scrape away the snow

li

;

i

41

legs

I

(

to reach the lichen upon which he feeds. I am cer-
tain that it is nothing of the kind, and I can prove
it. The horns are supplied solely for the purpose of"
fighting; the deer turns up the snow with his nose,
which is covered with hard skin for the purpose.
But the proof that the horns are not intended or used
for scraping the snow is, that when the snow is on
the ground the deer have not got any horns. The
stags shed tlicir horns in November, after the rutting
season, and they attain their full growth in the
autumn — i, e,, about August. In September they
are clear of the velvet, and all ready for action, and
well they use them. During the rutting season —
which commences about the third week in Septem-
ber, and last a fortnight — terrible battles take place ;'
and it is rare to fmd a full-grown stag whose antlers
are not battered, about the brow antlers especially,
and the animal himself often badly wounded about
the neck and fore legs. On these occasions the deer
generally kneel down and butt each other. In de--
fending themselves against wolves, they use their
fore legs with good effect. Unlike the rest of the
deer tribe, the female caribou carries antlers, but not
always. She brings forth her young in May, when
two years old, retaining her horns till then. Barren
deer shed their horns in winter. A full-grown caribou
hind is about the size of a red deer stag ; and a full-
grown stag in his prime, say from six to ten years
old, will weigh 50olb. clear, against (say) 20 stone,
for a red deer stag. In mentioning these figures I
am not speaking entirely at random, having killed

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111

4«

both sorts of deer ; indeed, my experience of red deer
is that tlicy average from 15 ston^i upwards, whilst
the caribou would average from 20 stone. -In coming
to this conclusion I have been guided by the general
appearance of the animal, the size of its skin
after preservation, and the weight of the heads
and haunches, cSic, when brought into camp.
From the inaccessible nature of the country the
caribou inhabit, it is impossible to bring in the whole
carcase and weigh it, as in Scotland ; but I know
that I have found it hard work, with the assistance
of an Indian, to even turn over a heavy stag for gral-
loching, and that, after having been gralloched and
quartered, it has taken four strong men, heavily
loaded, to bring in the meat, without the head or
skin, which had previously been brought in to camp.
Allowing Solb. for a load (a moderate one for an
Indian), that would rn?ke 3201b., ininns the head,
horns, and paunch, skin, (S:c., so that I think I am
not exaggerating when I reckon the_ beast, after
being gralloched, at between 4001b. and 50olb. In
habits the caribou resemble most of the deer tribe ;
their vision is, I feel certain, nothing very extraor-
dinary, nor their hearing so very acute— like all the
deer family, they trust almost entirely to their sense
of smell, which is wonderful. They have one pecu-
liarity I have remarked, namely, of leeding down wind.
This may be taken advantage of when stalking, for
if the hunter can secure a good hiding place to lee-*
ward, they will feed almost on the top of him. They
are not at any time difficult to stalk when once you

r

if"

ii

I

43

have Rpied them, owinpf to the nature of the fffound
where Ihcy are /generally found — amon/^'st low juuiper
bushes, about the hei^lit of a man's head, but this
also makes them dilBeult to spy, especially if lying
down. Once having spied them, a certain shot may
be obtained at almost any distance, with moderate'
precaution. These deer, from not bL*inf» mu>'h
hunted, have but little fear of man, so long as they
do not wind him, and will often allow one to ap--
proach boldly. Indeed, the big stags, especially
during the rutting season, are more inclined to fight
than run away. The Indians call or toll them up to
within ten yards, but such a practice savours more
of butchery, and is unworthy of a true sportsman.
It is, however, sometimes necessary to toll a big stag
to induce him to leave the hinds and present a shot.

When a deer is tolled he always tries to get to
leeward of his enemy to get his wind, and the hunter
must prevent this, even though he may show him-
self, for, if once the animal gets his wind, he is off
without wishing for further acquaintance — the hinds,
. if there are any, leading as usual, and the old stag
bringing up the rear, puffing and grunting because
he cannot keep up with his harem. " Tolling" is
not difiicult, and all the Indians can practise it. The
cry is a shuffling kind of grunt, altogether different
to the roar of the red deer. Caribou generally travel
at a trot if alarmed, unless the danger be imminent,
in which case they can gallop very fast. In running
they make a clacking noise with their feet, caused

44

■ >-

lit

by the toes being spread and then coming together
again. The ilcsh of these deer is excellent, the stags
being in their prime in August and September, when ,
they have as much as five inches of fat on them..
Like all the deer tribe, they run down very fast in
the rutting season, during which time they cat no-,
thing but sand and mud, like the red deer. At this
time the hinds are in fine condition, but the stags
are of course unfit for food.

I have no doubt but that these deer could be
easily domesticated in Newfoundland, and made use
of for draught purposes, and also for food, as in Lap-
land. There is a portion of Newfoundland called the
Province of Avalon, connected with the main island
by a narrow neck, which might be turned into a
magnificent deer park, and the deer preserved there
without interfering with the settled parts of the penin-
sula. This would, at all events, prevent this noble
beast from being exterminated, as I fear they will be
ere long, owing to the wholesale destruction of them
in the winter when driven down from the high lands
of the interior to the sea coast in quest of food. The
settlers go after them armed with heavy seal guns,
loaded with a handful of slugs, and, by firing into
the herd of them, they kill many and wound many
more. I heard of one. butcher who boasted of having
knocked down seven at one shot.

The objection to stalking is the difficulty in get-
ting to the ground, and the expense attached to the
expedition* I would not for this reason recommend

i<

<;•

'^—'^-^ ^1—

<5

ether;
stags
vvhen
hem..
St in
t no-,
t this
stags

Id be
le use

Lap-
L'd the
island

nto a

there
tjenin-

nol)le
,vill be
' them

lands
. The

guns,
g into

many
having

in get-
to the
nmend

t

k..

t;5

anyone to come out to Newfoundland or Labrador
for this chiss of sport.

Tliesc countries arc, so far as tho interior is
concerned, uninhabited, consequently it is necessary
to take everything with you in the shape of pro-
visions, clothes, tents, guns, ammunition, tS:c. This
entails a number, of men, who also have their pro-
visions to carry ; the same men are required to carry
down the meat, heads, skins, &c., unless it is pro-
posed to leave them to rot upon the ground. To
travel in these countries it is necessary to have boats
to take your party and gear up the rivers, and across
lakes, &c., as there are no roads what^cver ; the boats
again must be light, to enable them to be poled up
the rivers or dragged across country througii the
woods from one lake to another. For all these pur-
poses Canadian lumberers are the best, being expert
polers and handy with an axe, good at making a camp
or carrying a heavy load.

Provisions of all kinds can be obtained at St.
John's, from whence they would have to be conveyed
to the part of the coast from whence the start was to
be niade. The men would have to be engaged be-
forehand with boats. The amount of provisions and
gear would of course be in accordance with the wants
and number of the party, the principal items being
flour, pork, sugar or molasses, tea, spirits, and to-
bacco. The more gear the greater trouble, but of
course greater comfort ; a pot, kettle, and frying pan^

t

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A ;1-..J

^

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46

are absolutely necessary, also warm clothes and a
blanket or two apiece, as the nif^hls arc very coUI.
One suit on and one off is suflieicnt, in ease of f;et-
tin;; wet through, aiul thick stoeUinj^s, a stout pair
of boots, or mocassins, which are better still ; (;uns
and rilles complete the outfit, which will be found
to occupy no little space. In addition to this, potted
cocoa or coffee and milk in tins, and compressed
vegetables, add greatly to one's comfort, and of course
pipes, tobacco, matches, candles, towel, soap, comb,
toothbrush, needle and thread, must not be forgotten,
and last, but not least in importance, a small teles-
cope t'l' binocular. . .

But all these preparations are, in my opinion,
'useless, without Indians, to insure success. The
white men are very useful and necessary, but they
know nothing about deer-stalking or the habits or
whereabouts of the animal. The Indians are tho-
roughly familiar with the country, and are experi-
enced hunters and trappers; but they are grasping
and extortionate in their demands, and the best of
them will not stir under $3 a day and his food. This
seems preposterous, and I have got them for less ;
but then they said they would not go again for the
money unless taken for a month, when they will go
for $1. Some do not believe in Indians — say they
are humbugs, and worse than useless. I have yet
to learn what these individuals have done without
them. I only speak from my own experience, and
I would as soon attempt hunting in these countries
without ail Indian as without powder*

\.

4f

. ' I propose next to rchitc to tliosw who arc not
already cxluiuslcd with lliis lonj^-wiiulecl yiirn an
jiccoimt of an expedllion after caribou. The exact
locahty it is not necessary to mention ; let us suy the
*' interior of Labrador," or, to speak more precisely,
between the parallel of .|o" and Co" N. latitude, and
50'' and 65" W. loni;itude. The exact spot' will be
seen at a glance in the map.

>mion,
The

\:

[No. 4.]

CARIBOU STAr.KFNd ]S NEWFOUNDLAND

AND LAI]I.UDUU.

^

In the autumn of 1S79 a party consisting of two
sportsmen, four Canadian lumberers, and a fine speci-
men of the British blue-jacket, started on an expedi-
tion in quest of caribou.

Two small boats loaded to the water's edge
conveyed us and our traps to the mouth of a noble
river, when the work of poling commenced. The
stream ran swift, with heavy rapids and whirling
•pools ; but the men thoroughly knew their business,
and, by taking advantage of eddies, with now and
then a spell at the oars in slack water, maintained
an average of some four miles an hour against the
current.

I'■^'i4•|■

I ;•

t I

, ■!

■•■'• i

, V;,'!:,.

..•I i. >-

48

Two mcMi, one in the bow the other in the stern,
arc required for each boat, the principal work clevol-
vin[; upon the allermost one, who, by bearing his
whole wcij^hl upon the pole, keeps the boat steady,
whilst the ioremost hand steers clear of boulders,
sn;i^s, cS:e., then, (ixin{< their poles together, away
the slight craft dances over the foaming torrent.

Two or three hours of this work, and we reached

a •' steady," or long stretch of slack water,, where

the oars were substituted for the poles, pipes lit, and

yarns spun. After poling and pulling for sixteen

miles we reached a lake eighteen miles long, which

we traversed by dark, and pitched our camp near the

head. The art of making a camp has been so often

described, it is not necessary to repeat it'. Suflice

that in half an hour we were comfortably established

under our tent before a roaring fire composed of eight

or ten fir trees, over which the pot containing our

dinner merely hissed, while our beds, consisting of

the tops of the spruces cleverly arranged, and covered

over with a waterproof sheet, were being prepared

for our reception* The next morning we were up

early to examine some marshes where deer had been

occasionally seen, but, meeting with no success, we

returned to breakfast, and then proceeded on our

way. At the head of the lake another river entered.

The scenery on both banks of the river and lake was

most beautiful, the maples having already donned

their autumnal tints of scarlet, green, and yellow,

which were reflected in the still waters beneath.

"

49

tern,
cvol-
; his
Lady,
ders,
away
•

[iched
A' he re
;, and
xlccn
which
ar the
often
kiflice
ilishcd
f eight
ig our
:ing of
overed
epared
ere up
d been
ss, we
on our
ntered.
ke was
donned
yellow,
meath.

;

i

The mountains rose on cither side to the height of
1500 feet, heavily timbered from base to summit
with several kinds of Hr, hazels, birches, and maple,
an oecasional pine rearing its head above the crowd,
but soon destined to full before the lumberer's axe.
After pulling five miles up the river, wc came to
what is called in Newfoundland a " portage" or cor-
duroy road through the woods, over which our boats,
gear, &c., had to be transported* We found the
track knee-deep with mud, so that It was not till tho
jllowing evening that we found ourselves encamped
on the bordei*s of a magnificent lake at the further
end. Whilst waiting the arrival of our baggage,
C. and I, who had gone ahead In light marching
order, started off to look for wild geese, leaving our
coats, spy glasses, ^c., hanging beside an old hut,
which had been occupied by some miners, who were
prospecting, or rather boring, for coal in the neigh-
bourhood. On our return, some hours afterwards,
we were horrified to find the hut in flames, and our
iroperty destroyed. Our glasses we certainly saved,
bomewhat scorched, but otherwise none the worse ;
and some money which was in my coat pocket was
subsequently recovered from the ashes.

The next morning we launched our boats upon
the lake, and, after a fatiguing day, camped on the
bank at a distance of thirty-five miles from the point
of departure. Here we were joined by a party of
Micmac Indians, who were trapping beaver; and,
after considerable palaver, we engaged two of them

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■ ;•>■■■

A ..-j ... ,

to escort us to the happy hunting grounds of the
caribou.

The sun was high in the heavens the following
day before our arrangements were complete for the
expedition. Three days and a half had already
elapsed since our departure, and not a trace of game
of any description had we seen, except a few ducks
and mergansers, which we had shot coming up the
river. However, we now looked forward to getting
some sport for our trouble, and the Indians assured
us we should not be disappointed. The first thing to
be done was to sort our baggage, leaving all the
heavy gear, with the bulk of the provisions, &c.,
down at the beach with our boats, in charge of one
of the party, who had orders to keep a good look-out
for deer crossing the lake. The shores on both sides
were marked by deer tracks leading out of the woods
to the water, and landing on the opposite side. At
the back of our camp, the ground, densely wooded,
rose at an angle of about forty-five degrees for about
one thousand feet, after which we were informed it
was all plain sailing. It was up this we had to go.
All being ready, we embarked in the Indians* boats,
and landed lower down at a place known only to the
Indians, where a trail led to the barrens above. A
tall, powerful Indian led the way, clearing any ob-
structions with his axe, which he playfully wielded
while carrying a load of at least one hundred pounds
on his back. The rest of the party followed in single
file, every man carrying a load according to his

f 1

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m

• the

)\ving
)r the
ready
game
ducks
p the
;etting
ssured
ling to
ill the

3, &C.,

of one
>ok-out
h sides
: woods
de. At
Yooded,
)r ahout
rmed it
d to go.
3' boats,
y to the
lOve. A
any ob-
wielded
1 pounds
in single
I to his

"

strength. After three or four hours* toil, and many
spells, we reached the top, and hove to for refresh-
ment. It was now about 2 p. m., and glad we were to
throw down our packs and enjoy the fresh breeze and
the glorious prospect before us. We had now reached
a plateau 1500 feet above the sea, from whence a Cme
panorama was obtained. Far as the eye could reacli
were open barrens, interspersed with clumps of fir,
and lakes in all directions. The general appearance
resembled a Highland deer forest, but less precipitous,
and with more wood and water. Under our feet the
lichen, upon which the caribou feed, grew thickly, and,
from the numerous tracks leading in every direction,
it was evident we were in a perfect sanctuary, with
magnificent deer ground all around, and no boundary
laws to limit us in distance or direction. Our spirits
rose accordingly, and, once more shouldering our
packs, we stepped gaily along, making for a clump
of wood some seven miles off, where the Indians
proposed to pitch our camp. They told us that they
had done well with the beavers, averaging two a day ;
and the skins and meat in their camp proved this to
be the case, consequently they had not been after
deer, which do not pay so well as beaver, and are,
of course, more difficult to pack into camp. In fact,
it is not worth an Indian's while to kill deer, except
for his own consumption in the fall of the year, when

the meat will keep. The beaver skins pay them so
well, they are not very keen to go deer hunting, un-
less you make it worth their while. The Indians
assured us that not a living soul had ever been on

mi

I'll 4

'■ t

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•'I

5«

these barrens after deer, a piece of information wc
were not sorry to hear.

We had been walkinff about an hour when the
leading Indian stopped, threw down his pack, quietly
remarking * ' I see deer l" Devil a tail could we see ;
however, we took his word for it, and called a halt.
The country hereabouts was covered with stunted
junipers, so that we could not see far in any direc-
tion ; but the Indian said he had seen deer moving
about amongst the bushes. Loading my smoothbore
I made tracks for the spot, and presently saw a
caribou stag, the first I had ever seen ; he was about
the size of a three-year-old heifer, marked black ans
white. A ball from the smoothbore dropped him in
his tracks at seventy yards j he proved to be a fine
young stag, with small antlers ; meantime the sharp
eye of the Indian detected another beast, which C.
polished off in good style. This one was a very fat
hind, carrying a good pair of antlers. The shots
started a pricket, which came round my way. I
wanted to spare him ; but the Indians said he was
the best meat of the three ; so I rolled him over with
a ** baby" Express rifle. We fed on the last for
several days, and most excellent he . proved to be.
We had now three deer down within as many hun-
dred yards ; so, having gralloched the beasts, we made
straight for camp, very well pleased with our first
day's success. The next morning we were up be-
times, and, after a cup of coffee, we started in op-
posite directions, each taking an Indian, leaving the

53

;ion wc

icn Iho
quietly
we see ;
a halt,
stunted
f direc-
moving
othbore
' saw a
IS about
ick an?
him in
i a fine
ic sharp
hich C.
irery fat
le shots
vay. I
he was
ver with
last for
I to be.
ny hun-
ve made
)ur first
up be-
in op-
nng the

rest of the j.arty to bnn{j in the deer killed the day
before.

I must now bo excused for relatinj; my own ad-
ventures, since C. and I were separiited— only to
meet in the evening. I had walked for about two
hours, smoking an occasional pipe, and chatting
with the Indian, ^vhen he suddenly stopped and
threw himself down, saying that he saw deer. Fol-
lowing his example, we lay still for a while, when a
|> young stag appeared from behind a bush, where he
had been lying down not more than sixty yards off,
and after a careful look round began feeding ; he was
. presently followed by a hind, and then the horns of
a stag became visible. We lay still till the latter
fed into sight, when, getting a fair broadside shot, I
fired. To my disgust they all three bolted, but the
stag soon separated from his mistress, showing that
he was badly wounded. Wc followed as fast as pos-
sible, but lost sight of him in a thickly wooded
hollow ; he had lain down in a burn, but suddenly
sprung up, when I gave him both barrels at twenty
paces, and rolled him over. After gralloching the
stag, a fat beast about the same size as the one we
killed the previous evening, we started off again to
explore some likely-looking barrens to the south-
ward. Meeting with nothing there but a hind and a
calf, we wheeled round, so as to work homewards
against the wind, when I saw in the distance a white
object running along the hill side. The quick sight
of the Indian at once pronounced them to be a herd

I* • ' £!

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I if*:;!

54

of deer, or " company" of tlicm, ns he called them,
led by a white hind, with one very big stag bringing
up the rear. ^ly glasses proved him to be correct.
We counted seventeen or eighteen of them in charge
of a monster who loomed like a bullock with a mag-
nificent head. The deer were travelling diagonally
towards us down wind ; so tiiat by running for half a
mile we were able to intercept their path, and had
barely time to drop behind some low junipers when
the leading hind passed witiiin five yards. She at
once winded our track, but passed on, followed by
the rest in twos and threes, none of them more than
twenty yards distant. It was an exciting moment as
the beautiful animals passed slowly by, unconscious
of danger. Some of them carried very fair antlers,
and I should have taken tliem for stags had they
been any other kind of deer, and also from the fuct
that the old monarch who was in charge would not
have permitted any stag to intrude upon his harem.
The Indian was greatly excited, and kept whispering
in my ear, '* take that one, sir ; that very fat doe ; five
inches of fat on the rump, sir;" but I was deaf to his
remarks, and to resist any such temptation kept my
gun at half cock, till I saw the brow antlers of old
*' Brigham" appear, then his enormous head and
neck, and what a pair of horns I next his massive
carcass came into view, and that instant a heavy
ounce ball crashed through him just behind the
shoulder. The poor brute gave a prodigious bound,*
clearing fifteen feet, as we afterwards measured, and
then laid out at full gallop. I pulled the second

K 1 »

■;.!■ ft.

!:

55

hem,

TCCt.

large
mag-
nally
lalf a
I had
when
;he at
:d by
; than
:nt as
jcious
itlers,
I they
e fiict
,d not
tarcm.
pering
e; five
to his
!pt my
of old
,d and
lassive
heavy
id the
jound,*
d, and
second

r

..

barrel, which missed fire ; but it mattered not, the
gallant beast, go^'ng like a racehorse, made straight
for a lake some live hundred yards distant, and plung-
ing in, rolled over, dead, Joe gave u succession of
grunts of satisfaction, and we forthwith ** spliced the
main brace," drinking ** Blood on the black knife," in
proper Highland fashion. VVe then sat down to
enjoy a pipe. Meanwhile the hinds stood round in
amazement, wondering what had become of their
lord; but not wishing to injure them, I fired a shot
over their backs, which caused them to scamper off
— doubtless to look for another stag, — ^Joe*s opinion
being that they would not be long before they found
one. We then proceeded to drag the old fellow out
of the lake, a work of no small labour, and surveyed
his noble proportions. *■ He very ole stag," said Joe,
** 40olb. at least, about ten year ole," But, by Jove,
what a head I 42 points, as I'm a sinner, and the
huge brow antlers interlocked across the nose, his
massive neck and shoulders bearing many a scar
gained in defence of his seraglio. We christened
him " Brigham Young" on the spot, and his noble
old head looks sadly on me as I write the account of
his death. Ah, well 1 his end was peace ; and a very
tough piece he proved to be. Having gralloched
*' Brigham" and shouldered his head, we returned to
camp, which we reached at i p. m. The first thing
that greeted our eyes was a splendid stag's head
propped up against a tree, showing that C. had been
also successful and started off again. After a hasty
meal, Joe and I did likewise, but we saw nothing *

•AiK

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n'

•-.TK,

-il

S6

more thut day. On uur return to camp nt n\)nclown
\vc found C. just come in. lie iuid met willi another
fine sluij in the al'lernoon, nnd badly >voundgd, but
lost it. We hud not done badly, however,— bix deer
in a day and a half; so we spent a veiy merry even-
ing over our pipes and grog, and turned in, feeling at
peace with all the world.

The next day, being Sunday, we rested — at least,
as far as we were coneerned — but with six deer lying
out in different directions, from three to nine miles
from camp, all the men went out to bring in the
meat, and returned in the evening, bearing huge
quarters of venison, heads, hides, &c., all of which
were triced up to the trees round the camp, which
now presented a very picturesque and sporting ap-
pearance. The abundance of meat attracted a num-
ber of moose birds, a brown and black colored species
of jay. These birds became so impudent, and pecked
the meat so badly, that we had to make an example
of some of them. We came across a good number
of ptarmigan on the barrens, and a few wild fowl ; the.
former were so tame they would not rise, although
pelted with stones. We seldom troubled them except
to knock over a brace or two for the pot, on the way
home from stalking.. All our party were now in high
spirits, with plenty to eat and plenty to drink, com-
bined with splendid weather and good sport. Our
Indians were also very well satisfied with our success,
of which they were not a little proud. We found the
big stags were not so good to eat as the smaller ones.

1

57

lown
)thcr
but
deer
uvcn-
ngat

least,

lying
miles
n the
huge
which
which
ig ap-
num-
pecies
Decked
ample
umber
A ; the.
;hough
except
ic way
n high
com-
Our
iccess,
md the
sr ones

r

or the hind, and MacCormuck was rash enough to
breakfast off ** Brigham*ti'* tongue, which ho pro-
nounced mighty strong.

On the following Monday C. and I changed
stalkers; Joe going with C, and his cousin Levi
with mo. We started at daylight, after a cup of
coffee, taking no food with us, as wc agreed we must
kill a stag for breakfast. My coxswain, the blue-
jacket before mentioned, begged to be allowed to
come, so I took him also. We walked for four hours
over hill and dale, swamp, and forest, without seeing
a beast, and we were beginning to think our break-
fast would be of the lightest, when Levi said he saw
deer in a wood. For the life of me I could not make
out anything, even with my glasses ; but it was a
long way off. However, it was necessary to make
a long detour to get to leeward of the place, which
we proceeded to do.

From the high ground above we could look down
the valley, and there, sure enough, were the deer, nine
of them, some feeding and some lying down in a
lovely, secluded spot. We could make out one stag,
if not two ; but the small stags and hinds are exactly
alike, and, being both antlered, it is difficult to dis-
tinguish them. To reach the spot was not easy, as
the valley was only open below. All round the top
and sides was thickly wooded. The wind was blow-
ing up the valley, so we had to crawl through the
wood to get a shot. This was no easy matter, as
the slightest cracking of a dry twig would give the*-

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III

58

alarm. However, by stepping as lightly as possible,
moving aside the twigs, and avoiding rotten wind-
falls, we managed to reach a spot within shot of a
small stag and some hinds. Leaving the coxswain
to settle the small stag, with orders not to fire till he
heard me do so, I crawled on with the Indian till we
saw a good stag below us. The deer was standing
broadside, about seventy yards off— a splendid chance
but for a bush which covered his shoulder. I there-
fore waited till he fed clear, by which time he was
turned obliquely towards me. Aiming for the point
of the shoulder I fired, and simultaneously came the
report of the blue-jacket's rifle, and I saw the small
stag roll over. Not so mine, who bolted with the
rest ; but, feeling sure I could not have missed at
that distance, we followed, and soon saw him separate
from the hinds and walk slowly away, evidently very
sick. We followed, and managed to come up with
him after a chase of half a mile, when I gave him
both barrels, and rolled him over. The first shot
had struck the point of the shoulder, and passed out
on the opposite flank. The stag was a well-grown
beast of about four years old, very fat, but not much
ot a head. .

We soon lit a fire, and by eleven o'clock were
breakfasting off grilled kidneys. Levi roasted the
meat on a stick, and most excellent it proved, al-
though for the matter of that we were so hungry we
would have eaten it raw. Whilst we were break-
fasting, a hind watched our proceedings from a short

S9

;le,
lul-
)f a
/ain
I he
I we
tling
mce
icrc-
was
point
e the
small
1 the
cd at
)arate
^ very

with
e him
: shot
ed out
grown

much

c were
ed the
ed, al-
igry we
break-
a short

distance ; but, leaving her unmolested, we gralloched
and skinned the deer, and shouldering as much meat
as we could carry, returned to camp. C. had already
arrived, having also killed a good stag, about the
same size as mine. .:,r,

'""' The next day one of our Indians went to look
after his beaver traps, a day's journey to the south-
ward, and we took a spell whilst the men were bring-
ing in the meat or employed about the camp. Our
provisions were now running short — no tea, sugar,
or whiskey left, and tobacco getting short, but abun-
dance of meat and a little biscuit still remaining ; so
we determined to go out for one more stalk, and then
make tracks, as we had as much meat as we cared
for or could carry. Joe went with me, and Levi with
C, as the first day. Joe told us that, whilst on his
way to his traps, he met with a big stag, who *' went
for him," and he killed it in self-defence. I was not
particularly anxious to shoot any more deer, and so
we agreed to go and have a look at this stage We
walked seven miles without seeing anything, except
a brood of grouse, out of which I had shot three
brace, when we saw an enormous beast on the oppo-
site side of a valley. He loomed as big as ** Brig-
ham,'* and carried a splendid head, so we proceeded
to stalk him. Crossing the valley, we ascended the
opposite hill-side, and, on reaching the sky-line, we
saw our big friend, accompanied by several hinds,
and a smaller stag, who kept a respectable distance.
This stag gave us a great deal of trouble, as he fed

1 : !

6o

rM

up between us and the rest, so that wc could not ap-
proach without being i:ecn ; but, watciun^j; our chance,
wc got v/ithin one liundred yards ol the big t.tag, wlio
was partially hidden by bushes. We therefore kept
quiet, watcliini^ a chance. Meantime the young one
fed up to within a few yards of where we lay. I liad
half a mind to put a ball through his head, end take
my chance of a second shot at the other, when to
our relief he fed away and disappeared. We were
now bitterly cold and cramped with lying down so
long, with the sleet falling on us, so Joe suggested a
call, to bring up the big stag. He at once commen-
ced a series of grunts, at the same time rolling his
head from side to side, and bringing the sound out of
his stomach, as it seemed. I was laughing at the
ridiculous sight, when the old stag roared back a
challenge, faced about, and cleared for action. An-
other roar of defiance from Joe, and a stamp of the
foot, arid a tremendous rattle of the horns against a
tree, as though to say, ** Who's afraid ? Come on V*
from the stag. Seeing no one, the old fellow moved
cautiously forward, and turned broadside to catch the
direction of the sound. At that moment I *Met him
have it," when to my disgust the whole lot bolted,
the old stag'bringing up the rear. They stopped for
a moment on the sky-line, and then disappeared,
none the worse for a parting shot I sent after them.
** You missed him, sir," was all Joe said. ** Yes,
Joe, I'm afraid I did; however, we were up and
after them, as soon as their sterns disappeared over
the sky-line, but with small hopes of ever seeing

1.,:, I
, r- ?■■■•>

lio

pt

mo
lad
ikc
to
crc

bO

d a
icn-
his
at of
the
ck a
An-
f the
nst a
onr
loved
jhthe
t him
olted,
edfor
eared,
them.
«• Yes,

P

and

i over
seeing

6x

them afjain. On reaching the top, very much pump-
ed, Joc'8 quick eye caught a glimpse of them trotting
quietly along, so off wc went to cut them off. I was
fast dropping astern when, to my delight, the Indian
said they had turned, and wore coming right down
towards us. To drop behind a bush was the work
of an instant, when the leading deer, an old barren
hind, came in sight; picking her steps cautiously
along, with ears cocked forward to catcli the slightest
sound, she passed our ambush not twenty paces off,
the rest followed, with the big stag bringing up the
rear. Joe whispered, **You hit him, sir I see his
belly covered with blood." I had but time to notice
it when he was abreast of us, and a ball from the
smoothbore broke his fore-shoulder, followed by an-
other through the ribs. The gallant beast plunged
wildly forward, and, after staggering a few yards,
pitched head-foremost into the bracken. Joe gave
several grunts of delight, and I congratulated him
on as fine a piece of stalking as ever I saw. With-
out his aid I should not have taken the trouble to
follow up the deer after the first shot. Our stag,
which we christened " Joe Smith," after another Mor-
mon elder, from having so many wives, proved a
noble specimen, fully as heavy as his brother " Brig-
ham," and counting thirty-six points on his antlers,
which were wide-spread and beautifully shaped. We
found the first shot, when we thought I had missed
him, struck him too low down, and, passing through
the body, carried with it a lump of fat, which had,,
so to speak, plugged the hole, and stopped the bleed*

/■

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inpj; hence his incHfTcrcnce to the wound, which
must have eventually caused hia death. Cutting off
J. Smith's head, we turned our faces homewards, Joe
bearing the trophy aloft on his shoulders. On our
way to camp we met with another very iine stag and
three hinds, which I would not disturb, and so, with-
out further adventure, wc reached camp.

The next day we struck our camp, and the same
evening reached the shores of the lake, where we had
left our boat. During our absence but one deer had
crossed the water, a hind, ana she was shot ; so that
would have represented our sport, had we preferred
that style of shooting ; whereas, by hard work and
fair stalking, we had killed ten good stags and a hind
in live days.

Not much more remains to be told. We were
detained for three days by a heavy gale, which raised
a lumpy sea on the lake ; but at last, losing all pa-
tience, C. and I crossed in a canoe with two Indians,
and ascending the mountain on the further side took
a bee line across the country, reaching the ship on
the second day. Just after we left the beach we saw
a splendid stag come out of the wood, with the ap-
parent intention of crossing the lake ; he trotted
down to the water," but, *' winding" our footsteps, de-
clined, and finally disappeared in the wood. We
might easily have shot him, but preferred to let him
enjoy life, being satisfied with our success, and hav-
ing no pleasure in killing for killing sake. The bo'^*
with our gear and trophies, arrived two days af -

H

63

ich

off

Joe

our

and

fith- .

ame
I had
had
that
erred
. and
hind

wards, and so ended a most enjoyable excursion. Wo
parted with our Indians with regret ; tlicy had served
us faithfully and well ; we loaded them with good
things to take back to their camp, and before leaving
us I sent them down to get a good ** square mcal/^
telling my steward to give them all they wanted, and
adding that one of them was a teetotaller. They ap-
peared some time afterwards looking very fit, and in
answer to my inquiries my steward remarked, *• Well,
sir, this one drank a bottle of whiskey and a bottle of
sherry ; and the teetotaller drank eight bottles of
beer ; and they polished off ten pounds of meat be-
tween *em I"

»■■*■

5 were

raised
11 pa-
dians,
e took
up on
ve saw
he ap-
trotted

ps,

de«

We

et him
d hav-
5 bo"*""
i al -

'Kl

[No. 5.]

' CARIBOU SLALKING. .

(Continued,) ,.,

;, In the fall of the year, i88o, I started on a
second expedition to the interior of Newfoundland
after caribou. I was accompanied on this occasion
by C. and A., two keen sportsmen, and no less than
seven white meji besides ourselves, necessitating two
light boats, and a larger one to carry provisions and
gear. After a laborious day's work, we reached the
head of Deer Pond about midnight, and availed our-
selves of the kind hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. Nicholls
for the night. The next day we crossed the " Port-

m

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64

age/' and camped on the shores of Grand Pond, where
wc met "with the Indians whom we had previously
engaged to accompany us. Our party was now in-
creased by three men and a woman, (the wife of
one of the Indians), 14 in all. Crossing the lake, we
camped for the night on the south side, and the
following morning started for the barrens, every one
loaded to the utmost with provisions and gear.
After a most fatiguing climb, wc reached the plateau,
and pitched our camp, and the same afternoon went
stalking. The country, for miles around, was one
vast swamp, far too wet for deer to remain for any
time ; nevertheless, we met with three on our way
back to camp, and killed one — a fine young stag.
The next ^o.y we shifted our camp to higher and
dr/er ground, selecting a desirable site, in a small
bei: of woods, about 8 miles from our former posi-
tion. The country traversed Was knee-deep in water
the whole way, and the work of transporting the
baggage and provisions, for so large a party, was no
light one, but all shared in the labour, the Indian
woman carrying a load on her back which would
shame many a railway porter. After a short reat
and refreshment, we ascended a steep hill, at the back
of the camp, to look for deer. C. and A. were for-
tunate in meeting a whole ** Company," out of which
they each killed a stag. I saw nothing, but met with
fresh tracks, showing that deer were abundant.

The next day We were all successful, killing a
stag each, besides 3 hares, and a few ptarmigan, for

where
iously
)W in-
nfc of
kc,we
id the
•y one

gear,
iateau,
I went
as one
or any
IT way
ig stag.
ler and
L small
»r posi-
n water
Ling the
was no

Indian
\i would
.ort rest
the back
re re for-
)f which
met with
nt.

killing a
igan, for

V

65)

the pot. I , The hcast I killed was covered, all over his
bpdy, , with, warty excrescenses, presenting a loath*
spme appearance. ,1 at first thought he must have
been; .badly, wounded by slugs, some months preJ
Y.^ou^ly, but the Indian said the wounds were caused-
by fighting, and that he had been gored by a big.
stag. I believe, however, that jieilher of these causes
would account for it ; and my impression is that the
animal was su fieri ng from some disease, possibly
farcy, to which. . horses are subject ; (to which, .* I
believe, cows are also liable) ; and McCormack, a-
Canadian trapper,, to whom I showed the carcass
sonae days afterwards, was of this opinion. Needless
tosay we left the beast where he fell.

* ' The next day it blew a gale from S. W., and was
bitterly cold ; we now changed Indians, so as to have
a turn at them all, and I started for the barrens with
Reuben Soulian. We traversed some likely-looking
ground, with lovely sheltered valleys, well wooded
and watered, frorn 7 a. m. till noon, without seeing
a beast, when we turned upwind, and on reaching
the top of a hill^ spied a herd of caribou, consisting
of 7 or 8 hinds, a young three-year old stag, and one
splendid stag, with a very fine head, in charge of the
party. The deer were close below us, feeding down
wind, as caribou usually do, so we hid behind some
juniper bushes, and waited their approach. Pre-
sen'wiy, the young stag fed close up to us, and imme-
diately saw us, but as we kept still, he could not
make us out. Reuben asked me to shoot him, fear;.

. /
I *

'•..ill.

'I; •ii'-.

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U'

C6

ing he would give the alarm, and spoil the chance at
the big one, who was now advancing, and chasing
the hinds about ; but, disregarding the smaller beast,
I ran forward to get a shot at the old bulU Getting
a view of his flank, I gave him the first barrel from
my rifle, and the second, as he slewed to go. The
thud of the bullet told that he had got it somewhere,
so dropping the rillc I picked up my smoothbore, and
fired right and left at the herd as they galloped past
me. Reuben now joined me, and said that the big
stag was lying dead ; we found only one of the balls
had struck him, but that was in the right place,-
behind the shoulder, and clean through. He was a
splendid beast, with noble antlers of 38 points ; the
remarkable feature in his head was the brow antler,
only one of which he possessed, but that was of im-
mense size, reaching down to the tip of his nose, and
more than a foot in breadth. We gralloched the
stag, and cut off his head and skinned him, so that
his own mother would not have known him, and
having packed as much on our backs as we could
carry, we were starting for camp, when, glancing
back, I perceived another deer lying dead.' This
proved to be the younger stag who had inspected us,^
and whose life I had previously spared. The heavy
ounce ball, from the . smoothbore, had done its work
well, and the deer must have fallen dead in his
tracks. This stag was fully 18 stone clear, and in
good condition; the old one would weigh about
500 lbs., and it was as much as Reuben and I could
move him. On nearing camp, we met C, who had*

67'

and

e heavy

ts work

in his

and in

1 about

I could

vho had-

killed two splendid stags, with very fine heads, one •
of which Levi was canyingupon his slioulders. -

:ir'\ i:

, . ,j J y\iG following , morning i , left the camp with..
Reuben and two men to bring in the deer killed the .'
day before j my companions, A. and C, dispersing in ^
different directions. We had walked s or 6 miles
and were in sight of tlie dead stag, when the Indian
spotted three deer, a stag, hind, and fawn, about a .
mile off. We at once ran to cut them off, and sue* ,
ceeded in doing so.. Reuben ** toled'* up the stag, a'
fine, one, but not so large as the heaviest killed the,
day before, and he gave me a grand chance at not
more than 50 yards off; but as the beast was fronting,
me I waited for a broadside shot, and thus lost him,
as he suddenly turned and made after the hind and
calf. I got a snap shot at 100 yards, and heard the
' crack of the ball, but they all went off at a gallop,
and disappeared over the sky-line. We noticed that
the stag seemed to be making heavy weather of it,
and had difficulty in keeping up with the others, but''
we soon lost sight of them, and some other deer^
coming iii sight, took off our attention. Seeing that-
there was no stag amongst this lot, I sent my cox-
swain to try his hand, and he badly wounded a hind
with a long shot at 200 yards, but lost her. We
then left the men to skin and quarter- 5'esterday*s
deer, whilst Reuben and I went in quest of more.:
Soon after v/e left, an immense stag passed the party,
but they were unarmed and unable to secure, it..
Meantime the Indian and. I stepped briskly along, .

68

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till I

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meeting with Bcvcrul hinds and calvos, which we
would, not molest, when suddenly* a wounded stag
passed in front of us, and before I could load hud
got out of range. We recognized our friend of the
morning, by his horns, as well as by the hind and
calf which accompanied him. I sent the Indian to
try and cut him off, but he was unable to do so, al-
though he got pretty close, and saw the blood on his
side. We now climbed up on to a rock to spy the
ground, when Reuben saw a fine big stag walking
along, by himself, about two miles off. We were
thinking of circumventing- him, although we were
already nine miles from camp, when we heard three
shots to windward, and the big stag took the hint
and moved off down wind, so we turned our faces
towards^hpme, which we reached without further ad-
venture. '' "

The shots we had heard came from A., who had
killed an enormous stag, but with a very poor head,
his horns having been knocked all to pieces in mortal
combat. We had now plenty of meat in camp, but
a great many mouths to feed, for thirteen men will
consume a good many pounds of meat in a day, es-
pecially when working hard, as we were. .

Reuben's wife proved most useful, and : well
earned her dollar a day, which we voted her, although
she expected nothing. She mended and made our
moccasins, cooked our dinner, and made, us most
excellent bread, and was altogether a great acquisi-
tion in camp. Our tent was pitched in a most se-

i.

wc

luvd
the
and
[1 to
I, al-
1 his
the
Iking
were
were
three
I hint
faces
er ad-

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mortal
ip, but
n will
ay, es-

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,de our
s most
Lcquisi-
ost se-

'69

cliuled spot> completely hidden and sheltered by •
trees; the men had a *? loan-to" close by,- and the
Indians 'a ♦* tilt" to themselves j the weather "wa^
fmc, provisions abundant^ And game plentiful ; what
more could a man want ? It is true that our whisky
bccjan toTun short, and had to be economized; we
had brought up a good supply for our party, but
under the belief that two-thirds of them were tee^
totalers, as they represented themselves to be: 'I
am bound to say, however, that after the^iTirsf day's
work' there was only one teetotaler left, the' rest of
them coming for their grog as regularly as cows to
be milked. We had, up to this time, killed ii stags,
and we all agreed that one more, to make up the
dozen; would be a fair br^^. Our score stood^thus : —
A. had killed 3 ; C. had killed 4; myself 3; and
Reuben i ; so this day, Oct. 6th, we went out stalk-
ing for the last time ; we decided to shoot only first
class stag's, or a fat hind, but to leave small deer alone;

i-» (y

It \yas a pretty dense fog when we. reached the
top of the steep ascent leading to the barrens, and we
soon lost sight of each other. Reuben and I kept to
southward in the directic:;, as far as we could judge,
of the rock from whence we spied the stag the even-
ing before. The fog was wet and raw, and the wind
blew bitter cold across the barrens, but we stepped
briskly along to keep ourselves warm, hoping that
the fog would lift by-and-bye. . ^

; • And so it did ; suddenly the curtain rose, unveil-
ing as lovely a scene as ever sportsman beheld. Far

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as the eye could reach were mountains and valleys,
lakes and rocks ; conspicuous among the latter the
** Lobster House'* reared its head. Probably a finer
pr.norama could not be seen in Newfoundland^ than
that obtained from the neighbourhood of the Lobster
House, Standings, as we were, in the centre of the
island, an uninterrupted view could be had for 40 to
50 miles in every direction. To the north-west, the
mountains in the vicinity of Bonne Bay were plainly
visible. To the eastward, the white hills around
HalTs Bay, with Sandy Pond, and other fine lakes,
apparently at our feet. The noble chain of moun-
tains, forming the southern boundary of Grand Lake,
stretched away towards the western horizon, and
with my glasses I could see the glittering waters of
that glorious lake, with Sir J. Glover's island in the
far distance. A good idea of the size of Grand Pond
may be gathered from the fact that from its midst
rises an island 25 miles long and of lofty proportions ;
on the summit of which is another lake with an
island in that lake, and so on, like a Japanese puzzle
box. The southern horizon was intercepted by the
mountains surrounding Red Indian Pond, and I be-
lieve that from where we stood the sea might be seen
on both sides of the island on a clear day. Imme-
diately around us were marshes and ponds, rocks
and scattered clumps of wood — a very sanctuary for
deer and beaver — and not a human habitation to be
seen. What a glorious prospect for a deer-stalker 1
Here is no boundary to prevent him roaming where
he pleases; under foot, the beautifully variegated

1 !•

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lichen adords soft mid clastic walkinf;; for his mod-
casincd footi the air so pure and bracing that fatigue
is.uiiknown. ,Npt a soul, except his trusty com-
panipni to be seen ; not a sound heard, except when an
old cock grouse hails the. intruder with defiant' chal«
Icnge, whilst his mate collects her brood preparatory
to l)ight. The hares are so tame they scarcely take
the trouble to move out of the way. As no deer
could be seen, we moved onward, and about noon
hoye-to for l\inch, under the lee of a rock, uji which
Reuben climbed:to.spy,the gi*o*und. Whilst /enjoy-
ing a pipe, my rneditatlons are Cut short by ReulDcii,
jwho exclaim^ : ** I see him, sir ; very big stag ; regu-
lar olc bull; I tink same one we see yesterday.
iTh^sre he is, a milo off, coming our way,'*', d - , -

• '•' A glance to satisfy ourselves, and the remains
of our frugal repast are crammed into our pockets,
gun and rifle loaded, and off we go to cut off the stag,
who is making for some woods on our right. A sma.i
Indian dog, belonging to Reuben, had accompanied
us this day, having run away from camp and followed
his master; and, as we' were afraid of his yelping,
Reuben took him in his arms, but whilst running at

-full speed he fell head over heels, dog and all, into a

•hole; a most laughable picture.

However, no sooner down than up again, and in

.a very few moments we are ahead of the stag, and

r pause to take breath under a juniper. The stag

was a fine fellow, evidently an old warrior who

^had been vanquished by some other,, bigger than

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himself, and very sulky he lookpd in consequence.
The noble beast comes on unconscious of danj^er, till
a grunt from the Indian makes him stop, and throw
up his head to get a view of his antagonist. Reuben
now begins grunting, or, as they term it, " toling,"
and the stag, undeterred by former conflicts, comes
boldly forward, tossing his head, stamping his foot,
ready for the fray. All this time the cunning beast
is edging down to leeward, to get our wind ; but this
wont do, so we move out into the marsh to prevent
it. We are now in the open, in full view of the stag,
but as he can't smell us, he comes on snorting .defi-
ance ; but, not quite sure what to make of us, and
not trusting to his eyesight, he again edges down to
get our wind. Now is the critical moment, his broad
Hank is exposed, and that instant a ball crashes
through his shoulder, followed by another through
the ribs. The poor beast turns, staggers and endea-
vours to make off, but too late, for dropping the gun,
I seize the rifle, and the gallant brute rolls over
with three balls through his body. A noble animal,
truly, with a fine head ; his massive neck and shoul-
ders bearing the marks of many a fight. Taking off
our coats we proceeded to gralloch, decapitate and
skin him, and bearing the trophy aloft, returned in
triumph to our camp."

My companions had not been successful, but A.
had killed a fat hind, making our total bag twelve
stags and one hind. The next day we brought in the
meat, and prepared for a start, and the follmving

I..

73

tt

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r, till
hrow
iuben
iing,
lomes
foot,
beast
t this
•event
5 stag,
I .deli-
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vvn to
\ broad
rashes
irough
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s over
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shoul-
cing off
te and
ned in

but A.

twelve
it in the
Uo^ving

4.

]

morning struck our camp, nnd reached the shores of
Grand Pond the same evening, after a very h avy
day's work. » • i' ' • '' ' -

, We reached the Day in safety, two days. after;
wards, and were not sorry to find ourselves once more
pn board ship. Although on this expedition, as on
the one the previous year, we hud been successful,
and had as much sport as we expected or desired, we
worjted hard for it ; but when one considers the time,
^nd labor, to say nothing of the expense attached to
an expedition of this sort, it may be questioned by
some whether the game is really worth the candle.
To ah enthusiastic sportsman, like myself, it is.

Iji':' ^tUiiA -i!^^'. V ;

I" « Wf»ii

[Letter No. 6, in Two Parts.]

(1) A VISIT TO SMITH'S SOUND AND THE GRAND
FALLS ON THE EXPLOITS RIVER.

(2) HALL'S BAY AND THE MINING REGION.

i

Leaving St. John's harbour, in H. M. S. Druidy
early in June, i88i, we parsed a few days, pleasantly;
at Harbour Grace, enjoying the hospitality of Mr.
and Mrs. W. Munn, from whence we proceeded to
Heart's Content, the terminus of the Atlantic Cable ;
and after a short stay there, stretched "across Trinity
Bay to Smith's Sound, and anchored near the head
of that* Arm. '

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This Sound is from one lo two milca broad, on
the averages the hills on cither side slope gradually
from the water, and arc well wooded, except where
fire has destroyed tlip timber, and attempts at culti-
vation arc here and there to be seen. This estuary
enjoys the reputation of possessing some of the finest
scenery in the island ; but this is erroneous, for it will
by no means compare with that of the South Coast,
notably tiare Bay, Little River, White Bear Bay, or
the Bay of Despair ; nor even to many of the beauti-
ful harbours on the West Coast, such as Bonne Bay

and the Bay of Islands.

■ ' ■ ,' ■,'.■.

At the head of the Sound, two small salmon
rivers empty themselves ; but these, as well as every
stream in Trinity Bay, are ruined by mill-dams, and
the salmon have deserted the Bay in consequence.
This is a grievance of long standing, many of the
mills having been established for twenty years or
more, so that they have acquired a sort of right to
the rivers ; arid unless the owners be forced to build
a salmon ladder or gate for the fish to pass through,
nothing can be done ; and even then the practice of
throwing saw-dust and rubbish into the stream would
drive the fish away. As an enthusiastic salmon
fisher, I may be permitted to have my own views
on this question, meanwhile the rivers may be
** dammed" to all eternity. The American hare,
locally called rabbit, abounds here. One old settler
told us that with his two children he had killed, by
snaring and shooting, no less than 500 dozen during

75

the Inst year, selling their skins for zd^ CAch ; lio
must therefore have netted ^^25 sterling, besides pro-
viding his family with good and wholesome food
during that time. These animals are so prolific there
IS riot tiie slightest fear of their being exterminated^
ho matter how, when., or where they may be killed.
I consider, that by introducing. this animal into the
country, Mr. Rcndcll has conferred a blessing upon
the .entire community, more cspeciully upon the poor
settlers, who need not starve in the midst of plenty.
The true rabbit might also be introduced into the
country, with advantage, although there is always
the risk of their becoming a nuisance, as the country
gets cultivated. ;'

.,. ,. Black game might also do well here as in Nor-
\yay,.a similar country., A few brace of these hand-
some birds turned out in some sheltered and unin-
.habited part of the Island would soon spread and
afford a ^yelcome addition to the sportsman's bag,
especially if, protected by law for a few years. ,

•i i Leaving Smith's Sound, we took shelter in the
beautiful harbor of Trinity, and from thence stood
northwards in company with several smart schooners
of the Labrador fleet. Threading our way through
the numerous reefs which surround Fogo, we found
ourselves enveloped in field ice, through which we
cut our way, leaving behind a few sheets of copper
as a memento of our visit. This pack was estimated
at $6 miles in extent by the Fantowe, which had met
it some days before, and we heard of a schooner hav-

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76

in^; been lost in it, — the crew, together with several
women and clulclrcn, suffering great privation before
they were rescued. ' ., '- ^ • •'

We passed a quiet Sunday at TouHnquct, enjoy-
ing the beauty of the harbor and the pleasant ehangc
of temperature from the outside ; and the foUowing
day continual our voyage to the Exploits River. Be-
fore leaving Toulinguet we had noticed a strong
smell of burning, and the atmosphere became hea-
vily charged with smoke, which increased as we ap-
proached the entrance to the Bay. It became evi-
dent that a very extensive fire was raging further up
the river. As we advanced the heat became intoler-
able, the thermometer, which stood at 42*, ^'ose to
yb\ and the water rose from 35* to 50*. The sun
shone through the smoke like a red-hot shot, throw-
ing a lurid light upon the sparkling waters of the
Bay. Anchoring in Burnt Arm we found that two
fires had been burning for some days on the Western
Shore, and another further inland, in the direction of
Hall's Bay, doing much damage to timber and pri-
vate property. The next morning a party of us left
the ship in the steam-cutter to visit the Grand Falls.
Calling at Messrs. Vallance and Winsor*s saw mill
to see how they were getting on, we entered the river,
and the same afternoon reached a desirable camping
ground, 12 miles from the mouth, and about 2 below
the Bishop's Fall. The scenery on the Exploits is
somewhat monotonous, and is not remarkable until
one gets a long way up. The river is a very fine

ap-
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!■"

77 ' '

one, about a milu bioud at the mouth; it gradually:
narrows to an average of half u miiu, which it muin«.
tains for about lo miles. The banks are well tim*
bered, but most of the best pines luive been cut down,/
Bishop's Fall is a line body of water formed by a,
succession of cascades, the total height being about
20 feet. Above the. Fall is a long *' steady" for
several miles, till the Great Rattling lirook, tribu-
tary to the main river, is reached, after which rapids
again commence. ,;\Ve fished below the Falls with-,
out success, for we were too early for the salmon ;-
the rocks forming the Fall are all heavily scored by;
ice, and are as smooth and slippery as glass. Whilst
examining them I came across a young seal asleep ;
the young rascal showed his teeth, so I killed him.
with a stone and kept his skin. This kind of seal;
whelps in the fresh water, and docs not descend to
the , sea, in proof of which we noticed many old
seals with their cubs, on the following day, many,
miles up the river. Returning to our camp we found
the tent pitched,, fire lighted, and tea ready, and we
Ipoked forward to refreshment and repose, but, alasl
there was none of it, for the black flies were masters'
of the situation. They \vere in millions, and attacked
us from all quarters, notwithstanding repeated appli-;.
cations of tar and oil, until we had to take refuge in'
the smoke of our fire, where we passed a wretched
time with our eyes running with water mingled with
grease and tar.

, Presently, a canoe hove in sight, propelled by
two Indians, whom Mr. Winsor had kindly sent up;

iim

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78

SO again we started to fish below the Falls, but with
no better luck than before. We now endeavoured to
make ourselves comfortable for the night, but that
was impossible ; the flies got into our eyes, ears, and
mouths, mingled with our food and tea, and gene-.
rally made our lives a burden. Darkness set in, and
we fluttered ourselves we should liave peace, but
there was no peace for the wicked ; the flies disap-
peared, but the mosquitoes took their place ; the tent
was stiflingly hot, so some of us slept outside, but it
was all the same, for there was no sleep to be had,
and muttered but very excusable curses might be
heard from some poor sufferer the whole night long.
It has always been a wonder to me what these brutes
?re put into the world for. and why they cannot be
satisfied with taking one's blood, without poisoning
him also ; they might have the blood and wel-
come ; it's one of those things no fellow can under-
• stand.

With early dawn we were all astir, and after a
refreshing bath and coffee, C and I started in the
canoe to explore the river, and, if possible, reach the
Grand Falls. Some of the youthful members of our
party who remained behind elected to bathe, to the
horror and amazement of a worthy settler, who had"
accompanied us in the capacity of pilot for the river,
and who boasted that he had been 30 years in the
country without washing. He is said to have gazed
on the youngsters in amazement, as the barbarians
gazed on Paul after the viper fastened on him, ex-
pecting that some harm would happen to them ^

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vith
dto
that
and
ene-
, and •
but
isap-
tent
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had, ■■
it be
long.'
irutes
ot be
oning
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fter a

the
ch the
of our

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doubtless the story will be told by the unwashed
settler to his children and grandchildren for many
years to come. - i : ; ?

' To follow the Ccinoe ; — we carried the canoe over-
the rocks and launched her on the waters above the
Bishop's Fall, and sometimes paddling and sometimes
walking for eight miles, reached Rattling IBrook,
where wo stopped to lunch and iish. This is a line
salmon river, but there were no fish in it at that time,
80 we crossed the river and landed on the opposite '
shore to walk to the falls. This was the worst part
of the business, as the bank was sloping and covered
with rocks and bush, so that it took us nearly three
hours to reach the rapids below, but not in sight of
the falls, from whence we took a trail through the
woods. Numerous seals reposed upon the rocks, or
disported themselves in the whirling rapids, shouting
to each other, with loud notes of alarm, at our ap- '
proach ; the fond mothers were, in every case, accom-
panied by their young, whom they tenderly guarded.
The river, at this place, takes a sharp bend to the
right, and the scenery becomes more wild and
grand. - ■^'

Following the trail through the woods, we now
approached the Grand Falls, the roar of which we
could plainly hear ; occasional glimpses of the river, •
far beneath us, could be had through the trees, show-
ing a mass of foaming water, dashing between pre-
cipitous banks on either hand. Guided mostly by •
the ear, v»'e now scrambled through the bush, and •

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fouiul ourscU'ctt directly above the Fall, and a glori*,
oiui yi[;ht inct our view.

I must confess tluit we were prepared for a dis-
appointment after many of like nature in this and
other countries, but thf; scene now before us fully,
answered, if it did nt)t exceed, our expectations.,
Looking upwards to the vii;,U\. hand was a mass of
foaming, eddying torrent, with black rocks inter-
spersed; abreast uf us the stream was divided by a
thickly-wooded islet, whereon many sea gulls had
built their nests — the parent birds llew round >vith
loud and discordant screams, adding, in the roar of
the waterfall, to the we^rdness of the scene. Below
this islet the waters met, and, wi dged in by precipi-
tous rocks on either side, plunged in a succession of
cascades into the seething cauldron beneath.

Seating ourselves beside the fall, wc contempla-
ted this fine sight, not a living soul to interfere with
us ; here are no touting loafers to offer to take you
under the falls for half, a dollar, as at Niagara; no
quack advertisements defacing the rocks, as may be
seen on the Hudson river; here everything stands as
God made it ; long may it continue so.

Possibly, with the completion of the Railway,
we shall have a station at Exploits river and an hotel,
at the Grand Falls ; but for the present let us rest
content that we have seen, without question, the
finest picture in Newfoundland, untouched by the
hand of man. A very fine view must be obtained
from above the Falls, and also from below ; but the^

8i

Iway,

hotel ,

; rest

, the

)y the.

tained

ut the.

. Ihniled time at our disposal prcvcvntcd our doiiif; more
than rcstin;; for a short half hour oa the spray cov-
ered rocks, and taking a sketch of the scene before
startintf on our 1 wearisome walk back , The whole
height of the Falls is fjiven at 145 k < i of this u good
deal is broken water. I should estimate tlr* largest
fall at ;iot more than 50 feet, and perhaps as many
yards across the gorge, but the beauty of the fall is
not so much i;i its height as in the immense body of
water compressed into this space, and in the general
wildness of the place. Our trudge back was not
pleasant ; walking on the side of one's foot, with one
leg in the water, climbing over boulders and snags,
with no food or whisky left, gets monotonous, and is
not interesting to relate ; and ghul were we, when we
found ourselves gliding down stream and shooting
the rapids in our birch-bark canoe, and dreading an-
oth:: night with the mosquitoes, reached the ship at
10 p. m. ■.■,:•'

There is, in my opinion, much valuable land on
the banks of the Exploits capable of cultivation, and
supporting a considerable population. It seems a
pity it is not more settled. .. ,

The climate is mild as compared with the sea
coast; the sons of fishermen might be encouraged to
settle and cultivate the land, in preference to follow-,
ing the precarious living adopted by their parents.
Now that the fisheries are unquestionably insufficient
to maintain an increasing population, this becomes
every day a more important question ; besides, the

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men need not give up altogether their beloved fisTi*
ing, — they might still probccute the Labrador fishery,
returning to their homes upon the river in the fall of
the year. Very fine craft are built on the Exploits
suitable for this trade. But, befoi*e settling in this
part of the country, it is absolutely necessary to clear
away the timber in tlie vicinity of a settlement, to
secure oneself against forest fires, and get rid of the
flies and mosquitoes, both of which interfere greatly
with a settler's prospects, and are common enough
on the Exploits river. By clearing Lway the woods
round about his house, a man at once places himself
in safety as regards fire, and the flies disappear
to a great extent, as may be seen at Messrs. Vallance
and Winsor's mill. The first objection, that of
fires, will probably right itself ; for, at the present
rate of fires, there won't be much more timber left to
burn soon. As for the flies, it would be simply im-
possible for anyone to settle on the banks of that
■ river, with any. degree of com.fort. Some of the old
settlers, of 30 and 40 years' standing, told us that
they were bitten just as badly as when they first
came into the country, and their bleeding handcj and
faces fully bore out the fact ; the wretched women
and children could not leave their houses to work in
the garden, unless it was blowing a gale, or raininpj
in torrents. These pests last from June till October,
the best months in the year.

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ober,

PART 11.

P

hall's bay and the mining district. '

On our arrival in HaU's Bay on i8th June, wo
found that a fire had been raging for a week, devas-
tating a large extent of country, and leaving many
poor families utterly destitute.

It was indeed sad to see so many poor women
and children, who had lost everything they possessed,
and yet to be able to do so little for them. However,
we were able to be of some assistance, for which they
were very grateful j and our carpenters and a party of
men were employed on shore for three days, rebuild-
ing houses, etc. Providentially no lives were lost,
but some families had a narrow escape. The whole
country on the north bank of Indian Brook, as high
as the Falls, is now burnt, and presents a most
desolate appearance, and the beauty of that pic-
turesque stream has departed.

The site for the terminus of the proposed Rail-
way is at the head of Hall's Bay, between the South
and West Brooks. There is no doubt but that if ever
the railway be completed. Hall's Bay will become a
place of much importance. The anchorages are not
good, but there is deep water close to the shore, so
that ships of all sizes would be able to lie alongside
the wharfs, which would be built in connection with

■s.v.*.^.'-'

84

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■»»*-,

^1-

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the railway. The mere commencement of the h'nc
wouhl give employment to many who would gladly
avail of it, especially now that the lumhcr trade is
declininj;, and many of the Canadian lumberers are
thinking of returning home in disgubt.

From IlaU's Uay we proceeded to Little Bay,
where an extensive copper mine is being worked by
Mr. Guzman, on behalf of Mr. Ellershausen and
other gentlemen. The Company appear to be doing
a good business, judging by the number of steamers
which call there for cargoes of ore. The mine is
400 feet deep at present, and the shaft is nearly per-
pendicular. About 800 men are employed at the
works ; the scLtlcmont is half a mile from the mine,
picturesquely situiited at the head of the Bay.
Escorted by Mr. GuL^nan, we descended the mine, and
watched the operation of drilling and blasting the glit-
tering metal, which is transferred by a tramway from
the mouth of the pit direct to the vessel. The mine is
well ventilated, and, as no accumulation of gas can
take place, as in a coal mine, the lives of the miners
are as frci; from danger as it is possible to make
them. The men receive from 5 to 6 shillings a day,
overseers 9 shillings, so they ought to be con-
tented. The fire at Hall's Bay approached very
dangerously near to Little Bay, and the powder
magazine was at one time seriously threatened ; the
miners dug trenches at the back of their dwellings,
wherein to bury their effects, should the fire come
upon them.

11*

S5

line
lacUy
lie is
s ure

Bay,
ill by
11 and
doing
amei-B
line is
ly per-
at the
; mint;,
i Bay.
ne, and
he gUt-
,\y from
niine is
gas can
miners
make
a day,
3e con-
ed very
powder
ed ; the
^elUngs,
re come

s

' A copper mine, discovered by Mr, White, is being
worked in the S. W. Arm of Green 13ay, and another •;
ut Robert's Arm. The harbor at Kobart's Arm is a »
very beautiful one, and is capable of accommodating; '
several large ships. It is but little kn;;)\vn, and is not /
surveyed, so the surprise of the inhabitants may be -
well imagined at seein/.r iha Dniid iuul Fanlotnc iyln^^
peacefully at anchor within pistol shot of the rocks. '

■ ■ ■ ' *

..; There is no doubt, that all that part of the coast, j
to the Northward of Hall's Bay, abounds in mineral (
wealth ; and already most of it has been taken up by .
speculators, who look forward to the good time com- ,
ing, when the French ShorQ question shall be settled, :
to work their claims. Until then, I fear, nothing
can be done, (except during tlie absence of the French .
in the winter months), to the Northward of Gape St. ;
John, and so on round the coast to Cape Ray ; for
the' French claim, if not the nght to the soil, at all,;
events to. have the right to prevent any kind of in-;
dustry on that part, of the coast where they have
fishery rights ; for instance, the copper mine at Ming's .
Bight and the lobster factory at St. Barbe. The re-
sult of this dog-in-the-mangcr policy is that the na- '
tural resources of this country are paralysed, and
millions of pounds' worth of wealth remain buried in
the bowels of the earth. In fact, this unfortunate
country is bound hand and foot by obsolete treaties,
made at a time when the Island was a barren waste,
and by those who knew nothing about it, and cared
less for its future prosperity.

» ■

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86

Let us hope that the time Ih at hand when such
an anomalous state of affairs shall cease, and that
the question be properly considered by persona qua-
lified to judi;e, and familiar with the subject. It only
remains for this important question to be settled, for
the country to advance and take her place among
the richest of Her Majesty's possessions. The N. E.
coast is ripe for industries of all kinds, and in a very
few years would teem with a busy and thriving popu-
lation, where want and misery now obtain. In the
Bay of Pistolet, which we have lately visited, a new
and important industry awaits the hand of man.
This bay is the sanctuary of the eider duck ; — thou-
sands of these useful birds breed unmolested on the
numerous islands in the bay. The strong arm of the
law should be extended to protect these birds, and
their eggs and down collected regularly, as in Nor-
way. No expense is attached to this undertaking,
and the result could not fail to be a profitable one.
It could hardly be maintained that this industry
would militate against the French fishermen in their
calling.

I such
:\ thiit
\ qua-
X only
2d, for
among

a very
T popu-

In the
,, a new
)f man.
; — thou-
d on the
•m of the
rds, and

in Nor-
.ertaking,
able one.

industry
n in their

GROUSE OH PTARMFG/IK SHOOTING IN
NEWb'OUNDLAND. .

Grouse, or as they are called Partridge, are,
plentiful in the immediate neighbourhood of St.
John's, but the enormous number of shooters speedily
exterminate the broods, and after the first week in
September, it is necessary to go some distance from
the Capital to make a bag.

A very pleasant expedition may be made in the
direction of Salmonier, a pretty village some 50 miles
to the westward of St. John's, where accommodation
for a sportsman can be obtained at Carew's Hotel.
The road is good and scenery beautiful throughout
the route ; and a stop page may be made either at
Topsail, 12 miles, or Holyrood, 25 miles, at both of
which places a decent Hotel is to be found. From
Holyrood to Salmonier is 20 miles ; at the latter
place a few days may be pleasantly passed. The
Hotel, though unpretentious, abounds with good
cheer, and Mr. Carew and his wife are obliging, and
attentive to their guests. Fair sport may be had in
this neighbourhood with gun, rod or rifle, according
to the season. A snipe marsh lies directly in front
of the house, and a salmon river, to use an advertiz:

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inj; phrase, runs throup:li llic |5ropcrty. An amateur
sporting parson, wlio had never hunillcd a rod before,
liouked 30 i^rilso in this stream in one day last sea-
son. At the baek of the premises, a few hours' jour-
ney through the woods, there is an extensive parl< or
barrens whereon deer and wild geese are to be found
in the fall of the year.

Escorted by an amusing guide, of Irish extrac-
tion, we lately visited this place in quest of geese ;
and although the limited time at our disposal pre-
vented us seeing any game, for we had to be back at
the hotel the same night, the expedition was most
enjoyable.

Pat had not long ago piloted a noble sportsman
to the hunting grounds after caribou, and he related
with much gusto, how he had succeeded in bagging
a fawn after firing 14 shots at it ; his companion also
distinguishing himself by killing a prickett, which he
left to rot upon the ground, after cutting off its head,
(report says with a regimental sword), and returning
with the trQphy to the camp.

But these exploits scarcely represent the sport
that can be enjoyed on these barrens, and I believe
that heavy stags may be killed there. Our guide
brought with him a huge weapon with a barrel like
the main-top-gallant mast of a frigate.; this engine
he carefully loaded with 5 fingers of powder, and the
same liberal allowance of buck-shot, and on our ven-
turing to suggest that the gun might be overcharged,

I i

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89

icur

fore,

sca-

jouv-

rk or

bund

Urac-
;ecse ; .
I pre-
icU at
most

:tsman
related

on also
lich he
s head,
turning

» sport

believe

ir guide

rel like

engine

and the

our ven-

:harged,

a.

he «ai(l, ** S!\<; always took that;" but that on one
occasion, when the powilcr was somewhat better
than usual, ** She" knocked him down senseless on
the snow, the hammer scalpinf;: him as the weapon
disappeared over his hend. On " comi'ifj to" he dis-
covered the p;un lo yards 1)ehind him, and the deer
lying dead, as well she mi/;ht be, with iive-and-twenty

buck-shot in her carcass.

■ ' ' .' ■ ' ' ..■',. ....,■.

. .'■ Leaving Salmonier one morning an hour before

daylight, accompanied by an enthusiastic sporting
J. P., we drove down by the river till we found our-
selves abreast of a small fore-and-aft schooner at
anchor some 40 yards from the shore. Opening fire
upon this craft with vsnipe shot to rouse out the crew,
we managed after a few rounds to wake them up,
and soon got aboard, and in a short time were scud-
ding out of the harbor with a flowing sheet. A brisk
N. E. gale carried us across the bay to a small park \
30 miles distant, where we landed and conveyed our-
selves and our traps to a neighbouring farm-house.
We received a hearty welcome from our host, and
indeed from all the village, the unsophisticated na-
tives being unused to visitors, turned out en masse to
meet us and give us every information as regards ,
sport. Curiously enough, these people all spoke with
a foreign accent, rolling the '* r" like a Frenchman,
but with 'a ridiculous admixture of Irish brogue as
well. They declared the " pattcrridges" to be jos-
tling each other on the barrens, and as for the salmon
and trout, ** begorra, yer honor, they're as thick as .

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the sands of the say." The village was picturesquely
situated in a valley, and unlike the generality of
Newfoundland settlements, presented a well-to-do
appearance. A lovely salmon river wound its course .
through the valley, dividing into several branches as
it approached the sea, and variegating a considerable
extent of rich meadow-land, which afforded pastu-
rage for herds of cattle and sheep ; a considerable
portion had also been devoted to agriculture. A
barrier of sea beach obstructed the mouth of the
river, causing all the branches to re-unite and rush'
through a gut or barachois into the sea.

The afternoon of our arrival we ascended the
barrens, at the back of the village, and bagged 16 brace
of grouse and a few snipe ; the birds were fairly plen-
tiful ; the dogs worked well and the powder was
straight. The next day and the next, we averaged
10 brace per gun ; and on the 4th we worked along
the coast to a rendezvous where our boat had pre-
ceeded us, and from thence re-crossed to Salmonier.
Our bag (3 guns) was 60 brace of grouse and snipe-
not much to brag of in a country where game is pre-
served— but not bad for a wild country where the only
protection the birds get is a close time during the
breeding season, where every man carries a gun and
vermin are encouraged fpr the sake of their skins.

Walking on the barrens of Newfoundland is very
much harder work than on a Scotch moor ; but there
is no limit to the extent of ground ; it costs nothing ;
the birds when found are magnificent; and when

t '■

9^

the sport is combined with snug quarters and kind-
hearted hospitality, as in our case, it is not to be
despised.

» *■■ »

THIRD EXrEDITION AFTER CARIBOU, 1881.

I!i'

In the early part of October, 1881, I planned ,
and carried out my third and possibly last expedition '
to the interior of the Island after caribou. This ex-
pedition differed from the two preceding ones, in as •
much as we struck in from the East side of the Island,
instead of the West, as heretofore. In both cases
we reached the same high barrens where the deer
love to congregate ; and as a matter of fact, our camp
was only 'aO miles apart from, and almost in sight of,
our camping ground the previous year. The result
was almost identical with the two former expeditions,
showing clearly that caribou are pretty evenly distri-
buted all over the island.

Our party on this occasion consisted of three
sportsmen, Sir R. P., B. and myself, 2 Indian hun-
ters, 2 blue jackets, and a couple of lumberers,
smart, hard-working willing fellows, who well earned
their 5/ per day.

The usual difficulties beset us on starting ; rivers
too low for poling ; a gale of wind on the lake ; camp-
ing in heavy rain with all our gear soaked ; and final-
ly a tedious tramp of 10 miles through burnt woods

■ ■M,ii- 'v ;.

■^^

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92

nnd rn.'inihcr., »o ihiit it was not till noon of tlic third ■
dviy ixitcr Ic;ivin«]; the ship thiU we reached our desti-
nation, and pitched our camp in a small wood in the
middle of a marsh. After a short spell for rest and
refreshments, we started off in different directions to
try and ^ot some venison for supper. I had not left .
the camp a quarter of an hour w!)en, looking back,
my Indian saw a fine sta;?come out of the wood and
proceed leisurely across the marsh, down wind, as is
their wont. . We had a lonpj and sharp run back to ..
get to leeward of him, and I had but time to drop
behind a stone and get my breath, when the stag
approached and gave me a fine broadside shot at ,
65 yards. The sharp crack of the ball told that the
old Scotch rifie had done its work well ; but the deer, ,
to my astonishment, bolted across the marsh at a ,
gallop. I stood up and gave him the second barrel, ,
striking him on the fiank, high up ; this only quick-
ened his pace, and he speedily disappeared round a
small belt of wood. The. country hereabouts was ■
marshy, with belts oi* "drogues" of vyood scattered
about exactly like groups of islands in a sea. We
followed the direction the deer had gone in, but saw
nothing of him, and it was difficult to follow his
tracks in the marsh. Much, disgusted, I went back
to the stone, stepped the distance, looked for blood,
but could find none, and'I had almost given up the
stag as lost, when Reuben," the Indian, found drops
of blood leading across a burn ; following this, we
came to clots of blood and froth, and a few yards
further on we came upon the stag lying dead. The '

"A

ips

I we-
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'he.'.

93

two balls h:ul passed clean through his body; the
first, nj;ht in the middle of his carcass; the second,
dia^'onally. Mow he could have travelled so far is a
marvel, but it shows how tenacious of Jife are t)»ese
caribou ; the deer was in lino condition, and carried
a very fair head. On our way back to camp we met
with another younj^ stag, which got off scot free, al-
though Reuben lired three shots at it. Soon after-
wards my two companions returned, one having kil-
led a small stag, and the other a hind— -so we were
well set up with meat, and enjoyed fried kidneys and
liver and bacon for supper.

, It became soon evident to us that our camp,
though unfavourably situated for stalking, owing to
the marshes and, dense woods which surrounded it,
was judiciously chosen by the Indians, as lying, di-
rectly in the path of deer coming from the North
West and travelling to the Southward; in proof of
which we saw deer from the camp every day, espe-
cially in the early morning and in the. evenings.

, ,.( The second day two of us went; stalking, whilst
one remained in camp. The " Bart." who took a
southerly direction, killed a small stag. I saw no-
thing till coming home, when we met. with a stag,
hind and calf, crossing the marshes. We managed
to cut them off, and I broke the stag's (fore) shoulder
with a shot from the rifle; the poor beast. tottered
across the marsh and then lay down, and I ought to
have bagged him easily, but sending an Indian round'
to cut him off, I made too sure of him, and ran across

■% ■.

!!

ff!'.i.''j;'3

■rv- iiJ;

94

the marsh to slay him forthwith, when he suddenly
rose and made off, and passing close to the Indian,
who missed him in fine style, he disappeared in the
woods, and divrkness coming on, we lost him. The
loss of the beast did not concern me j^reatly, as he
was not a big stag, but I was sorry to have wounded
the poor creature, and to lose him stupidly after ail.

The next day 13. killed a fine big stag, about
eight miles from camp ; the deer carried a fair head,
nothing particular, but as it was B.'s first big beast,
he was very much delighted, and related the details
of the stalk with groat excitement. I saw nothing,
although I travelled over a great deal of ground, ex-
cept a hind and a lovely cream-coloured fawn, which
fed close to me whilst having my lu'nchcon under
the lee of a rock. The pretty creatures gambolled
about unconscious of danger within 40 yards of where
i lay. Reuben suggested that the fawn*s coat would
make a good rug, but nothing would induce me to
molest them, although I had not fired a shot all day.
The Bart, remained in camp, but did not get a shot.
We decided that night to shift our ground to some
high barrens to the South and Westward ; so, the
following day, the Bart,, with one Indian, proceeded
in the former direction, whilst B. and I, with the
other Indian, went in the other, leaving our heavy
gear in the permanent camp. My setter, ■* Paddy,'*
accompanied us on this occasion, <and lost us a fine
stag which we came upon suddenly ; the deer would
. certainly have '* toled" but for the dog whom he pro-

\^

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95

it

I'

bably mistook for a wolf, and bolted before we could
get a shot at him. We also met some wild geese, but
failed to get a crack at them. Rather disgusted with
our had luck, we reached an Indian tilt or wigwam
and deposited pur gear therein. This wigwam had
been used by sportsmen on several occasions, and
although in a dilapidated condition, proved most com-
fortable ; a few boughs made it wind tight, and the
smoke going up through an aperture in the roof kept
the s?iow from coming down. In the afternoon we
started off to try some new ground to the North-
ward ; a heavy N. W. gale was blowing, with squalls
of snow, and it was difficult to keep oneself warm.
After walking 3 or 4 miles, we ascended a peak called
the "Indian Look-out," from the top of which a
magnificent view was obtained. Far below us lay a
lovely valley, interspersed with woods and marshes,
looking in the distance like a park ; beyond this was
a chain of mountains and lakes, extending to the sea,
which could be seen 30 or 40 miles away. Reuben
told us that from the top of this height they spied
the deer, and easily killed them as they ascended the
pass immediately below the look-out. A more per-
fect position for a deer drive could not be imagined,
as every stag would have to pass within gun shot of
a person stationed on the look-out. The bitter cold
wind prevented us from fully appreciating the beau-
tiful scene before us, and we gladly descended and
sought the shelter of some woods at the back. Re-
freshed by a soothing pipe we proceeded cautiously
along, looking out for deer, when Reuben exclaimed.

-- -V

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'** Look, Captain, bi/j ntaj;," as a gleam of sunslunc
lit up the snow-while bide of u noble beast. The bi{^
stags at this season are uhiiost white, their necks
entirely so. The deer was hurryin^jf along, evidently
on the trail of other deer; we ran to cut him off, but
he had already disappeared in the woods, so there
was nothing for it but to follov/ on his tracks. At
this tiie Indians art marvellously skilful ; with eyes
upon the ground, they follow at a rapid pace, noting
every blade of grass pressed, every stone displaced,
or mud stirred. 'Xha trail would have been easy
enough to follow but for the numerous tracks of. deer
all leading down to the valley ; and it was evident
that a large company had preceded us, u fact of
which our old stag was doubtless well aware. •' We
struck down through some woods, picking, our way by
the ** leads" or open passes, well trodden by deer, when
I happened to catch a glimpse of some white x)bjects
in the valley below. A glance through the glasses
pronounced them to be a " company" of deer, and al-
though we could not make out a stag, we were perfect-
ly well assured that one would be amongst them, and
our old friend's hurry to get into the valley became
apparent. Picking Our way cautiously down through
the wood, we at length reached the valley and found
ourselves within a few hundred yards of the deer,
which we at once proceeded to stalk. The deer were
scattered about feeding amongst some immense boul-
ders, and we had no difficulty in approaching to
within 150 yards of the nearest hind, but still no
stag could we see. A. blinding snow-storm now came

.V

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97

on, rind we waited to see how the cat jumped, when,
lookinf; back, wu saw a splendid stag coming; out of
the Wood behind us, accompanied by a hind. This
was evident!}' tlie same old fellow we had seen before,
but we hud reached the valley by a shorter cut, whilst
he had picked up with a mistress on the way, and
was in search of more. The two beasts looked like
ghosts coming through the blinding snow. At this
time Ueuben climbed upon a rock, and, to our great
delight, said he saw two big stags — one in charge of
the party of hinds ; the other, the one we had just
seen coming down to rob him of his harem. The
scene now began to get exciting; a great 'commotion
became visible amongst the hinds, and presently we
saw their lord and master galloping about in a great
state of excitement calling in the stragglers, prod-
ding them with his horns, and generally calling them
to order. During this time we ran in, in hopes of
getting a shot, and several times my rifle bore on the
shoulder of the old fellow; once I had him and a
hind in line, and could have killed them both with a
single ball, but the snow was coming down heavily,
the sights of the rifle were covered, and I waited a
better opportunity. Reuben tried to ** toll" the stag,
but he took no notice, well knowing that his real
antagonist was coming down from to windward, for
by this time he had winded the other stag, and pro-
bably seen him, as we could now hear his challenge
to mortal combat. Nor had he long to wait; for,
having collected his hinds, leaving orders probably
for them to wait till he returned, the old fellow started

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98

off dt a gallop and disappeared from our view. A
momcrtt later, and a crash as of a tree fulling, re-
sounded through the valley, as the two stags' heads
met in the arena. Now was our time ; disdaining all
notice of the hinds, we ran for the spot ; the hinds
seeing us running begun to run also, not away from
us, but with us, and in a moment the extraordinary,
sight might have been witnessed of some 16 or 17
/ hinds and three men all rushing along, mixed up

together, to witness as pretty a fight as ever a deer-
stalker beheld. In all my experience of deer-stalk-
ing, extending over many years, I never saw the like
or expect to sec again. There, amidst the blinding
snow, were the two monarchs of the Glen, their
heads down, bucks arched, horns crashing, turf fly-
ing; struggling, writhing, pushing for the mastery,
whilst the hinds, for whom the battle was raging,
and who had now arrived on the scene, assembled
themselves round to see fair play. What the issue
might have been it is difficult to say ; the combatants
were well matched as regards size and weight, but
the new arrival was the fresher of the two, and had
longer horns, v/hilst the owner of. the seraglio, ex-
hausted by the cares and anxiety attendant on his
large family, was slowly but surely giving way, and
would probably have, eventually either been killed or
forced to retire, when a third and common enemy
arrived on the scene. Selecting the nearest beast, I
fired right and left into his huge- squirming body,
whilst B. simultaneously did the same with the other,
The stags, which had paid no sort of attention ta

99

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inds
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r 17
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italk-
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nding
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mbled
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id had
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e other,
ition ta

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US, now separated ; one reeled and made an eflbrt to
charf;e, but rolled over as a third bullet pierced his
carcase ; the other made oil, but had not gone far
before two more shols, fired simultaneously, dropped
him also, and the two gladiators lay dead within a
couple of hundred yards of one another. Would .
, that a Landsecr had been there to picture that
strange scene, one that will ever be impressed upon
my memory, the grandeur of which was heightened 1
by the romantic beauty of the place and the heavy
snow-squall raging at the time. A moment later,
and the scene chahged from one of intense excite*
ment to perfect calm; the squall passed, the sun
shone out, the stags lay dead, with faces upturned to
the cloudless sky, anci the hinds had departed to seek
for another lord and master.

We sat down to refresh ourselves with a pipe,
whilst Reuben performed the last offices to the de-
, parted deer. It may be said, " v/hata pity you didn't
wait, and watch the combat ;" possibly we might
have done so, but there was alwa5^s the risk of their
winding us, or being led oiT by the hinds, although
I believe we might have sat down and watched them.,
for an hour and killed them after all. ,

Our two stags were noble specimens, and for the
benefit of those interested, I will give the measure-
ment of one of them, by which a fair calculation of
the dead weight can be arrived at. I take the scale
from Whitaker's almanack for measuring beasts,
thus : To ascertain the weight of a beast measure

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the prth close behind the shoulder, and length from
fore part of shoulder blade alonpc the back to root of
tail, both in feet. Multiply the Hqunrc of the f^irth
in feet by 5 times the length, nnd divide the product
by 21 ; the quotient is the weipfht nearly of the four
quarters, in stones of Ljlha. For instance, thissta^
measured 5 feet 2 inches in length, (as above,) and
4 feet 10 inches in t;irth. The result will be seen
that the stap; wei;;hed 29 stones nearly, a rough cal-
culation, but tolerably near the mark. This weight,
Coo lbs., represents the beast clean, «. e.^ less head,
horns, hoofs and offal, or the real marketable value
of the meat. I think I am therefore correct in say-
ing that the caribou of Newfoundland arc, on nn
average, twice as big as the ordinary Scotch red deer
and half as big again as the biggest sta^ that ever
was killed in the Highlands. A few days afterwards
I killed another stag, certainly bigger than the one
whose proportions I have given, and which may be.
said to represent a fair specimen of a -' warrantable'*
stag of the country.

The day after thi'? occurrence we had occasion
to send away our Indian for assistance in bringing in
the heads, etc. ; so, in the afternoon, after being
snowed up for several hours, B. and myself took a
stroll to look for grouse. We met with one brood of
eight, the whole of which we made an example of;
after which we visited the spot where our two stags .
were lying ; the carcases were undisturbed, thus prov- •
ing what I have always maintained, that wolves.

lOI

rom
)tor
;irlh
duct
four
stixK
and
seen
\ cal- .
:ight,
head,
value
1 say-
jn an
d deer
t ever
wards
le one
lay be.
liable"

:casion

ginfjin
being
took a
rood of
iple of;
ro stags
IS prov-
wolvea.

are scarce in the Island, for I have never known the
remains of deer touched, although it may have been
left on the ground for several days. ,. • . :

V ' Returning home by ourselves we were overtaken*
by darkness and lost our way, and we had almost
resigned ourselves to a nigltt out in the woods, wet
through, and with no axe to cut firewood, thermo-
meter below freezing point, when we providentially
hit the trail, and reached camp by y p. m. Reuben
joined us the next morning with one of the lumber-
ers, bringing in the heads and skins of our two stags,
and leaving the meat to be brought in later. , It
seems that Reuben, on his way to the other camp,
met with and killed a fine young stag, which nccoun-
ted for his non-appearance at the rendezvou^^. 13.
and my coxswain, with the lumberman, now returned
to our first camp, leaving me tO go stacking with
Reuben. Wc ^;ot back the same evening, liiving
seen nothing, but what looked like deer a very long

way off. Sir R. P also returned, having killed

a prickett, and much disgusted with his bad luck. ..

The next day all hands went to bring in meat.
Reuben and I went first to his stag, which we deca-
pitated and skinned, and taking the marrow bones
and some prime slices off the saddle, we pushed on
to the wigwam, 5 miles distant, where we made an
excellent luncheon off the marrow bones, roasted in
the embers of a wood fire, and slices of venisoni
broiled on a stick. By this primitive form of cook-
ing all the juices of the meat are retained, and the

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real flavour of the meat is secured. Reuben tilr.o
baked some excellent bread in the wood ashes. For
this purpose the ashes of a fire two or three days old
must be used, as the pjround underneath is then tho-
roughly baked and the ashes sufliciently abundant..
We saw no more deer, but returned to camp, prepa-
ratory to making an early start on the morrow.

Whilst having our balh in the little stream which
ran past our camp, the following morning, one of the
Indians reported 3 deer crossing the marsh. I had
already completed my toilette, so, seizing the rifle,
I ran out to cut them off, followed by the Baronet
and B. ; the former had nothing on but a shirt, a pair
of spectacles, and a huge pair of boots, and presen-
ted a most ludicrous appearance ; whilst B., having
no time to dress, had hastily donned a huge flushing
ulster with a monk's cowl. In this original costume
we ran across the marsh ; the deer were approaching
a small clump of woods, towards which I ran, and,
getting sight of a huge stag through the trees, I put
a ball into him ; the stag was accompanied by a hind
and a fawn; all three turned and galloped off up
wind. The Baronet now opened fire, and with a
brilliant shot, tumbled the hind head over heels, at
250 yards. The sudden disappearance of his consort
made the stag hesitate, and enabled me, by running,
to cut him off. I found him standing in a marsh,
looking very sick, whereupon I gave him both bar-
rels from my rifle, and tumbled him head foremost
into a bush. This stag was the biggest brute I ever .

W

103

no

or 1

)ld 1

10- 1

nt..

pa-

■•

iich

the 1

had 1

rifle, V

•onet 1

I pair 1;

esen- 1-

[iving 1

shing 1

Btume 1

.chuig 1

, and, 1

Iput 1

a hind i,

off up 1

vith a 1

els, at 1

jonsort 1

inning, t

marsh, 1

*

th bar- 1

)remost

!

; I ever .

V

i i

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killed, and I regret I did not take his dimensions ;
his head was a good one, but nothing extra, but his
foot, an outline of which I have draw, will give an
idea of his enormous proportions. We brought his
head and skin into camp, and all the meat of the
hind, leaving the carcase of the stag to be fetched
later on. The Indians assured us that notliing would
be wasted, as they got lo cents per lb. for the meat.
Presently another stag hove in sight, and B. ran to
cut him off, but was not successful in bagging him.
I now started with two Indians to get the boats ready
for the rest of the party, and after a pretty tall day's
work, reached the salt water at 8 p. m.

The rest of our party got back the next night,
all very well satisfied with our week's outing, during
which we had seen many deer, and had bagged nine
stafifs and two hinds.

I believe, in conclusion, that few countries have
such advantages as are possessed by Newfoundland,
with her magnificent harbors and her boundless stores
of wealth, but no country ever yet progressed with-
out railways, or even roads. With the completion
of a Railway to Hall's Bay, and the probability of
its ultimate extension to the West Coast, with cop-
per mines in full blast along her shores, and other
industries in like activity, the proud boast of every
Newfoundlander, " This Newfoundland of Ours," will
be no idle -one, and the Sovereignty of the Island
will be assured, not only in name, but in reality.

W. R. Kennedy,

1M

I

?,

»• ^

i ' 1;

• i • ; . II

APPENDIX.-

i*»^ii.;''

ST. GEORGE'S BAY.

Although the agricultural portion of Newfound-
land hitherto explored is limited in extent, the part
suited for that industry is undoubtedly excellent, and
wherever agriculture has been attempted, such as
may be seen at Codroy and Branch, the result has
been most satisfactory.

At St. George's Bay there is a large extent of good
land, but the attractions of the herrSg and lobster
fishery occupy most of the inhabitants. During the
last season, 1881, more herring were captured than
could be disposed of, and the lobster canning establish-
ments are doing a good business, as many as 4,000
and 5,000 lobsters being captured in one day. Two
fine salmon rivers discharge themselves into the bay,
from which 25a barrels of salmon were taken during
the last season.

CODROY.

The Codroy valley has justly been considered
one of the most fertile and thriving portions of the
Island. The principal settlement, consisting of 60 or
70 families — about 400 souls — is abreast of the small.

.-X

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II' , '

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island of the same name ; the pasturage hereabout*
is excellent, and the sheep and cattle from this dis-
trict are second to none in any part of the world.

There is a scattered settlement on both banks of
the Codroy river, and a f^ood deal of land has been
cleared ; the pasturage is first rale, and, I believe, a
numerous population might be supported on the fer-
tile banks of the river. . . ; »

The chief drav/hack to Codroy is the anchorage^
which is unsafe, except with an off-shore wind. The
river has a bar across the mouth, and must be enter-
ed by a narrow channel having 9 or 10 feet water in
it, a little _to the southward of the mouth proper. It
is a broad and swift stream, but shallow, and is only
navigable for small craft for 3 or 4 miles from the
mouth, after which nothing but punts can ascend..
The Codroy was once famous for salmon, but many
years of wholesale netting has nearly exhausted it,
and the yield is now barely sufficient for' the people
residing on the banks. The main channel is narrow,
and is completely barred by stakes, nets and traps^
ingeniously contrived; so that but few fish can pass
to the spawning beds "above. Indeed it is wonderful
how any can do so. On my visit to Codroy I ascen-
ded the river for 12 miles, accompanied by some of
the officers, but not a. sign of life could we see in the
pools. Fortunately, we had removed some :of the
' nets on our way up, and the same night, whilst
camped on the banks of the river, we heard the fish
jumping in the pool, and the next morning I hooked

1

Us of
been
5ve, a
c Icr-

oragc.

The
entcr-
aUr ill
>er. It
is only
nw the
ascencU
t many
sted it,

people
narrow,
d traps^
an pass
onderful
1 ascen-
some of
see in the
le of the
it, whilst
d the fish

I hooked

» ><i

5 grilse and killed 4 of them before cifi;ht o*clock.
The Rev. Father Suars has resided on the river for
13 years, and has done much for the country and the

1.1

This fine river drains all the Codroy valley, and;
r much rcjjrct that my hurried visit and the tempes-
tuous weather prevented me from explorinj^ it further.

Immediately to the eastward of Cape Ray is the
beautiful river called Grand Bay Brook, containing,
salmon andtrout of enornious si^e ; there is some
good land about two miles from the sea, and a few'
settlers have. established themselves thereon. The
river winds through a fine grass country for a couple,
of. miles or so, and there are three lovely falls be-
tween its source and the sea; the best land and the.
best fishing is between the 2nd and 3rd falls from,
the sea. ...

Eastward of Port-au-Basque the land becomes
niore .barren and mountainous, and there is but little
cultivation, except in a small way, such as may be,
seen at Ship Cove, in the Bay: of Despair, where
there is a settlement of 75 souls, who chiefly follow
agricultural pursuits; they possess some good land,
and raise horned stock, and in the vWnter time they,
make hoops and staves for barrels, which they trade
to St. Pierre.

, . G^NpRAL Remarks. , .;. . .

The yearnow drawing to a close, 1881, has been
fruitful in events of vital importance to the future
prosperity of Newfoundland.

'.».'■■

■ \

i .Y.

|iwi-'*-

. it t > ^ -4 V^

I 'i .54

ns2>.

I Iiave already alluded to the mineral wealth
of the Island, which may be said to be inexhaus-

tible.

The Imperial Government seem to be at last
alive to the cruel injustice of permitting the valuable
resources of the country to be paraly;{ed by the ope"
ration of obsolete treaties, and the Colonial Govern-
ment is now authori:;cd to make grants of land and
issue mining licenses on any part of the Coast, sub-
ject to such reservations as will secure the French
in their fishery rights.

The immediate result of this measure will be a
rapid increase in the population of the West and
N. E. Coasts, (notably the latter, where m9st of the
minerals are found), and the appointment of Ma-
gistrates will guarantee that the law is observed
amongst the settlers and the rights of the French
be respected.

There is no question also that thel^ailway which
has been commenced will confer an inestimable boon '
on the country, although like many enterprizes of
the kind it may not appear a profitable one at first
sight. The mere fact of the employment it will give
to many hundreds of starving people is in itself a
blessing of no small moment, and the advantage of
opening up a portion of the country, hitherto un-
known and valueless, can hardly be over-estimated.
It has been said that the terms on which the Rail,
way is to be made are advantageous only to the Con-

L8t

i)le

pc-

:vn-

and

iub-

;nch

be a
and
>{ the
Ma-
served
?rench

ii" ^ '

P

'.!•

tractors, who thus become possessed of large tracts
of land ; but as the Company propose to encouratjfe
the settlement of the land in question, which is ut
present of no use to anyone, and it is evident that
they cannot make away with it, I cannot see how
such an arranp;ement can be otherwise than ad-
vantageous to the country as well as to the Con-
tractors.

Thus, for the first time in the annals of New-
foundland, does there seem a prospect of the wealth
of the country being developed, and in my humble
opinion a bright future lies before it.

W. R. Kennedy.

' • • *»* ■ T •* ■

■'■.\.i\r.'

y.- r

I H

>• ..-

f.. ,lte*

which

ie boon

rizes of

lat first

rill give

itself a

itage

of

jrto un-
Imated.
Rail-
Ithe Con-

THE END.

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