IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) / / {/ :A O ,<- c^ i/x (/. 1.0 I.I 1.25 «- IIIIM |50 t IZ 112.0 M 2.2 1.8 1.4 1.6 V] <^ //y. ^f "^" % VJ A. .^\'^ # C^J >i y >^ r^^v (V c^-^ \\ ♦» *> » % V ' 3err6 (peut causer de I'ombre ou de la dit.*ortion le long de la marge intdrieuro^ D D Show through/ Transparence Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes M in up be fol D Additional comments/ Commentaires suppl6mentaires Bibliographic Notes / Notes bibliographiques n Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Bound with other material/ Reli6 avec d'autres documents n Pagination incorrect/ Erreurs de pagination PagHS missing/ Des pages manquent D D Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque Plates missing/ Des planches manquent D Maps missing/ Des cartes gdographiques manquent Additional comments/ Autograph presentations precede title page. Commentaires suppldmentaires The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetd de rexemplaire filmd, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol —^(meaning CONTINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever appiies. The original copy was borrowed from, and filmed with, the kind consent of the following institution: National Library of Canada Un des symboles suivants apparaltra sur la der- nidre image de chaque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — •► signifie "A SUIVRE". le symbole y signifie "FIN". L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grfice it la gdndrositd de I'dtablissement prdteur suivant : Bibliothdque nationalc du Canada Maps or plates too large to be eitirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper l«ft hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes ou les planches trop grandes pour dtre reproduites en un seul clich6 sont film^es d partir de Tangle supdrieure gauche, de gauche d droite et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Le diagramme suivnnt illustre la mdthode : 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 "ns 1 9i 'I ,J^ytJje.^^t^^ ^f^^jL^^ K^,^^^<^ )k^^ \ -/^ "^ M A-^Ca tAu^ 1%^-^*^ "^ • '^- 9l/cuMo^ (P^, {loffuJ- 3l-''f±i Siliim CARinou Shooting IN NEWFOUNDLANI ): With a Ilisroijv of EiNijland's Oi.dkst ( V)r>oxY Fjt( M 1001 TO 1S05. 15 Y s. "r. i)Avi«, ivi. j>. ( SJIONCJO. ) t-5 LANCASTER, PA. 'HIK NKW ERA l'KJXTIN(; UOVSll 1Sfoi'<' scttino' out for its distant slioros, and of .the nnccrlainly wliicli surrounded every niove- nicnt after tlie start was made, as w(dl as the unneeessar3^ ex- j)ensc inenrred for want of a rrliahle itinerary, we coneeived tlu' idea of furnisliinnj in compact form just tlu^ information our party was most anxious to secure, and only obtained at an exorl>itant price, and after repeated disjipjtointments. Our liistorical notes were largely gathered from an excellent little work entitled ^'Newfoundland as it is in 1894," hy the acknowledged historian of the Island, Kev. M. Harvey, of St. John's, whose aj)pended letter explains itself: St. John's, X. F., December lOtli, 18hter of the ''Harps" — The Sealing (iun — Dis- Distanee Measured by ''Gunshot " — Salmon — Herrinji; — Lobster. CHAPTER W — A(;hici'lturk in Newfoundland 44 The Soil Nc — Council ol lli^'lici' IMucatioii. ('HAITKU JX.— Tkanspohtatiov (IS U'oiids unknown to Ilarlv Settlers— Scllisli Tolicy of the Motlicr Country- I'enees and Cliiiiineys rrifliihited -Kel'oi.ni l»e^in.s in 1H1:J i'irst l»'oad in Is-.'.T—K'oad (IraiiMn 1^:5-3— K'oad I'.uild- iny leads to Diseovciy of Minerals ~\'isions of U'ailways Loom- in;; up — Sir William Wliileway's Sehemc- I''iist K'ailway Con- tract in 1*^x1 — l-'iist Sod Cut — In tlie Hands of a Iveeeixcr. Clian;;i; of (Joveiinnent and K'ailway . tersion — Sir William A^rain at tlio Helm — A New Survey— .sortlier" and Western ii'ailway — K'ailway IOxlcnsi(»n means moic ( 'ommon Roads — Mail liy K'ailway K'oiite of K'ailwa.s — Newfoundland no L(tii;;('r an Island. CIIAITi:i{ X.— Tin; Ahokkjinks S4 The IJeothiks, or " Ked Indians" — Their Condition when Dis- covered — A Powerful and Warlike Teople — A Change comes over Their Hreams 'i'heir Decadence— The K'acc Ilxtinct — ^A ^lelan- choly I'ind The I'irst White Man to Si^iht Newfoundland. White Men liand on the Island — From Eij^liteen to Two JIundred Thousand. (MIArTKK XI.— Prkparatioxs for thh Tkii' Dl Too Many Caribou in Mr. llollxrtson's Article — Our Friend (Joes to New ^'ork and K'eturns with l'ui)ils Dilated — " Kichard Le I'.ulTe, Hall's IJay, Notre Dame Bay, N. F."— The Cree Stove as Anu'iided — Cooking; I'tensils, vU-., i)acke(l in Stove — 15aji- lia^i'c Kestrietions — What We Carried — The Medicine Chest — (iuns and Ammunilion — The Protean Tent. CHAPTER XII.— From Xkw A^ohk to St. John's 105 }Iow to ffet to Newfoundland — Red Cross Line — The Silvia and Portia— Tinu' 'uvhle and Kates of Fare — No Duty and Twenty Feet for Ba^i^^a^ie — Marchin;; Orders — Mistake No. 1 — On I'.oard the Portia — Oil" to the North — Halifax — Fog oil' Cape UMin — Away to St. John's. ClIAPTER XIIL— The Capital and Its Skjiits 114 At St. .Tohn's — The Stars and Strii)s l\aised on Our Hotel — A Hos])ital»le City — Mistake No. 2 — (iame Laws of Newfoundland. The Stipendiary Ma;;istrate — The License — Purchasing Supplies. i:ight .Men for Twenty Days— Two Dollars a Day— "J)ry," Packing for Cache— Mistake ' No. ;{— K'uKher " the only Wear." Seeing the City — The Narrows — A Jiand-locked Harbor — The City. Kelative J)istj'nce.s — TLe Museum — The Cathedral — Parliament House — (^uidi V^idi. .ijiijat'ftiTf.^' IJ.ST OF Il.l.rSTIiA'I'lONS. CJIAI'TKH XIV.— Oik i ok tiii; Hint i:;? Noitliwiiid '.'10 Miles Mor»' — Airiviil at I'illc.v's Islaiitl Itown Hall's I'.a.v ill llic Nipkin — Mistake N«». I 'llolel l,e I'.iilTe. 'The ( iiiide and His I'aiiiily — l'\»r\\ailack Caril)on moss as it occurs on tree trunks and branches winter food when snow is deep 28 8. rtarmi«;an or Willow (Irouse in mottled coat fall of year :{() 9. Harvest time on the banks :>,■) 10. Curinj; Cod at Harbor Briton 37 11. Harp Seal less than fourteen days old with sealinji; jiun 40 12. Leading tickels, a stiniple coast town 45 115. Section of settlement at Pilley's Island Pyrities mine 50 14. The Cree Stove, Avhicli as improved, makes the best camp stove known 95 15. Cany-all with carrying strap attached 98 16. Author's convenient tool case 100 HKI I I ■ P^^P"^"^""li^J I LIST Ol'^ II.LrSTKATIONS 17. IH. 15). 2{). 21. 22. 2:?. 21. 25. 2(5. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. —■ ri-y- Tlie Ifall combination rifle and sliot<;un 102 The Conistock one-pok' Trotcan tent lOl S. S, Portia, at her dock, Halifax, Nova Seotia Ill License SlOO.OO and 100 cents 121 An oh' view of St. Jc n's 126 Fort Andierst 128 St. .Tohivs Imrnt district after tire of 1892 129 The Catholic Cathedial 132 Church of Knj-land Cathedral 132 Parliament 1 lonse. 1 34 ( Jovernnient House ] 34 Quidi Vidi 135 Two old native sjilts 138 Hotel Le BulTe, Hall's Bay 141 Our native cjirriers and jiiude 144 Our Cal)in on th" Bijj; Marsh 146 "The Doctor's Pdind " 150 "Indian Jim" 153 The "Kid's" Trophies of the Hunt 158 Wm. I'aul — Micmac Indian 1(52 Wm. Paul's Sister 163 Battered Bullets 169 Kepler and the King 175 The King 177 Le Biiffe and the Emi^eror 186 The Feet of the Emperor 187 Tlie Author and His First Prize 18H Leaving Grandfather's Lookout 190 riie Exliibi tion Stag 193 Keplor's Specimens 195 Arriving at the Foot of AVest I'ond 196 Hugging the South Shore of West Pond in a Storm 198 Stuck on the Rocks at " Devil's Elbow " 198 Curing Hides and lieads at Le BulTe's Storehouse 201 The Silvia Waiting in Pilley's Island Harbor 204 Coast of Labrador as seen from Ship in Straits of Belle Isle 206 mmt "••■-' -^ "■- CARIBOU SHOOTING L\ i\EWFOUXl)LANI). CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTIOX. Outings a Necessity to Brain AVorkers— '^ Can't Afford It ''— How to Kaise the Wind— Transmute Smoke into Gold- Consolidate your '' Days off," and Have Something to Show for Them— Longer Life and More in It. HILE the forests and fauna of tlie Nortli American continent steadily decrease from f^i^^^^l y<-"ii' to year, the army of ''outers" and so- called sportsmen increases still more rapidly— from Presidents occnpying the highest office in the gift of tlie people, to farmers' sons— through all the learned professions and tradespeople — rounding up with the ^'pot" or market hunter who kills hoth in and out of season, Avhenever and wherever an opportunity otters. For the past twenty years it has heen the author's custom to take an outing of from lour to six weeks every year; and for A'arious reasons he has pitched his tent or built his cabin or lean-to in many sections of our great country. In all of these delightful trips 2 (9) g_ 10 CAKIBOU SHOOTING IX NEWFOUNDLAND. ho has been accompanied \)y from one to three boon companions, and tlie locahties visited have ranged from the interior of Newfoundland in the north to the sand-dunes and pahnetto swamps waslied by the warm waters of the (hilf in the soutli, and westAvard to the shores of the placid Pacific. As these pilgrimages have extended into seventeen States and Territories and the Dominion of Canada, he lias learned much from practical experience witli regard to the haunts and habits of our native game and hslies — from tlie ungainly moose, noble elk and caribou, to the diminutive chipmunk, and from the Silver King to the sprightly suntisli. The note-book and camera have always been close companions, and as Time's wheels roll on they afford much pleasure, in recalling to mind many incidents of our sports afield. Born and reared as he was among the mountains of central Pennsylvania, where half a century ago game was plentiful, and where, under the tutelage of his now venerable father — who is yet an ardent s})orts- man, though in his eighty-second year — he learned the use of the rod and gun at a very tender age. Is it any Avonder, then, that when the sap begins to fall and the leaves to cliange color in the autumn, he be- comes restless under the yoke of arduous professional ^ 'if'l HINTS TO BKAIX-WOlMvKIJS. 11 (lutic'S, uikI anxious to seek ''the luilntat of fin, fur and feather" — tliere to break tliat fatal strain on tlic nervous system from the daily routine of work and worry wliieh lias hurried so many good men to ].)re- mature graves. HINTS TO r.RAIN-WORKEKS. If hrain-workers as a elass would take less '^ ner- vines," elubs and l)an([uets, and stick to three square meals a day of well-eooked, healthful food, witli an outing of from four h^ six weeks out of the fifty-tAVo, the country at large would be benefited, and wo would ha\x' better lawyers, doctors and divines, brighter students and more successful merchants. It would l)e improper in the introduction to this narrative to dwell at length upon the importance of out-door sports to brain- workers, and indeed to all whose pursuits recj^uire them to draw upon nerve force, especially in-doors, day in and out, like automata. The unanimous verdict is stereotyped and familiar to all that "all Avork and no play makes Jack a dull boy." ''Yes," said a friend since my return, ''I would en- joy an outing to Newfoundland to the fullest extent, and would be benefited in many ways. I, too, love the rippling brook, the majestic river, real land- i .] ;ii XI 'M 12 CAKIliOr SHOOTING IX XKWForNDLAND. scapes, towcrin.i;' mountains, the pure In-acing atnios- pliere, and to lioat on the ocean waves; ijut alas! I cannot atlord such an outing. Jt is not 'too rich for my blood,' but for my purse — there's the rub. I get just that far, mid the l)arrier is so great tliat, crest- fallen, I give up in despair, and take a day oif here and there. Three or four times diu'ing the summer I go to the river for a day's tisliing for bass, and as often I run down to the beach, spending one or two days at a time there. This, with an occasional slioot with the clulj at inanimate targets, makes up about all the re- creation I can afibrd, unless you can put me on a plan by which I can take a better outing — conscious as I am of the fact that the 'day at a time' outing is of very little benefit, inasmuch as 1 must work all the harder to make u}) lor the day or two of temporary absence." Knowing nw friend's income, habits, home life and inclinations, as well as his oft-exj)ressed desire to accompany me on one of my annual outings, I was not long in obtaining his permission to be inter- viewed, and assured of correct replies to such ques- tions as 1 might ask, with a view of his ''raising the wind," and enabling him to take an outing from which he could derive some permanent benefit. ''Read}^? Here goes! How many extra or unne- cessary meals do you take and pa}' for at the club or i . . . ...:«••■«« TKANSMUTE S:\r()KE INTO GOLD. 13 ^ restaurant during the course of a year, and wliat do they cost?" ''At a low estimate fifty, and at a cost of not less than seventy-five cents each." ''Fifty meals at seventy-five cents eacli equal $37.50. Do you smoke, and if so wliat?" "Yes, I smoke four ten-cent cigars a da3\" "Well, as a rule, the difference between a ten-cent cigar and one for five cents, as they are found in tlie market, is simply the difference in the price. If you nuist smoke four cigars a day, cast about and save twenty cents a day, or seventy-tiu'ee dollars a year, by smoking a good five-cent cigar. Or, better'still, ()ne dozen Creme ( lambier French clay pipes will cost fifty cents; six cents will purchase sufficient rubber tubing to tip tlie stcMus; one pound of Vindex or Seal of Nortli Carolina sjiioking tobacco will fill your pipe four times a day for forty days, and ten pounds will last you a year, at an expense of about five dollars and fifty-five cents, saving on tlie cigar-smoking at forty cents a day »140.45, or if you buy them at wholesale, say .flOO.OO on tliis one ^ extra.' And by using eitlier of these brands of smoking tobacco you will liave a milder, sweeter smoke than you can pos- sibly obtain from tlie general run of cigars, and with vastly less enervating effect on the general healtli ; ^jggf^jjgmmijsijiam 14 CAKlBOl- SIKJOTIXG JX XEWFOIXDLAND. besides, you escape tlie dangers lurking in the small end of the eigai- (unless you use a S'noker). "Now, you say you take a day oil' about four times a summer to go bass-lishing. On an average, what does it cost you on one of those trips? " "\\\^\], raih-oad fare or horse hire, boatman, bait, etc., about $5.00 • day, or $20.00 a year." ''And four times in the season you run down to the seashore, which takes two days each trip, or eight days in all. \\1iat do those trips cost?" ''Well, al)()ut 115.00 each, or JOO.OO for the year." "Now, juy friend, I kno^v you take a glass of whiskey occasionally, and that you take your beer in the evening. Give me some idrn of what you expend for drinks for self and friends." "Well, 1 will frankly say that I kept a memoran- dum once for several months, and was astonished to lind that I was paying out on an average hfty cents a day, or about $180.00 a year, for my drink habit." " Unless you are very sure that you are much bene- fited by this outlay, you would do Avell to consider the propriety of investing tlie same amount in some other enterprise, and I would suggest that it be added to the outing fund. "This is not all; you inform me that you are a member of a gun club. Plow often do you shoot 'iii CONSOLIDATE YOUK' "DAYS OFF." 15 will I it, aii'l on an iivcragc lio\v much does caeli shoot cost you?" 'M .-hoot, I prosuuio, (3n an average, ahout ten times a year, and after I pay for shells and incidentals, in- cluding losses in races in which the other fellow hits oftener than I do, say tive dollars, or $50.00 a year." ''Let's see what this all amounts to: $37. 50 for extra meals during the year; #100.00 for smoking; f 20.00 for fishing; $00.00 for trips to the shore; |1 80.00 fur drinks, and $50.00 for the shooting cluh — making a total of $447.50, or nearly $1.25 for each day in the year. This is the way money goes for that for wliich we have nothing to show. I have heen there, and as you see, know just how it is. I also know that from $250.00 to $300.00, if properly ex- pended, will defray all the expenses of a grand outing of from six weeks to two months to any point in the United States, Canada or Newfoundland, and with all the advantages and comforts of fii'st-class t^'avel, leav- ing a halance for extras and some trophies of the chase which money could not purchase, and wliich are ever a source of pleasure and instruction as speci- mens of Natural Plistory, and positive evidence of one's })rowess and skill with the gun. '' Now, my friend, you see where the money comes from which pays the expenses of my outings. You m^ mgss 10 CAKIBOi: 81IOOTINCi IN NEWFOUNDLAND. drop oil nr. average -11^1.25 a day in liaving what is generally considenul to bo a good time, and in wliat the boys call 'sowing their wild oats.' Try (h'o|)[>ing 81) cents into vonr outing fund, and at the end of tlie year you will liave tlie 3onifortal)le sum of ¥202.00, out of wliieli you can get more sohd fun and grand sport in the Island of Newlbundhmd than ever you dreamed of, and von will still have fortv-five cents a day for creature comforts — which is found to be ami)le for a goodly number of the outing fraternity, and is as much and even more than thousands of g(^od, in- dustrious citizens earn." It is to be hoped that the reader will not be led to think that the auth(jr is i)Osing as a reformer, from this prelude to the description of an outing which for variety and satisfactory results eclipsed any among the many in years gone by. At the same time, it does none of us any harm to have our little shortcomings alluded to, and especially where experience has proven the correctness of the criticism ; for there is scarcely any doul)t that many of those who peruse these pages Avill recognize the picture in this introduction, and if but few do as the author has long since dono' — change front — the battle may last longer, but the outcome will be more satisfactory, and certainly the outings will be more numerous and beneficial. (MI APTKR II. IMIVSU'AL Fi:ATri{KS <)K \ K\VF( )r N ni.AM). Its Geoftrapliical l*()sitiou — Comparative Size — Form — Coast Aspect — Tlie Interior — Mountain Chains — Kivers — Lakes and I'onds — Baj^s. AVING endonvoivd to ('(^nvince the rcadur of the Viilue, (jxi^n ncccssitv, of an occiisional outing to the prolongation and enjoyment of life, he is now to be made acquainted witli the scene of our last, and in many resi)ects most succtessful ex- periment in that line — the Island of Newfoundland. The world in general outside of this, the tenth in size of the islands of the world, knows but little of it ; and if graduates of high schools and academies were to be re(|uired to tell all they know about it the an- swer would ])e Hmited to its geographical })ositi()n, number of square miles, something about the banks, codfish, seals, snow, ice and fog ; and perhaps inform you that the ca})ital is, or was, St. John's. Newfoundland is England's oldest colony, and lies off the east coast of Nortli America, and directly across the Gulf of St. liaAvrence. Its southwestern ( 17 ) 18 CAWinof SIIOOTINc; in XKWForNNLWI). extminity apin'oacbos within 50 miles of Caju' I^rc- ton, while its most castoi'ly projoctioii is but M'Ai) miles from N'alentia, on the coast (>\' Ireland. It is situated between 4(;° 'MY 50" and 51° IV,)' north lati- tude, and between 52° 37' and 51)° 24' 50" west lon.<;i- tude. its greatest length, from Cape Kay io Cape v', PT. JOHN'S, THE CAPITAL. Norman, is 317 miles ; its greatest breadth, from Cape Spear to Cape Anguille, 31G miles; and its total area about 42,000 square miles. The best idea of its extent is obtainable by comparison with other coun- tries Avith Avhich Ave are familiar. For example, it is almost as large as the State of NeAV York, twice the size of NoA^a Scotia, one-third lar2;er than NeAv Bruns- m •m I Tin: COAST. I 'J i wick, <)ii('-si\tli larger tliau Iivland, lliivc linios as lariio as Holland, and twice as larii:c as Donmavk. Its liii'iirc roiiii'ldy ai)[)roa('hcs an ccjnilatci'al lrian,Lilc. (^^cc nia[).) Two large peninsulas project from the main hody of the island : one *)f these (Petit Xord) [)oints noilhwards, and is long and narrow; the other is the peninsula of Avalon, i)ointing southeast, an«l almost severed from the mainland — the c" miles long and ()4 siiuaiv miles in area. Gander Lake and l)eei' liake occupy 33 and 24 S(|uare miles res[)eetively. Sandv Lake, N'ictoria, I Finds, Terra Nova and Georue I^^ Lakes raidc next in size. The shores of many of these iakes, as well as the fertile vallexs throngji I SCENE ON GRAND LAKE. which the rivers flow, are as yet ahsohite solitudes, the very existence of which was until recently almost unknown. THE BAYS. Of the many hays ah'eady alluded to, the following deserve special mention : 24 CAianOU SHOOTING IN NEWFOUNDLAND. St. Mary's ])ay is '2~) iniks wi(k' at its nioutli and .j5 miles long, Avith two .uTcat arms, Salmonici" and Col- inot, l)otli of which strctcli still farther into the inte- rior. J^lacentia Jjav is 55 miles wide and 1)0 miles lonji'. Fortune ]3av is 25 miles wide and 70 in length, with numerous arms, the most important of which are ])av D'J'^snoir, Hermitajie liav and C'onnaiiii'e liav. At the entrance of Fortune J>ay are the two islands of St. Pierre and Mi(|uelon, cedcMJ hv treaty to France for the shelter of her tishermen, and now all that re- mains to France of tlie vast possessions she once held in North America, and this she holds to the creat detriment of the Newfoundkniders. Around Way St. George, which is 4(.) miles wide at its mouth, with a good harhor at its head, are some of the most fertile valleys on the island, with fine forests of timl)er and coal-helds of large anni. Ba}^ of Islands has three hne arms running 20 miles inland, and here is located an extensive herring fishery. Notre Dame Bav is 50 miles Avide at its mouth, and ]"uns iidand 80 miles. ( )n its shores are famous cop- per mines which have heen worked with marked suc- cess, as well as the Pilley's Island Pyrites mine, which is now Ijeing worked at a great profit to the syndicate owning the j>lant. Pilley's Island is in the mouth of Notre Dame Bay and the point from which an arm tm THE BAYS. 25 I known as Hall Bay extends 25 miles into the interior in a southwesterly direction. Our expedition left the ship at this [)oint, and reached the White Hills from the head of Hall's J^av. S. S. AVALOX TAKING PYRITES ORE AT PILLEY's ISLAND. 3 nMMMaili m ITE FAUNA of XewfoundlaiKl will be next ^^^^ '^^'i^'% toucliod upon. Aiiioiig tliu indigen- tf^^'^^^^^ <>^^^ aninuds, the Woodland (Ji'niHpfrr Cari- hoii) (Caribou or lioindoor liolds a conspicuous place, as the island contains more of these noblo animals than any other country in the world. Tliey migrate regularly to the soutlieastern and nortli western ''por- tions of the island, passing the winter montlis in the soutli, wliere "browse" is plentiful ajid the snow not too deep to prevent them from o])taim'nj'- tlie moss and lichens on the lower grounds and upon which they principally feed the year round. Jn March they begin their spring migration to tlie mountains and barrens of the northwest Nvhere, in May and June, they bring forth tlieir young. As soon as the forests of October begin to nip the vegetation, they begin to ' ( 26 ) .■>* CHAPTKrv irr. Fauna of tlie Islands-Caribou or Reinaeer-Its Migrations- Bear, Wolves and Smaller Aninials-Tlie Xewfoundland Dog— His Degeneracy— Birds— The Ptarmigan— Flora- Forests of the Gander-Exploits and Ilumber River Dis- tricts— Timber and Lumber Operations— Berry-bearin Plants. g i %. ITS MKMIATIOX. 27 TC graze toward tlii^ soiitli ; lionce from tlu^ middle of Sei)tomlK'r until the same time in Xovemlu'r is tlio best time tor stalking, when at times they ean be seen AVIIITE GROUND CARHJOU MOSS UPON AVHICH THEY FEED IN THE ABSENCE OF SNOW. ;s ) on the marshes in great herds, containing frequently more than a hundred. The time of migration de- pends somewhat on the frosts and snows in the north, as an early snow will cause the deer to start; but if ^ ^ 28 CAKIBOr 8ir()0TIN0 IX XEWFOINDLAND. tlu' weather beeonies warm tliey call a lialt and re- main in the neighborhoud wliere tlie warm weather sets in, and at times tliey graze nortliward, resuming 1 BLACK CARIBOU MOSS AS IT OCCORS ON TREE TRUNKS AND BRANCHES. WINTER FOOD WHEN SNOW IS DEEP. •■1 ■1^ IHMilll t^lWVtf TlIK r.IRDS. 29 '<% I ■p. I i their soutliward Journey wlieii tlie weather beeomes colder. There are bears, wolves and other animals, in addi- tion to the caribou, which is the only member of the deer family on the island. The black bear and wolf are abundant in the interior, especially the former, and in addition the black, grey, silver and red fox ; also beaver, otter, Arctic hare. North American hare, weasel, bat, rat, mouse and muskrat. The famous Newfoundland dog is still to be met with, though good specimens are few and far between, and those expecting to make a purchase had better consult one of the many kennels in the United States, wdiere there is an opportunity of making a selection. The Newfoundland dog of to-day is a degenerate mongrel, good for nothing except to drag a heavy clog during the summer, and the sledge during the winter months. There are no frogs, toads, snakes, lizards or any other reptiles on the island. BIRDS. It is estimated that there are 300 species of birds in the island, most of which are migratory. Among them are the eagle, hawk, owl, woodpecker, swallow, kingfisher, six species of flycatchers and a like num- ber of thrushes, warblers, finches, ravens and jays. ISf^SS^WIB^. wsm ^fa 30 CAIMIJor ,SII(M)TL\(; IN NEW1'(UM)L.\M). '^J'lic ptaniiiiiJin, or willow uroiisc, is vcrv abundant and is the lincst i;anu' hird on the island. Thcv aro al)out tlie sizL' of the ])hL'asant or rulllcd grouse ol' the FEMALE. MALE. PTARMIGAN OR WILLOW GROUSE IN MOTTLED COAT FALL OF YEAR. 1- 'i States, though not sucli rapid flyers, and furnish line sport, and tlieir flesli is all tliat could be wished for — juicy, sweet and tender. In summer tliev are of a reddish brown, but in winter almost Avhite, Avith I Tin: TLOIJA. 31 fcatlicrs to tlicir toe nails. Tlic rock [)tanmi;an is t'oimd in tlic hi^ulicsl and most iKiiTcn |)orti(>ns of tiic island, tlion,uli not in such ^'ivat numbers as the wil- low grouse or ptarmi,uan, which is found in all parts. KLOKA. The i)ine, spruce, hirch, juni[)er and larch of the forests in the interior furnish amj)le material for a large lumber trade, as well as for shipbuilding [)ur- poses. The white pine grows from a height of from seventy to eighty feet in some sections, and attains a diameter of from three to four feet. Tiie mountain ash, l)alsam j)oi)lar and aspen thi'ive well, and ever- ureens are in endless variety. Tlie Geological Report of the (Jander lliver district estimates the available pine limits here at 850 square miles, including the valley of the ( lambo and Triton River and the country alonir the south side of the lake and across to Freshwater Bay. Most, if not all, the pine here lofei'red to is of the white variety — PInu.'i strohici — probably the most valuable species for the manufacture of lundjer. The same authority says that between the Grand Falls and Badger Brook on both sides of the Exploits River pine flourishes lux- uriantl}^ ; these reaches also display a fine growth of other varieties of timber, and at some points, and es- wmssM W| CAIUHOU SHO(yri\(J IX NKWrolNDLAM). peciiiUy iibovo tlic forks of Sandy lU'ook, white birch atttiins II vory hirgu size. The souriicrii sitU^ of the Exploits presents an un- broken dense forest in a series of gentle undulations for nianv miles, and from the Victoria River to the head of Red Indian Lake the country is well timbered throughout. The valley of the 1 ruml)er is richly woodinl, and here lumbering operations have been carried on for many years on an extensive scale. Here Tamarack or juni- per, yellow birch, wiiite pine and spruce grow in pro- fusion, and to a size very little inferior if not equal to the best that is now brought to market at Gaspe and otlier parts of the Lower Province of Canada. Berry-bearing plants are found distributed over the whole of the island and in great variety, among which may be mentioned straw^berries, raspberries, capillaire, partridge berries, bakeapple and ''hurtz" or blueber- ries, which can be gathered in the immediate vicinity of every settlement. ■k .Ik. HHftiSHai CHArTEU IV. THK KISIIKKIKS. Al)inulance of Trout and Salmon — " No Fish" except the Cod, in Native Parhince — Codfisli the Stapki Export — Yohinie of the Business — A Permanent Industry — Arctic Current slime feeds the small fishes, they feed the Cod, the Cod feeds Man — Seal Fisheries — Slaughter of the " Harps " — The Sealing Gun — Distance measured by " Gunshots '' — Salmon — Herring — Lol )ster. ilvlUrAI*S tluTO is no ])lace on this earth where iishes are as plentiful as in and around ^1 Newfoundland. In every rivulet, river, lake» pond or puddle of Avater, no matter where found, trout and salmon abound, and in season the angler cannot fail to get a strike and is ofttimes rewarded with six to seven pound '^speckled beauties," and salmon weighing as nuich as fifteen pounds. These fish, coming out of the })ure cold spring water with rock bottom, are of superior flavor ; but fine as they are, the natives do not regard them as fish, as the Mlo^ving incident will illustrate. On our way into the interior, part of our route was over a lovely pond five miles long by about three-fourths of a mile wide. We had (33) . •I* mmufia :;i f'AK'inor SiroOTTNG TN NKWForNDr.AXI). made an early start and left the (not of tlie |)()nd just as d;iy was lu'eakin^'. We liad not jji'oceeded far when the writer th(Hi,i;ht he could oeeasionally see tlie watei' break witli a splasli in close proximity to the canoe. Seate Tl IC CM 1 lisli icncs MMtnc liTcat l\' cxc tl tliost' ot'anv other coiuitrv in the world. The annual avera,i;(^ export of this valuahle lish is about l,,sr)(),()0() (piintals ot" Jl'J |)oiui(ls \vei,i;ht. 'I'he Dominion i)i' Canada exj)orts an avera.ii'e of 4oll,(lO<) (juintals and HAKVJKr TIME OX THE iJANKS. Norway 751, OOO (|uintals. Tlie whole Norwegian catch averae 185,000,000; and yet this enor- mou.^ annual draft on these extensive fishing grounds has been going on for centuries without exhausting the supply. A PERMANENT INDUSTRY. The Arctic Current, wliich washes the shores of Labrador and Newfoundland, is laden with food on which the cod lives and thrives, and brings with it a iiever-fliiling supply for its sustenance. So flir from being unfavorable to the production of life, the Arctic seas and the great rivers wliich they send forth are swarming with minute forms of life, constituting in ' many places '^a living mass, a vast ocean of hving shme." Swarms of minute crustaceans, annelids, and mollusca feed on this slime and in their turn become food for tlie larger marine animals even up to the giant whale; and curiously enough, this ocean sHme is most abundant in the coldest waters, and especially in the neighl)orhood of ice-fields and icebergs. Thus the great current in the ocean, which rushes out of Baffin Bay, carrying on its bosom myriads of icebergs and washing the shores of Labrador and Newfound- land, is swarming with these minute forms of marine life from the minute crustacean and the crab and prawn together, with the molluscous animals and star- KM ^■ki A PERMANENT INDUSTKY. 37 fisli ill [)rufusi()n, wliicli (•()iitril)Utu to the support of the grent schools of cod wliicli find their home there. .Vstomuhng are these great processes of nature I The vast battahons of icebergs, the terror of mariners, sailing i)ast these sliores and often anchoring on La))- rador and in the bays of Newfoundland, bring with CURING COD AT HARBOR BRITON. them the slime food on which the almost microscopic crustaceans live. These in turn furnish food for the caplin, the squid and the herring, which Avith nuilti- tudes of other species are food for the voracious cod. When the cod is assimilated b}^ man this great circle is complete: the big fishes devour the little fishes, and we have another evidence of the '^ survival of the fittest." ESBfi^Bii 38 CAlilROU SHOOTINO IN' XKWFOl-XDI.AND. ^" loiig US die Arctic Current CMtim.cs t.. fl„w tl,o bank, and tl,o wato.>. about tl,e island „f Newtbuu.l- land ^vlll teen, with cod. F.,r nearly 400 vears, cod hslnng luis been prosecuted regularly, and' has su„- l.l.ed tl,e chief export of the country. The fish be^nu t" appear „n the coast about tlie first of J„ne^,t ^vlnch time they lea^■e the deep water for the warmer aud sliallower waters near shore to deposit their ^IKUvn Then- approach is heralded by the beautiful trun httle caplin, a fish about seven inches long aud wh.ch comes in schools sufficient to give the water the a(,pearance of a squirming „,ass, filling every nook and corner in the bays, fiords, anus and inte,-- stices of the rock-bouud coast. The cod follow iu then- „-ake aud gorge themselves with the little fish, <• "-Inch they arc very fond, so they furnish the elio.cest bait. In about six weeks the caplin .lisap- pear and their place is taken by the squid about the hi-st of August. They are followed bv the herring w uch remain until about the un.hlle or end of Oc- tober, when the cod fishing season ends. THU SEAL FISHING. Next to the cod fishing in value comes that of the seal, which has bee,, prosecuted for about ninety years only-the natives being so industriously en- THE SEAL FISHINCI. 39 gaged ill cod fisliing that tlioy neglected tlie oleagi- nous treasures to be obtained froni the seal, which the ice-fields yearly Ijrouglit witliin tlieir reacli; so the great lierds were left to bring fortli their young amid tlie ic^y solitudes, undisturbed by the murderous gun, club and knife of the seal liunters. To-day, liowever, tilings are dillereiit, and tlie nurseries of countless mother seals are transformed into slaughter-fields, red with the blood of their murdered darlings, slain in their icy cradles. The young seals are born on the ice which the Arctic Current carries past the shores from the fifteenth to the twentieth of February, and until they are two weeks old they are as white as snow and called ''liar|)s." Wdieii ten chiys old thev -I- ty •/ begin to change color and become in a short time of a dark In^own ; and as they grow very rai)idly and yield a much iiiu.'r quality of oil than the old ones, the ob- ject of the hunter is to reach them in their babyhood, while yet fed l)y their mother's milk, and when they are powerless to escape. So rapid is their growth that by the sixteenth of March they are in the best condition to be taken. By the first of April they be- gin to leave the ice and take to the wate., and can be no longer so easily captured. When a vessel reaches an ice-field, where the seals are visible, the men eagerly bound upon the ice, and the work of destruc- •^s^mmssm^ '■■ ■'■' ■ ■"-'■-■ ?S^S^#«^'. '"-»■' 40 CARIBOU SHOOTING IX XEWP^OUNDLAXD. tioii l)Ogins. These innocent animals are nsually fonnd around a water-liole or along tlie shore of an ice-field — hundreds of them, like soldiers in a row, Avith their pretty heads extending over the ice anx- iously looking for tlieir motliers. The hunter man- ages to get into a position at a point about sixty yards HARP SEAL LESS THAN FOURTEEN DAYS OLD WITH SEALING GUN. from one end of the line of heads and opens fire with his great sealing gun ; and as these guns are used in killing reindeer for his winter's meat, a description of them Avill be given in another chapter. As the distance at which this remarkable gun will do effective work in seal hunting has been forever set- THE SEAL FLSIIING. 41 tied, it is used us a standard among the natives, and slionld vou meet one on land or ice and malce in- <|uirv concerning tlie distance to a certain |)oint tlie answer would hi) one, two, tliree or four "gunshots, sir" — meaning 00, 120, 1(S() or 240 3-ards, as the case miglit be. Tliese guns, loaded with from four to six inches of powder and a handful of about No. .'^ buck- shot, make a formidable weapon, and as a rule kick backward almost as much as Ibrward; and as tliey frequently jum[) overboard into the water when fired from the small Ijoats, it is necessary to have them se- curely ftistened to one end of a stout rope, tlie other end being attached to the boat, so that tlie gun can be retrieved after the shot is tired, if it has attempted an escape to the briny deep. Of later years the killing is mostly done with a club, one end of which is armed with a gatf or hook — a light blow on the nose being sufhcient to stun tne animal. Instantly the scalping knife, which is ever ready in the l)elt, is brought into use, and in a few moments the carcass is quivering on the ice, stripped of its skin, to which the fat adheres. The pelts are then dragged to the ship over the ice and taken to port, where the skins and fat are sepa- rated, the former being salted for exportation, and the latter manufactured into oil at either 8t. John's or Harbour Grace, where all the seal oil is manufactured. V ; ■- ., 42 CARIBOU 8H00TING IN NEWFOUNDLAND. SALMON INDUSTUV. Nowhere are there any finer sahnon streams than those of Newfoundland; hut as no proper measures have been taken for their i)reservation, the average export for tlie past ten years has scarcely exceeded $1UO,()()().00. Barring tlie rivers and brooks with nets at the times when the fish are ascending to spawn, constructing weirs, traps and dams, sweeping the pools in the rivers with seine-nets, and night-spearing, have been carried on for generations by ignorant and reck- less persons, goaded on >y the greed of immediate gain; so that in the streams the salmon are almost exterminated, though in the lakes they are abundant, take the hook well, and in flavor compare favorably with those of any country. There is, however, a prospect that through the eftbrts of a Fish Commis- sion, which has lately been established, the streams Avill be opened up and the salmon will return to their old haunts. HERRING. Herring are plentiful and of the finest quality ; but as the cod is or has been the staple stock in trade, they too have been sadly neglected. Had the herring fishery been prosecuted with as much vigor as the cod, proper care bestowed on the curing and packing, and ^S jHH, LOBSTEIi. 43 the whole placed under proper regulations, it migiit to-day approach the cod fishery in value. The chief seats of herring fishing are F(jrtune, Placentia, St. George's, and Bay of Islands, and the average annual value is about as follows : Export, $358,359.00 ; sold to French and Americans for bait, $150,000.00; and allowing 73,000 barrels for home consumption at $3.00 per barrel, gives us a grand total of $727,359.00. LOBSTER. According to the last census (1891) there were then 340 lobster flictories, employing 4,807 persons. The report of the Department of Fisheries for 1893 states that the total number of lobster traps amounted to 87,720, and that there were caught 5,054,462 lobsters, from which number 26,214 cases of lobsters (each case containing forty-eight one-pound cans) were packed. These returns apply only to licensed facto- ries ; besides there were a large number of unlicensed fiictories on the French shore. The total value from 1888 to 1892, inclusive, was $2,067,408.00. afiiriiaMiawiiii jM I CIIAl^TKU V. I 1 AfiRICULTUKI-: JN i\E^VF()lJNI)LA^'^). f Tlu; Soil Neglected — I'alse Representations as to its Value — Delay in Development of Interior — The Geological Survey sets Things Kight— Fertile River Valleys — Farm Products in 181)1 — Domestic Animals. \'EN lip to u compiirativoly ivcont ])oriod, the iiiluibitants wcro so busily ongagod in tlio fishing in(histiy that no attention wliat- ever was paid to the cuUivation of tlie soil, and those who most profited by the arduous labors of the fisher- men, in order to keep them huddled along tlie rugged poast, assiduously taught them to regard the interior of the island as a hopelessly barren waste, unfit for the occupancy of man. That this is not the case has been clearly demonstrated by the geological survey. According to its reports, there are in the valleys on the weastern coast 1,320 square miles ^'perfectly capable of being reclaimed and converted into fairly produc- tive grazing and arable land," and these valleys are as a (44) ,\(;K'icrLTUKM': in nkwfoundland. 45 ■%.: LEADINO TICKELS, A SAMPLE COAST TOWN. rule well wooded. In the great valleys of the ( riinder, Gambo, Terra Nova and p]xploits there are 3,320 squai-e miles of land suitable for farming, the soil be- ing of a rich loam, composed of alluvial deposit and de- cayed vegetable matter. There are also many smaller fertile tracts around the heads of bays and lakes, and along the smaller streams, making in all not less than 5,000 square miles of land suitable for cultivation. The census of 1891 showed that only 179,215 acres were actually occupied, as follows : 64,494: acres of im- proved land, 20,524 acres in pasture, 21,813 acres in gardens, and 6,244 acres of improved land unoccupie(l. mmm wttu- 4(> CAIilBOl' SHOOTING IN NEWFOUNDLAND. FAH.Nf PFJODUCTS FOU ISOI. Tlio farm ^)roduct.s for 1(S!)1 arc shown by tlio statis- tical reports to anionnt to : 4i)l bushels wheat, (" $1.00 $491 12,900 bushels oats, @ .50 6,450 'U;,082 tons liay, @ $20.00 720,640 481,024 barrels potatoes, (^ $1.00 481,024 60,235 barrels turnips, @ $1 .00 60,235 86^411 barrels other roots, (^ $1.00 8(),411 401, 71() pounds butter, <^ij .20 83,343 154,021 pounds wool, ^ .20 30,804 Milk and vegetables <.)(),000 Total $1,562,3<)8 DOMKSTK" ANIMALS. If to this aggregate be added the value of the calves, sheep, swine, horses, goats and fowls raised during the same year, in round numbers $732,000.00, we have a grand total of $2,205,308.00 for the agricul- tural products of the island for the year 1801. The fact must be taken into consideration that this pro- duction has not been from the interior, but from a comparatively narrow belt in close proximity to the coast. It is thus conclusively shown Avhat the agri- cultural possibilities of this land of ''cod-fish and fog" Avould be, if the fertile valleys of the interior were placed under proper cultivation. Mm ClIAPTi:i{ VI. y\ I XKItAL IlESorHCKS. The ]'irst Mines — Geological Distribution of the Copper Ores — Lead Ore — GypHuni and Marbles — Iron Pyrites Mine on Pilley's Island — Asbestos — Coal Areas — Petroleum. IIIJiE the lislicrics, luinlK'i' and a.i;ricultuml products ai'o large and I'cniunorativo, the? mining resources of the island are destined to eel ipse all others in the near future. TUK FIRST MIXES. It s not until 1857, when Mr. Smith i\[eKav first discovered cop})er near a small fishing hamlet called Tilt Cove, in Notre Dame Bay, that any attention was l)aid to prosi)ecting for minerals. Here a mine was opened in 1864 under tlie management of Messrs. C. F. Bennett and McKay. During tlie next fifteen years Tilt Cove mine yielded over 5(),(J0() tons of cop- per ore, having a market value of $1,572,154, and nickel ore worth $32,740. This mine to-day employs an average of about 500 miners. In 1875 another copper mine was opened at Belt's Cove, a distance of ten or twelve miles south of Tilt Cove. In four vears (47) iHiiiiam ■iiaiilB -■■-'■' ->-^.- 48 CAinilor SIlooTINC IN NKWrorNDLAM). tlic ([iiantity of ore exported froiu it jinioimted to l'2'2,rh){\ tons, with ;i vuliic of .f2,l).S2,t l>e f'oi-gotten that in the ' metalliferous zone Just referred to others, such as as- hestos, nickel, iron pyrites, lead, and Iron ore are found, and give ])romise of profitable ck^vxdopment, to which special reference will be made further on. LEAD ORE. Lead ore was first discovered at La ^Ei'iiche, at the northeastern extremity of Placentia Bay, where for several years workings have been carried on. This ore is rich, assaying 82 per cent, of metallic lead, as well as a small percentage of silver. GYPSUM AND MARliLES. The Geological Survey's report states that "gypsum is distributed more profusely and in greater volume 'M BMafttfilMMU no CAKIBOU SHOOTING IN NEWFOUNDLAND. ill the ciirboniferous districts than in any part of the continent of North America of the same extent." In St. George's Bay and Codroy the bodies of gypsum are immense. ^larbies also of every shade of color are found in large (piantiti'^s on both the eastern and Avestern shores ; granite ol the first (|ualit\% building stones, wh<"tstones, stones suitable for grindstones, limestone, and the finest roofing slate it has been the writer's pleasure to look upon. IRON PYRlTi:s MINE ON PlLLEv's ISLAND. Our notes of the mineral resources of Newfoundland would be ver}' deficient were not special reference SECTION OF THE SETTLEMENT AT PILLEY's ISLAND PYRITES MINE I! «^ ASBESTOS. 51 made to this great mine, in whose beautiful httle har- bor our expedition landed on Sunday, October 14, 1894. on our journey to the White Hills. This mine has been worked for the last ten years, and has been and 3S at present one of the most valuable in the island. The quality of the pyrites is said to be the finest in the world, containing 52 per cent, oi sulphur and 42 per cent, of iron, from which is manufactured the finest steel. The ore is mostly shipped to the United States, where it is used in the manufacture of suli)huric acid, copperas and fertilizers, and the de- mand is steadily increasing ; and as there is another deposit adjoining the present mine, should the latter pinch out, the additional lode would furnish an abundance for years to come. The value of iron pyrites exported to the United States from 188G to the end of 189:>, according to the Customs Report, reaches a total value of .1759,451.00. The same report shows an aggregate value of f 10,799,080.00 of all minerals exported from the island, from 1864 to the en 1 of 1893. ASBESTOS. This valuable mineral has been found amongst the serpentine de})osits in many places. It occurs in strings or threads of a fine, silky texture, traversing 41 iii 52 CARIBOU SHOOTING IN NEWFOUNDLAND. the masses of serpentine in all directions. On tlie eastern coast of Port-au-rort, rising out of the sea to a nearly vertical height of 1,800 feet, is a mountain known as Bluff Plead. This mountain determines the southern boundary of the serpentine. It was here that asbestos first attracted attention. Bluff Head Avas long known to the fishermen of tlie neighborhood as ^'Cotton Rock," and the Hon. Phihp Cleary, of St. John's, was the first to equip a small expedition, four years ago, to engage in the work of prospecting, which resulted in the finding of this valuable sub- stance. COAL AREAS. The principal carboniferous region of the country is St. George's Bay, A\diere coal was discovered about fifty years ago by Mr. J. B. Jukes, who was for many years Director of the Irish Geological Survey, and who spent twelve months on the island and found a coal seam three feet in thickness, containing cannel coal of excellent (juality, cropping out of the right bank of the Middle Barachois Brook, on the south side of St. George's Bay. His estimate of this small portion of tlie coal basin of Newfoundland was twenty-five miles wide by ten miles in lengtlh In 1873 another seam was discovered by Mr. J. P. How- t 'L. COAL aKEAS. 53 ley, F. G. S., at present Director of the (leologicai Survey, on Robinson's Brook, four feet in tliickness, very bituminous coking coal, emitting mucli gas under combustion, and burning freely. He also found an- otlier seam in the same section, seventeen inches tliick. In 18(S9 a still more thorough examination of this coal district was made under the direction of Mr. Howley. Referring to the report of that year, it 8hows that altogetlier fourteen seams of coal, of a varying thickness, from a few inclies up to six feet, were uncovered on one small brook; tlu'ee on another two miles distant, and four on a tliird brook, still fartlier eastward some two and one-half miles. These Avitli some smaller ones aggregate a tliickness of twenty-seven feet of coal in the section, which is re- peated by being brought to the surface again on the other side of the synclinal trough. From the above condensed statement from official facts it will be readily seen that there is not the possibility of a doubt that coal is abundant on the island ; and fur- ther, tlie reader will be surprised to learn that not- withstanding the presence of these rich and extensive coal fields, none of them have yet been worked, and they import from Cape Breton and Prince Edward's Island all the coal they use at a:i annual expense of about $250,000.00. nn .j^aiatmiMi ■M^ iij ""imt 54 CARIBOU SHOOTING IN NEWFOUNDLAND. I'ETROLEUM. As Avas to be expected in presence of all this coal, indications of petroleum in paying quantity have been observed, and will be investigated and utilized as soon as the people recover from the present financial troubles. The writer, being somewhat familiar with surface indications of petroleum in the great oil fields of Pennsylvania, noticed in the White Hills region strong surface signs, including the presence of the well known pebble rocks, and has not the least doubt but it is only a question of time when Newfoundland will be a coal oil producing county. Jltti - •>W(eT«'"W!WT*:'^MBiW:'' I ^t^tesja&TjLjjisrjai^ CHAPTER VII. (}OVER\>ri:NT AND FINANCES. Mode of Government — Constitution — Powers of the Governor —The Legislature — The > reme Court — Central District Court — Quarter Sessions— Failure in Administration — Commercial and Financial Slavery— A Gloomy View — From Boom to Crash — The Outlook — Their Hope and Prayer. EPRESENTATIVE Government was granted to Newfoundland in 1832. In 1855, after oft-repeated applications by the people, what is known as "Responsible Government" was ceded to the colony, which is simply the applica- tion of the principles of the British constitution to the island, and provides that the country should be gov- erned according to the well understood wishes of the people." The party in power, /. e., having the major- ity in the Legislature, disposes of the principal offices under the government, and also elects the Executive Council. The House of Assembly is elected by the people, and the Legislative Council is nominated by ''the Governor in Council." (55) ■m I MiMH ijMimtmimiiMtiaaaM M MB 50 CAJilBOU SHOOTING IN NIOWFOINDLAND. « CONSTlTrTION. The form of p:()vorninent consists of a CJovornor wlio is appointed l)y the Crown of England, and is paid [I salary of $12,000 a year by the Colony; an J^]xecntive Conncil consisting of seven members chosen by the majority in the liCgislature, at a saUuy of $120.00 per session; a Legislative Council of fifteen members, nominated by the (governor in Council and holding office for life at a salaiy of $120.00 i)er ses- sion ; and a House of Assembly at [)resent consisting of thirty-six members, elected by the votes of the peo- ple every four years. If they reside in 8t. John's they receive a salary of $104.00 per session; if resident elsewhere, $201.00. The President receives $240.00 and the Speaker of the Mouse of Assembly receives 000.00 per session. rOAVERS OF THE (JOVERNOK. The ( Governor is Commander-in-Chief over the col- ony, and has the power in the Queen's name to com- mute sentences of courts of justice ; to summon, open, prorogue, and on occasions dissolve the local Parlia- ment ; to give or withhold assent to, or reserve for the Royal consideration, all bills which have passed both Chambers. iw^nrpt^nV-T p-M'-V- ■)«/.*•* CENTRAL DISTRICT COURT. 57 TJIK LK(STSLATURE. The Jiegiskituro must meet once a year, and is nsually summoned "for tlie dispatch of business" in tlie month of February. SUPREME COURT. A Supreme Court was instituted in 1S2G by tlie promulgation of a Royal Charter. To it and to the magistrates belong the correct interpretation and proper enforcement of the laws. It is composed of a Chief Justice and two Assistant Judges; it holds two terms or sessions each year, on May 20th and Novem- ber 20th. There are also circuits of the Supreme Court held in the northern, southern and western dis- tricts of the island at such times and places as may be fixed by proclamation of the Governor. These are presided over by the Chief Justice or one of the As- sistant Judges, in rotation. The yearly salary of the Chief Justice is $5,000.00, and of each Assistant Judge $4,000.00; they hold their appointments for life. CENTRAL DISTRICT COURT. The Central District Court is a Court of Records, held in the capital, St. John's, for the adjudication of civil causes, and sits whenever business requires. There are two Judges appointed by the Governor in rm^mmmmmmtimifmmmmmi^ 1 MHiMiiiliutiM 58 CARIBOU SJIOOTINO IN NEWFOUNDLAND. Council, and a Slicrilt* for cacli Judicial district, who is also a|)j)()intcd by the Govoruor. (ilAUTIlK SKSSIONS. ( V)urts of general and ([uarter sessions are held in such [)laces as may be determined by the proclama- tion of the rjovernor, and are presided over by stipen- diary magistrates or Justices of the i)eace. This completes and rounds out the system, which is well enough in form, but as everything depends upon administration, the best foi'ms fail when worked in the interest of others than the governed. COMMKROIAL AND FINANCIAL SLAVERY. From the foregoing sketch of the governmental forms, it is easy to see that the enjoyment of even the measure of liberty ostensibly allowed to the people is at tlie mercy of the administration, and at last of the Crown. The real power is wielded from the other side of the water. How it was used in the past avo have already shown ; the Newfoundlanders were sheep in the hands of the _H>ritish shearers. The native or resident population (wlien at length permitted to reside) caught fish, and their masters took and sold the catch, allowing the fishermen enough to keep them alive. Of course in the world of to-day that m TT', *' »*'r**!| ;*■ A GLOOMY VIEW ry,) could not last among }k'()J)1(,' of Saxon hlood; hence reform, relaxation of re[)ressive law, ''r(S[)on.sil)le gov- ernment." But the situation is changed more in appearance th, n in reality. Modern methods have changed what was robbery into various foi-ms of swindling. Wliere a |)eoi)loare thus held in commer- cial slavery, morality in business and i)olitics will not touch high-water mark; where goverimient is admin- istered with the ulterior object of enriching the few at the expense of tlu; many, it sur[)rises no thoughtful mind that the lesson of example is learned, and those Avho are })reyed upon too often turn to prey upon one another. The recent financial history of Newfound- land is a case in jjoint. Since we came home, in December, 181)4, the island experienced a Hnancial cyclone whose wreckage will leave marks for years. A OLOOMV VIEW. One of their Avritcrs puts it strongly under date of January oOtli, 1895: "Newfoundland to-day is a country without banks, without currency, with( ut credit. Its commerce and trade are shattered, its population reduced to hopeless misery." Making due allowance for over-statement natural to too close a view-point, there remains only too much underlying fact. The difficulty about the French fishery rights w^ j. it: m Hg^^H^ 00 CAKIBOU SirOOTIXG IN NEWForNDLAXD. we have moiitioiicd. Friincc jn'otuctcMl Ijcr fishcrnion by a hountv, wliicli drove tlie NewfoundlaiKk'i'.s out of European ports; eflbrts to secure protection from the lioin(; governnuMit failed, because it seemed to the ]^ritish ca})itaHst tliat his interest hiy in putting and keeping the fisliermen at tlie mercy of a few nua-cliants — and tliere they are, under tlie ''truck system," a rehc of ancient bju-barism, just a hundred per cent, worse than the "grub stake" of the miners in the United States. The merchants, having skinned the fishermen, are subjected to the same process at the hands oi their masters; it seems they have been losing money for ten years past, in the vain struggle with French bounty-fed competition. Meanwhile the pro- fessional pohtician comes to the front, fomenting strife between factions while he gnaws all the marrow from the bone of contention. Scarcity of currency added to the difficulty. FROM BOOM TO CRASH. The fire that almost destroyed St. John's in 181)2 put some five million dollars of insurance and relief funds in circulation, and thus started a "boom" of fictitious prosperity; but this was only superficial, and the crisis, inevitable in such conditions, came in the winter of '94-95. When the two prominent -^S^ML*;-^;.. THE Ol'TLOOK. 61 hanks, the Union and Conmu'rcial, went to tlu; wall, tlio exposure was sinii)ly iunazin;^. Tlie former had overdrafts aggrej^ating more than two millions, half of it stan(hng against accounts of direcrtors; tlu^ latter liad overdrawn accounts of the same amount, half to directors, one of whom had $657,000. The comhined capital of the two hanks was hut !|800,00(). What wonder that the ensuing crash left conchtions such as descrihed in oin* quotation ahove? Verily, the honest native Newfoundlander, who creates the wealth of the country, has ''fallen among thieves!" Till-: OUTLOOK. What will he the outcome? No man knows. The animals of those who have the ear of the English capitalists, and through them of the home govern- ment, is well shown in the following from the St. John's correspondence of tne New York World: ''The widespread ruin and mystery that resulted need not be dwelt upon. Suffice it to say that it crippled the country and beggared its people. The people are now getting themselves together again, the merchants are, to all intents and purposes, swept away, and knowing that they nuist depend upon themselves in future, the fishermen are preparing to prosecute their industry with the best resources* mma^m (\2 ("AKIHor SIIOOTINCJ IN NEWFOUNDLAND. tlioy Imvc j;ot, aiKr wo luivo fnitli in the uliinmto result. 'Mt bociiino a uvdiiw of Vmerica from the St. Lawrence to l^afhn's Bay under the protection of the Stars and Stripes? This feeling was manifest to us in the ''open sesame" eflect of the name of Anuu'ican wiierever it was heard. To be sure we have our financial crashes and crises, but we have not yet been reduced to the commercial sla>^ery that has nearly crushed our island neighbors. #■ CHAPTER VIII EDUCATK . Academies — Colleges-Pupil Teac.iers— London University Centre —Jubilee Scholarship — Council of Higher Edu- cation. REVIOUS to the year 1823 no organized attention was paid to education in the col- ony. The people were poor, and it required a hard struggle for daily bread. The settlements were small, widely separated, and physical wants were too pressing to permit scarcely any attempt at the education of tlie rising generation, and, as a matter of fact, they grew up without the first rudiments of kn()w^•u.,e outside of their vocation of capturing cod and seal. The beginning of connnon school educa- tion dates from 1823, wlien "The Newfoundland School Society" was founded in London by Samuel Codner, a Newfoundland merchant. Afterwards its name Avas changed to "The Colonial and Continental Clun-ch Society." The schools it planted were main- tained by the hberality of its members unaided until 1843, when tlie Legislature granted an annual sum of ?5,100 for the promotion of common school educa- (64) urn LONDON UNIVERSITY CENTKE. 65 ill tion. In tlie same year the same body made pro- vision for higher education by estabhshing an acad- emy in St. John's. This did not succeed, and was abandoned in 1850. In its |)lace tlu-ee academies were founded, on tlie denominational principle, and at a later date a fourth was established. COLLEGES. These four schools, which are connected respectively with the four different religious denominations, have expanded, and done much toward the education of the people. They are conducted by teachers of abil- ity and character, and give excellent training. At the present time they are known as the Roman Catholic College, Church of England College, Metho- dist and Presb^^terian Colleges respectively. The two last named lost their Ijuildings in the great fire of 1892, but the Methodist buildings have been restored, and are more spacious and better equipped than those destroyed. The Presbyterian College has also been rebuilt, and now occupies its new building. PUPIL TEACHERS LONDON UNIVERSITY CENTRE. The training of teachers is one of the imi)ortant features of these colleges. They must pass rigid ex- aminati(3ns and are graded according to merit before i ■MM 66 CAIUBOU SHOOTING IN NEWFOUNDLAND. they are permitted to take cluirge of nchools. Students are also prepared for tlie Universities, and St. John's lias heen made a eentre of the London University, so that pupils can here prepare for and pass the matri- culation examinations which admit them to that old and lionored instituticjn. JUBILEE SCHOLARSHIP. As a futher incentive to those who aspire to higher education, -The Newfoundland Jubilee Scholarship" has been founded. The Governor in Council appro- priates an annual sum of |480.0() for the institution of a scholarship in the London University, to be given to the student who shall take the highest percentage among competitors in and from the colony at the matriculation examinations held in June and January of each year. COUNCIL OP HIGHER EDUCATION. In 1893 an act was passed ''to provide for Higher Education." This act provides for the appoint- ment of a Council to consist of twenty-three mem- bers, and makes the Superintendents of Educa- tion and Headmasters of Colleges members ex officio. The sum of |4,000.00 is appropriated annually to carry out the provisions of the act, and the Jubilee COUNCIL OF HIGHER EDUCATION. a >i Hcholarsliip is subject to the regulations of this Council. The governmental appropriation in 1893 for col- leges, grammar and elementary schools, was |151,- 891.22. Of this amount the conmion or elementary schools received |97,753.15; pupil teachers, J5,G10.84; encouragement of teachers, $25,297.87; inspectors, 10,000.00. Tlie number of common schools in 1893 was as fol- lows: CI lurch of England, 194, Avith an attendance of 11,808; Church of Rome, 200, witli an attendance of 10,205; Methodist, 144, with an attendance of 8,405; Presbyterian, Congregational and others 10, Avitli an attendance of 290 — making a total of 33,834 pupils attending the common or elementary schools, wliich, wdien added to the number of pupils attending the different colleges, makes a grand total of 34,557 pupils attending schools. CHAPTER IX ■ I TKANSPOKTATION. Roads Unknown to Early Settlers-Selfish Policy of Mother Country— Fences and Chimneys Prohibited— Reform Be- gins in 1813-First Road in lS25-Road Grant in 1832- Road Building Leads to Discovery of Minerals-Geological Survey-A^sions of Railways Looming up-Sir William Whiteway's Scheme-First Railway Contract in 1881- First Sod Cut-Li the Hands of a Receiver-Change of Government and Railway Extension-Sir William Again at the Helm-A New Survey-Northern and Western Railway-Railway Extension Means More Common Roads -Mails by Railway-Route of Railway-Newfoundland no Longer an Island. N no other conntry whose discovery dates l)ack as far as Newfoundland has the mate- rial and social advancement of the people been so seriously retarded by the want of roads. The oi 1,-inal settlement of the island took place entirely in connection with the fisheries. The gathering of the abundant and valuable iiarvest from the tempestuous sea was the only industry attempted or contemplated. Around tlie rock-bound coast, in little secluded coves and harbors, the fishermen (chiefly from England, ( 68 ) TKANSPOKTATION. ()d Ireland and Scotland) colleetod in small liandots and villages, in snch localities as were best p.dapted for catching, drying and sliip})ing fish. Thus distributed along the coast, they were generally widely separated, and intercourse was maintained mostly by sea, or by rude paths through the Avoods and rocks between neighboring settlements. Had the clearing and culti- vation of the soil been combined with fishing, the construction of roads would have become an absolute necessity; but the selfish })olicy established by the mother country, at the bidding of the English capital- ists who carried on the fisheries, effectively prevented colonization. That policy was to keej) the island solely as a fishing station, in order to train seamen for the British navy. All grants of land were prohibited, the cultivation of the soil wiis made a penal offense, and for a long time a most vigorous attempt was made to make the fishermen migratory by carrying them home at the close of each season to return the follow- ing summer. In 1790 one of the (Jovernors publicly announced that he ''was directed not to allow any possession as private property to be acknowledged in any land whatever which is not actually employed in fishery." In 1799 Governor Waldegrave ordered fences which had been erected, enclosing a piece of ground, to be torn down, and prohibited chimneys __g^ ^"^w I yfjji: 70 C'AHIBOi; SJI0()T1\(J IN .NEWFOL'NDLAXD. even in tlic tcnipomiy slieds used for slielk'rino- the fishcniion. Tlmugli tlio pro-r^ss of tlie colony was thus pro vented and discouraged iu every conceivable manner, the sturdy pioneers held their ground, or rather rocks, on tlie coast, and increased iii nund')ers until in 1813. THE DAWX Al'PKARKI). The foolish, cruel and selHsh laws were relaxed, and grants of land to settlers were for the Hrst time' i,er- mitted. Agriculture, on a small scale, immediately began in close [)roximity to each settlement. The settlers found in a short time that the argument used l>y those who were interested in keeping the country imsettled, that the climate and soil were wholly un- suited to agriculture, was a malicious falsehood n'lanu- factured out of the whole cloth. i W KOAD .MAK1X(} BKGTX^S. It was soon found that little progress could be made in the cultivation of the soil until roads were constructed. The year 1825 was made memorable by the building of the first road, nine miles in length, from St. John's to Portugal CV)vo, on the southern shore of Conception Bay. On the opposite shore of this bay were the thriving towns of Harbour Grace, ROAD MAK1N(J BEGINS. 71 1 i 1^ r i m 1 Curbonoiir unci liri.i»us, tlio centres of a considerable l)oi)ulati()n. I>y establishing a regular system of boats to cross this bay, carrying niails and i)assengers, a route was establislied by whicli nearly half the poi)ulation in the country were provided with an im- perfect means of connnunication. To Sir Thomas (Cochrane, then Governor, belongs the distinguished honor of introducing this important stej) in the furtherance of civilization. He also con- structed a road to Torbay, a village nortli of St. John's; and a third along- a beautiful vallev throudi which Hows a small stream falling into St. John's harbor at a i)oint now known as Waterford JJridge. This beginning of road making took place oidy seventy >'ears ago, but the progress made has been most remarkable. Year after vear roads radiatinu" from St. John's in various directions were built, aloni;: which farms and neat farndiouses soon became visi- ble. One of these roads extends first to Topsail on Conception Bay, thence to Holyrood, at the liead of the bay, and further on to Salmonier, St. Marv's and Placentia. When representative government was establislied in 1832, an annual grant was voted for making and repairing roads and bridges, and of late years over $150,000 per annum have been expended for this 5 ■■'■■ "*— J i'l CAKIBOi: SHOOTING IX NKWFOrNDLANI). purpose. The (imit Northern Mail roud for estab- lishing conununication witli the pe()i)le of the nortli- ern bays was begun and puslicd to completion, and at the present writing there are about 1,000 miles of pos- tal roads and 2,000 miles of district roads. 1- J- V ii. !: 1^ I r KOAD BITILOTNG LEADS To THK DISCOVKKY OF MIN- ERALS vV (JEOLOGICAL sriiVEY. As road building necessitated surveys into and through the interior, as avcII as the disturbance of tlie rock and earth in numerous places, it led to the discovery of minerals, and finally (in 1804) to the establishment of a most efficient Geological Sur- vey. Sir William Logan, the eminent geologist of Canada, was applied to, avIio nominated ^[r. Alexan- der Murray, who had been his efficient assistant for twenty years, to take charge of tlie work. He prose- cuted it for over twenty years, and it has been con- tinued with commendable zeal by his able assistant, Mr. James Howley, up to tlie present time. VLSIONS OF RATLWAYS LOOMINC} UP. Thus, after being a mere fishing station for 250 years, without farms or roads, the fringe along the coast was intersected Avitli public highways, the cul- tivation of the soil was making some progress, and VISIONS OF Iv'AII.WAYS LO0MIN(; UP. 7.S manv of sturdy ''old salts" were inakihi;' tliciiisolvos coiiitbrtabk' lionics, and while tlicv were hravin^' the l)ill()\vs on th(^ hanks and their fish were drying on the flakes, the fertile i2,round was growing crops. In- stead of reai)ing the harvest from the sea alone, the land also contri])uted to the sui)[)ort of themselves and little ones, and the one avocation interfered hut little with the other. About this time a i)roposition was made by ^Fr. f^anford FlcMuing, Kngineer-in-('hief of Canadian rail- ways, Avhich helped to start the ])ublic mind to think- ing of the possibility oi' constructing a railway across the island. He published a paper in Avhich he advo- cated that the shortest route between America and JMigland was across Newfoundland. He suggested a fast line of steamers from Valentia, Ireland, to St. John's, Newfoundland, carrying only })assengers, mails and light express goods. Tlience he proposed to build a railway across the island to St. (Jeorge's Bay, where another swift line of steamers would i)ly to Shippegan, in the Bay of Chaleur, Avliere connec- tion with American railways Avould be obtained. He calculated that the ocean passage would not exceed four days, and that passengers from London would reach New York in seven days. So convincing were his arguments that the Newfoundland Legislature ap- 6 74 CAKIHOU 8H()()TIN(J IN NKWFOLNDLAND. jiropriiited a sum of money for u prulimiiuiry surviy Avhicli was made in 1875 undor tlio diivction of Mr. Fleming. Two years tlicn elapsed before any other steps were taken. At len^^th, Sir William White- way, Premier of the colony, to whom belongs the honor, of not only introducing the railway syst(3m in the face of the most bitter opposition, but of perse- veringly carrying it out for more than fourteen years as a prominent feature of his policy — luidertook to grapj)le with the matter in earnest. His first experi- ment was (following the lines drawn by Mr. Fleming) to otter an annual subsidy of $120,000.00 and liberal land grants along the line to any companv^ that would construct and operate a line across the island, to be connected by steamers with P^ngland on the one side, and on the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the other with Canadian railways. The imperial government, however, refused to sanction this policy on the ground that it might be regarded by the French as an in- fringement of their fishing rights, which were secured by treaty, on the west coast where the terminus would be. This project, therefore, had to be abandoned. Two more years elapsed, when Sir William con- ceived the idea of building a narrow-gauge road suited to local requirements, and to be known as the Hall's Bay line. The resolutions which he submitted to the FIRST IJAILWAY CONTRACT. 73 House of Assembly proposed the construction of a road from St. .lolin's, the ciH)it}d, to I full's Bay, the centi'c of tlui miisiiig region, with hnniehes to ITar- bour (Jnice and ])rigus, the total length of whic^h wouhl be about o 10 miles. Sucli a line would open up for settlement the large areas of good lands and valuable timber districts already referred to in the valleys of the (uunbo. Terra Nova, (iandin* and Ex- ploits, and connect the mining rc^gion with the capi- tal. A joint committee of both houses of the Legis- lature was appoint(Hl to consider the proposition. Their report concluded by recommending the })assago of an act authorizing a loan of the amount required to construct the line, within the limits of one million pounds sterling, and in sums not exceeding half a million of dollars in any one year. This report was adopted by the Legislature by an ovei'whelming ma- jority. Railway commissioners were appointed and engineers were employed, and during the summer and autumn of 1880 a })reliminary survey of the southern portion of the proposed line was made, and this led to the FIRST RAILWAY CONTRACT IN THE COLONY. When the Legislature met in 1881 the tender of an American syndicate for building the road was ac- 7G CAKIIJOU SHOOTING IN NEWFOUNDLAND. c'optcd. ^riu3 l('a(liii«;- rcatinvs of tlic contract were a8 follows: A line of nnrn)\v--auo(. vund (3 feet, inches) from St. John's to Hall's Bay, with branches to Bri^nis and llarhonr Grace, a distance estimated at lUO miles; steel rails; a money snbsidy of $1 80,0( )().()() to be paid half-yeai'ly by the (Jovermnent for thirty-five years, conditional on the elhcient maintenance and oi)eration of the line- and as each five miles are com- pleted and approved, land -rants of five thonsand acres pel mile of oood land to be secured to the com- pany in alternate blocks along- the line in (luantities of one mile in length and eight miles in de])th, and if good land c!ould not be obtained along the line it was to be selected elsewhere. fll IP' FIRST SOJJ> CUT. The first sod was turned on August 9th, 1 881, and by September, 1 882, thirty-five miles were completed and in running order, one hundred miles were lo- cated, and the remainder under survey. By Novem- ber, 1884, the line was completed and open for traffic between St. John's and Harbour Grace, a distance of eighty-three and one-half miles. IN THE HANDS OF A RECEIVER. Soon after the Newfoundland Railway Comi)any failed and all Avork was stopped. The company CHANGK OP (JOVEUNMKNT. 77 fjiilcd to C()iin>l('(r tlicir coiitract and the lino passed into the hands of a ivccivci' on hchalf of certain stock- lioldei's in England, and under this arrangement it has been satisfat ')rily operated up to tlu^ present time. i CIfAN(iE OF (iOVEKNMKNT AM) EXTENSION OK THE KAIIAVAV. Tn 1885 a change of goverimient took jdaee, and Sir Robert 'riio))urn became Pnnnier. Not discour- aged by tlie failure of his predecessors, he and his col- leagues in 188G began the construction of a branch twenty-seven miles in length, from Wiiitbourne Junc- tion to l*lacentia, the old French capital, which they completed and opened in 18SG. This brought the in- habitants in and around Placentia Bay not only in touch with each other but with St. John's, the capi- tal, and proved to be a great benefit to the whole south(.Tn and western shores of the bay. The loco- motive, the great civilizer in all con itries, had now gotten such a foothold that it mattered not which of the political factions got the reins of the government, the work of railroad building was sure to proceed. The np-country people were still clamoring for their section and the northern extension to Hall's Bay, the great mining centre, and seven miles of the Placentia extension were available for this purpose. ^tm If r ^ 78 CAIilBOlT SHOOTING IN NEWFOUNDLAND. The government decided tliat the hne should be built, and, in 1889, the Legislature passed a Eailway Extension Act of a liberal character Avith scarcely a dissenting voice, which pledged the Government to make a survey of the line to Hall's Bay that same year, and to at once begin the construction of the road at a rate of not less than twenty-five miles a year. Before winter set in some fifteen miles of this railroad from Placentia Junction northward were built. SI : WILLIAM AGAIN AT THE HELM. At the November election in 1889, the White way- ites again became victorious. Sir William again be- came Premier, and soon showed that he had lost none of his former confidence in railway extension as a means of developing the varied resources of the col- ony. In 1890 the Legislature passed an act provid- ing for the extension of the line towards HalFs Bay, with a branch to Erigus at Clarke's Beach, authoriz- ing a loan of $4,500,000.00 and givi..g the govern- ment authority to accept bids and enter into a con- tract for the construction of the road. Mr. E. C. Eeid, of Montreal, Canada, Avas awarded the contract, and in October, 1890, work vas begun, Avhich was to be completed in five years. "till inJiijiuM^jimppHimi, ^mm NORTHERN AND WESTERN RAILWAY. 79 '■ A NEW DISCOVERY. • ' , - • « In the meantime a survey was made from the val- ley of the Exploits to the west coast of the island, or what is known as the "French Shore." This line passed through the valleys of Deer Lake and Harry's Brook. Tlie result was that inasmuch as it passed through large areas of rich loamy soil, and tapped a portion of the fine H umber valley, famous for its good land and fine pine timber, and terminated on the French Shore in the Bay of Islands, with its magnifi- cent scenery, the government was led to abandon the route north to Hall's Bay, and build the road west from the Exploits. , NORTHERN AND WESTERN RAILWA\^ A new contract was made with Mr. Reid, by Avhich he was to ''build, construct and equip a line of rail- way commencing at the terminus of the road to be constructed ujider the Northern "Railway contract, be- ing a point two hundred miles distant from Placentia Junction and running by the most desirable and most direct route to the northeast end of Gander Lake, thence to the northeast end of Deer Lake, and west- erly along t^ north side (afterwards changed to the south side^ of Deer Lake, and down the Humber River, thence by the way of north side of Harry's- 80 CAKTBOU SHOOTINCJ IN NEWFOUNDLAND. River, and thonce to Port-aux-Basqiies." This con- tract was signed by both parties on tiie 16tli day of May, 1893. On the same day another contract was entered into Avith Mr. Reid to operate for ten years the Placentia branch raihvay and also the - Newfoundland North- ern and Wcrtern," as the ne^v hne from Placentia Junction to Port-aux-]>>as(iues was to be called. This contract was ciuite full and strict; among the many provisions included were a sum of $15,6(X).00 per mile; fee simple land grants as follows: 250,000 acres upon completion of the northern line to Exploits, 250,- 000 acres upon completion of the line to Port-aux- Basques, and the balance at the comj.letion; land to be located on each side of the road, and in alternate sections of one or two miles in length and eight miles deep; and one commendable section of the contract stipulates that the daily wages of laborers shall not be less than one dollar a day, and payable monthly. In October, 1800, as per contract, the work was be- gun with vigor; at the close of 1891 sixty-iive miles were completed and operated, and by the fall of 1893 two hundred miles were completed"^ and trains were running between Exploits, Whitbourne and St. John's. imKmmmmm MAILS BY KAII.AVAY. 81 EXTENSION OF KATEWAY NECESSITATES ADDITIONAL COMMON ROADS. In order to connect the settlements on the seacoast with the railroad, the pubhc highways became a ne- cessity, and tliese have been mostly surveyed and built by the contractor, Mr. Reid, acting under gov- ernmental supervision. A good wagon road forty miles in length has been built from Trinity to Shoal Harbor via Goose l^ay, opening up a large area of good land suitable for grazing and agricultural j)ur- poses, and furnishes access to railway focilities for a considerable population. Another road ten miles in length connects with Indian Arm Bay; while a third five miles in lengt^i runs from Alexander Bay to the railroad near Gam bo, and one about forty-f(jur miles long from HalFs Bay, connecting four miles Avest of Badger Brook. Roads from Arnold's Cove and Come- by-Chance have also been completed. MAILS BY RAILWAY. The railway now carries nearly all the northern mails, which in winter used to be conveyed by cour- iers on foot, or with the aid of dogs over the ice and snow. Small steamers ply from Shoal Harbor, Ex- ploits and Clode Sound around the bays, carrying mail and pi^ssengers to and from the various sett'e- 82 CARIBOU SHOOTING IN NEWFOUNDLAND. nients; and thus both social and material progress has been initiated by the iron liorse and his satellites, tlie common roads. ROUTE OF RAILWAY. From Placentia Junction, seven miles from Whit- bourne, the new line runs northerly, crossing the isth- mus which connects the Peninsula of Avalon with the main body of the island, at its narrowest point be- ing only three miles wide. On either side of the isthmus are the heads of the two great bays of Placentia and Trinity. Still following a northerly course, the road passes through Terra Nova, Gambo and Gander Valleys, and enters the valley of the Ex- ploits at Norris' Arm. From this point it turns westerly, following up the Exploits valley and cross- ing the river at Bishop's Falls, ten miles from its mouth, on a magnificent steel bridge, 630 feet in length, with granite piers and abutments. From Bishop's Falls it crosses over into the valley of the Peter's Arm Brook (the Grand Falls being about one and one-half miles from the road at the two hundred and twenty-second miie from Whitbourne), but returns to the Exploits valley again near Rusby Pond at the two hundred and twenty-seventh mile from Whit- bourne. From thence it follows up the Exploits val- "awM^wMonpm KOUTI-: OF RAILWAY. 83 ley to Badger Brook, where it leaves the river. From Badger Brook it takes a northwesterl}^ route, crossing the White Hill Tlains, tlience down the valley of Kitty's Brook to the northeastern end of Grand Lake. The course is then along the southern side of Deer Lake to Bay of Islands, tlience through the valley of Harry's Brook to Bay St. George. From this point the line passes back of the Anguille range of hills, down the valley of the Codroy River to Cape Ray, about nine miles distant from Port-aux-Basques, which is the terminus of the line. When tliis road is completed it will be five liundred and fifty miles in length, from St. John's on the east coast to Port-aux- Bas(|ue on the west, and from the latter point a short sail across the Gulf of St. Lawrence will land passen- gers on the continental railway system, and New- foundland will almost cease to be an island. CHAPTER X. THE ABORICJTXKS. Beothiks or '^Ked Indians "—Their Condition when Dis- covered—A Powerful and Warlike People— A Change Comes Over their Dreams— Their Decadence— The Race Extinct— A Melancholy Find— The First White Men to Sight :N^ewfoundland— AVliite Men Land on the Island— From Eighteen to over Two Hundred Thousand. HEN the question is asked, Avho were the first inhabitants of the island of Newfound- land, — to what race of men did they be- long, what were their appearance and habits, their color and modes of hving?— the sages of the world are not prepared to answer. Recorded history en- ables us to go back only to the first appearance of European explorers some four hundred years ago, but it is barely possible that other races may have pre- ceded the ''red Indians" or beothiks, Who were the occupants of the soil when the dar- ing voyagers braved the tempestuous Atlantic in their frail crafts, and after untold hardships reached the seagirt isle, and found it inhabited by a race in all re- (84) , . CONDITION OF THE BEOTllIKS. 85 spects resembling the savage tribes of the North American continent, and hkely belonging to the same stock. The early explorers, thinking they had dis- covered the eastern shores of Asia or India, called all the inhabitants, both in North and Soutli America, *' Indians," and from their complexion the northern tribes were afterwards called " Red Indians." The race found in Newfoundland called themselves ^'Beothiks," Avhich was their tribal name. Their features were those of the continental Indians. They had straight, jet-black hair, high cheek bones, small black eyes, and their skin was coi)per colored. Their habits of life were also similar in many respects ; tliey subsisted by hunting and fishing; their Aveapons, wig- wams and domestic utensils resembled those of neigh- boring tribes. Among learned men who have care- fully studied the few relics Avhich have been preserved, and the meagre and uncertain vocabularies Avhicli contain all that remains of tlieir language, there is a difierence of opinion as to whether they were a branch of the widespread and warlike Algonquins, who sus- tained themselves and increased in numbers. CONDITION OP THE BEOTHIKS WHEN DISCOVERED. When Cabot landed on the island, in 1497, the Beothiks were a numerous and powerful people, well tm mm. ii^MjMUHlH _& 'MH 86 CARIBOU SHOOTING IN NEWFOl'NDLAND. developed physically, ingenious, of (piiek intellij'cnce, gentle in manners, and inclined to be friendly to the pale-faces. The great island, with its abundance of wild creatures of many species, and its shores, lakes and rivers swarming with lish, was to them a perfect paradise. Countless herds of reindeer wandered over the marshes iji the interior in their migrations, at which times their capture was easily accomplished, even Avith the simple devices in the possession of these children of the forest. The flesh furnished them with their most nutritious food, while from their pelts they made the best waterproof leather, with which they clothed their feet as well as covered their wigwams, insuring tliern against the severity of the long Avinters. These hides, being better adapted for making ''buckskin," than those of any other of the deer flimily, together with the skins of the beaver, wolf and bear, gave them abundant and comfortable clothing. They practiced no agriculture, but the wild berries in their luxuriant growth supplied them witfi an abundance of vegetable food. A CHANGE COMES OVER THE DREAMS OF THE BEpTHIKS - ; That very ancient principle in nature's laws of the survival of the fittest came in force with the appear- THE KACE EXTINCT. 87 anco of the Avhite man and sealod tlioir doom. For three hundred years tliey struggled on, but gradually becoming Aveaker and weaker. For a comparatively sliort time the same old story repeated itself, and friendly relations existed between them and the in- vaders ; but soon quarrels arose, and deeds of violence resulted in savage vengeance. The first rude traj^)- pers, hunters and fishermen as they spread into the northern parts of the island were beyond the control of laAV and justice, and little disposed to exercise con- ciliation and kindness towards the untutored savages, whose presence interfered with their pursuits. The poor Beothiks were treated with cruel brutality, and for long years were regaided as vermin to be hunted down and destroyed without limit, except as to oppor- tunity. This led the Indians to fierce, savage retalia- tion which ensured their ultimate destruction. THE RACE EXTINCT. At length the spirit of humanity roused from its deep slumber, and from 1760 to 1823 attempts were made to conciliate the Indians and save their wretched remnant from annihilation; but these ef- forts proved to have begun too late. Sad experience? led them to distrust and hate he white man, and they could not respond to approaches of kindness. ■2*:r-. ... 88 CAKIHOIJ SHOOTING IN NEWFOUNDLAND. Forlorn and in despair, tlic few remaining IJeothiks retreated to their last refuge at Red Indian r.ak(^ and there tliey (hed one by one, until not a single living-; representatives of this once powerful race remained. There is no darker i)age in the liistory of Nortli America tlian that which records the fjite of the iin- hapj)y Beothiks. A MELANCHOLY FIN J). In 1(S28 a final eflbrt was made to open connnuni- cati(jn with the renmant of tlie tribe which was sup- posed to still survive. An expedition was organized which penetrated to their last retreat at Red Indian Lake. Only their graves and the mouldering re- mains of their Avigwams were found — but no living Beothik. The silence of death reigned supreme. Fragments of canoes, skin dresses, storehouses, and the repositories of their dead were there, but no human sound was heard, no smoke from wigwam seen. Their campfires Avere extinguished, and the sad record of an extinct race was closed forever. THE FIRST WHITE MEN TO SIGHT NEWFOUNDLAND. Before closing these brief notes of the early history of this country, it might be well to note the fact that it is highly probable that the first white men Avho - "'^^^•^-^^'•jitriteiiiitinii WIIITi: MEN LAND ON TIIK ISLAND. 89 saw tlu' shores of N('\vfoun(ll;m^..^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // •Sip #p % :/. L-?/ 1.0 I.I 1.25 Its 2.5 2.0 1*0 ZU 1.8 1-4 IIIIII.6 V] <^ /i O: f the most important events in tlie his- tory of this remarkal)le island, for many of which we acknowle(lg(.' indebtedness to that interesting little work by Rev. M. Harvey, of St. John's, entitled ''Newfoundland as it is in 189-f," the author has h()})ed to furni.-,Ii the reader with an outline of the (hscovery, surface conditi'08to(l ihv ini[»ortanco of economizing in both weight and hulk, in l)oth i)er- sonal l)aggage and supphes. LelUitle could furnisli nothing Init his service, that of native carriers, canoes, the log tilt, and all the caril)ou, ptarmigan and fish our hearts could wish for. We were also informed that for a party of three or four men four carriers would be recpiired, one of Avhom would, in addition to i)acking a good load in and out, act as cook for the party while in camp. From past experience we had learned that if we were M 1 THE CREE STOVE, WHICH, AS IMPROVED, MAKES THE BEST CAMP STOVE KNOWN. to be assured of any comfort in camp it would be ne- cessary to take a stove with us, as we had played the smoke-hole racket on many occasions and were not particularly partial to it. The writer was the possessor of a D. W. C^ree camp stove, manufactured in Griggsville, Ills. No better camp stove has been devised; but the one on hand had a cast-iron top, and was both too heavy and too i Jill^lU.ULWU'JJJ! 90 CAiilBOU SI[0()TIN(} IX NEWFOUNDLAND. long to Ijo packed on tlio back of a man. Permission was ol)tained from Mr. Cree, wlio is ;i gentleman sportsman, to liave made by our local mechanics a stove after liis pattern witli modifications to suit our wants. The result was just what we wantcil, and the stove proved to be a great comfort as a substitute for the smoke-hole in tlie log tilt on the Big Marsh. It was twenty-six inches long, thirteen inches liigh and thirteen inclies wide, and made of Russian sheet-iron; to]) of same material, with two holes covered with sheet-iron lids, in the centre of Avhich Avas a loose ring. Fire door of the same kind and at the same place as in the (Jree stove; the oven, instead of being perma- nently fixed in position, slid into ])lace on two stron<>- angle-irons, and when not in use could be removed at will, when wood twenty-four inches long could be used. Nine twelve-inch-long joints of galvanized iron tele- scope pipe, with damper, completed the lightest and best stove of the kind ever used, as flu* as the writer has been able to ascertain. A)\^ight, with the nine feet of pipe, bake-pan, lids, pipe-collar and baker packed inside, but sixteen pounds. In addition to the stove adjustments it contained when packed for the trip the following COOKING UTENSILS AND SUNDRIES: 1 coffee pot, h dozen tip„ plaies, 1 wire broiler, 2 frying i BAGGAGE liESTKICTIONS. 07 pans, 2 frying pan liandli^s, 1 largL' spoon, 1 large meat fork, i dozen teaspoons, h dozen knives, h dozen forks, 1 salt box, 1 pepper 1)()X, h dozen nested tin cups, T) oblong nested stew kettles, 1 wash l)asin, 1 rubljer e(jllapsil)le Avater bucket, 5 stew kettle lids, 1 butcher knife, 1 dishcloth, 1 cake home-made soap, 2 tea towels. Ai:d, in addition, the following: 1 coil cop})er wire, assorted wire nails, h pound arsenic, 1 pair moccasins, 2 pairs shoe packs, 1 })air heavy woolen stockings, 40 rounds rifle cartridges (40-()5), 1 bag chewing tobacco, 2 bags smoking tobacco, 1 pound pulverized alum, and 1 hank heavy cord. The stove being full, it Ava^ padded over the open bottom Avith excelsior three inches thick for i)r()tec- tion to carrier's back, then entirelv coA'ered Avitli thick bagging, Avhich Avas Avell scAved on and the package completed by buckling on the carrying strap (see cut, page 98), the Avliole Aveighing seventy-six pounds — a convenient load for a natiA'e Newfoundlander. I BAGGAGE RESTRICTIONS. Each member of the party Avas alloAved to take as much baggage as he desired to the point of disembar- cation, Pillev's Island. When the outfit left Pillev's, each Avas restricted to the folloAving, a list of Avhich IMilMMaMiii ..-jll us CAKIBOU SHOOTINCi JN NEWFOUNDi.AMX CARRY-ALL WITH CARRYING STRAP ATTACHED. Avas sent liini : 1 liuntinii: hat, 1 hunting cap, 1 liunt- ing coat, 1 hunting vest, 1 Canhgan jacket, 2 under- shirts, 2 })airs (h-awers, 1 pair liunting i)ants. 1 extra pair pants, 4 pairs stockings, 2 overshirts, 1 pair hunt- ing shoos, 1 extra pair slices, 1 pair rubber boots, 1 })air gloves, 1 pair woolen l)lankets (single), 1 rubber bUmket, 1 carr^^-all, 1 match safe, i dozen handker- •* Jn«» II WHAT WE CAK'KMi:i). 99 cliicfs, 1 towol, 1 wasln-a.!;', 1 cake toilet soa^), 1 i^un (I'illc or i'ill(> and shot), 1 jointed cleaning;" rod and oil, 1 light reel, 1 short trunk rod, 1 small fly book, extra liooks, etc., 1 case needles, thread, buttons, 1 compass, 1 hunting knife, 1 rubber colla})sible drinking cup, I pair slippers (heavy soles), 1 package paper, envelopes, postals, pipes and tobacco, cigars, etc., and one good field or o})era grass. In addition to the above the writer took in a "Ditty l>ag'' made from an ordinai-y shot bag the fol- lowing medical sui)plies; sufficient for the whole party: 25 sugar coated imp'd. co. catli. pills, 5f) sugar coated 2 gr. quin. pills, 50 k gr. niorph. granules, h oz. Norwood's Tr. Verat. Viridi, 2 oz. chloroibrm, h oz. lid. ext. Ipecac, 2 oz. Tr. Dover's powder, 1 oz. oxide zinc ointment, 1 roll rul)ber adhesive plaster 1 in. wide, 2 drachms stearate of zinc, 3 roller bandages, 1 hypi^der- mic syringe, i oz. chlor. anodyne (Parke, Davis & Co.). Any ph^^sician will furnish specific directions for the use of the above named remedies and appliances, in case there is none in the party. The list given embraces all that will be necessary, and the remedies, if handled with a moderate amount of care and intel- ligence, will meet most of the ills incident to camp life in a northern climate. To this extra i^ersonal baggage was added the author's case of 1211 loo CAIilUOU SMOOTlNd IN NKWroiNDLAND. y. H /; U o <\ X b^ 73 'A ^^ i^ m ^ v-* a y. W NH I-; »*4 «ti H 04 >^ I— 1 a X o U< Q p l< -^ < H en W o >< pq o !<'< Q U M ai arrel is a 20-l)ore cylinder, shoots sliot well, and does good execution witli a patched round Ijall at sevonty-tive to one hundred yards. This would be the ideal gun with jacketed Ijullet for ritle and smokeless powder. A repeater is not necessary ex- cept in war. As each hunter is allowed to kill but five bull and three doe caribou, be should shoot for fine specimens. On small game there is no restric- tion. As lead is heavy, it is well to take onlv what ordnance stores are necessary. rv»rty rounds of ritle cartridii'es are i)lenty — and, if a sliot-l)arrel is used 50 assorted sizes of small shot is quite sutlicient. jNIr. Kepler carred his Daily o-barrel gun — the one he has been using for the last fifteen years; shot-barrel 12-bore; riHe, 45-70 Govt. ^Ir. J. W. Davis, "The Kid" owned no gun, and used the author's Hall gun, 20-bore shot, ritle 40-82. The writer used a 40-05 Winchester with a ^Falcolm telescoi)e sight. A small, light tent is a necessity. Having exam- ined carefully the Protean tent, manufactured by A. S. Comstock, of Kvanston, Ills., we were not long in selecting Just what we wanted. Size, on ground, 7x7 feet ; height of rear wall, 2 feet ; height at the only iHHiai 104 CAKIBOU SHOOTING IN NEWFOUNDLAND. I pole used, 7 feet 3 iiiclies; 8-oimce army duck. This tent gives more room and stands more blow than any tent made, and the price is reasonable. Our preparations at this end of the line were now about completed, and in the next chapter we will reach Newfoundland. THE COMSTOCK ONE-POLE PROTEAN TENT. C H A V T K R X I 1 FROM NEW YORK TO ST. JOHN\<. Ho\v to Get to Newfoundland — lied Cross Line — The Silvia and Portia — Time Table and Rates of Fare — Xo Duty and Twenty Cubic Feet for Baggage — Marching Orders — ]Mis- take Xo. 1 — On Board the Portia— Otf to the Xorth— Halifax — Fog olf Cape Eace — Away to St. John's. MILE the i)reparatioiis (k'tailiHl in the l;ist chapter were being made, the ronte and f^:^^^^^M dates were also being arranged. Connnuni- cation liad been estabhshed with IMessrs. Bowring & Archibakl, l*roduce Excliange Annex, 1) Stone St., New York, who are agents for tlie Rnl Cross Line of steamers plying between New York, HaUfax, N. S., St. John's and Pilley's Iskuid. These two steamers, THE SILVIA AND PORTIA, Avere Ijuilt especially for this trade, are of high speed, and have all the modern improvements. One of them leaves Robinson's, Congress St., Stores Dock, Brooklyn, fortnightly, sails through Eong Islancb Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds, thereby insuring smooth water, except during a storm, for nearly half, 8 ( 105 ) 100 CAK'inoiJ SHOOTING IX NEWFOUNDLAND. tliu (lislaiico to and from Halifax, wliicli is the first call. T\w next landing is nuido at St. John's, New- foundland. From St. .lolm's tlioy procood to tlio I'yrhes mines at Pilley's Island, P>ay of Notre Dame, '?40 miles north of St. John's, and your proper place to sto]) if you are desinjus of securing some fine heads of the North American Reindeer or \\^oodland Caribou. The AVEKAGE TLME EN ROUTE northward is as follows: Xcw York to Halifax DO liours. Staj^ at Halifax about 20 liours. Halifax to St. John's 50 hours. Stay at St. John's 2 days. St. John's to Pilley's Island 24 hours. And returning soutlnvard: Pilley's Island to St. John's 24 hours. Stay at St. John's 24 hours. St. John's to Halifax 50 hours. Stay at Halifax 24 hours. Halifax to New York .50 hours. KATES OF PASSAGE. The rates here given include meals and state-room berth as well as meals during stops : MAKCJriNG OKDKKS. 107 Cabin, Firxf Chis.s. New York to Halifax and VL'turn if2 the lullrsf oxtciit and ivtiivd at ehsvii, slcvpin- soundly initil about four on Sunday inornin- wlicn wc wciv aroused from (,ur IH'acvful slun.lHTs l,y a terrihle counnotion on deck. Tlie ship was rollin- and pitel.in- to such ui extent that ,t was diflicult to k(>ei> from hei no- thrown from ^>nr herths, and the cuspidor was shooting from one SKle of the room to the other like a billiard hall. In short, we were in a o-aJe. The deck space Avas mostly taken up hy pork, coal oil, apples and other barreled goods, and they were performing the same gyrations as tluMaispidors in the state rooms below. At 7 A. M., when opposite Johnstone's Island, the captain wisely concluded to cast anchor and lash the deck load to tlie railing. At 7 P. M. the anchor was agani haukKl up and we steamed off, making about six miles, when old Neptune became so boisterous that at one time ten feet of water swept over the Por- tkC. forward deck, compelling us to face about again and cast anchor near the spot we had recently left. Monday, October Isf was cold and clear, though windy. At 5 A. M. we were again under way, roU- ing along at a fair speed. Though we had but little wind during the afternoon the sea was still rough fol- lowing the storm, which as will be remembered was very disastrous along the whole Atlantic coast. . t ON r.()Ai;i) 'I'lii: r<)iMi.\. 11 1 •A :d as o .1 i MlMllMMDi dIM mmummimr .-^ 112 CAUIBOU .SHOOTING IX NKWroiNDLANI). II y Ti(i.s; no wind, W'cdiHsihii/, Ovlohcr ,}(}. Tlicnnoinctcr oO; clear, no wind. We cntcrod the hai'l)or of Halifax, Nova ;!5-otia. at 8 A. AF. HAIJFAX. The citv is l(Kuiled in one of the finest liar])ors in tlic world, on the Atlantic- coast. It forms a loo}), the hailjor and citv lu'ini:; snrronnded bv hiiih nionntains and hills, all sides of which are lined with forts stndded with hi'isthn^" cannon. The first thing wu did was to lind the post and telegraph oiticos, aftor which wo made a tour of the citv, which is indeed vcrv l)eautiful, con- taining massive buildings, Hnc stores, pretty streets, l)otanic[d gardens, museums, etc. We had amide lime to walk through all the principal parts of the city, and am(jng the objects of interest we visited the citadel, the most important fort, from which we were afforded a nuigniticent bird's-e^'e view of the city and liarl)or. One of the attractions in the latter was Pfer Majesty's steamshii), the niakc. Oui* paper currency was all right and taken at par, but our silver they refused to take at all. We left Halifax at 3.45 P. M. Tlmrsdaij, October 4^1 i. Thermometer GO; cloudy. Began raining this evening, and continued most of the night. - I, AWAY TO ^T. .TOnX'8. IN A FO(i OIT CATJ: liACK. ll.S FrhUnj, Orfohrr .'fl. TluTinoiiictcr ;■)('); fon'. At 5..')0 tliis luorniiiiz,' we wcn^ {iwakciRMl hy tlic toi;' sii;- iiJil, wliicli was c'oiitiniu'd all day, as well as s(Uiii(liii.i;s every half lioiir until we i)assed Cape Ivaee, when to- wards evening" the fog lifted, and we were running* at full speed for St. John's. '?D HMlUiiii iattki i' I •WIW ("II APTKU XIII. TlfK CAPITAL AND ITS SKJUTS. At 8t. Jol.n'H— The Stars and Stripes Kaiscd on our Kotol— A Hospitahlc^ City— Mistake No. 2— (}anio Laws of New- foundland—The Stipendiary IMagistrate— The License— Purchasing Supplies— Eight Men for Twenty Days— Two Dollars a Day ^' Dry "—Packing for Cache— Mistake No. 3— Kul)ber the Only Wear— Seeing the City— Tlie Nar- rows—A Land Locked Harbor— Tlie City— Kelative Dis- tances— The Museum— The Cathedral— Parliament House — (iuidi Vidi. ATUKDAY, (ktohcr 0th. Thonnonieter 55; clear. At 4 A. jNL avc wore awukened by the casting of tlie anchor in the har])or of St. John's. We rose at six, collected our hand bag- gage, passed the customs officers all right, and after a few minutes' ^valk up grade we were registered at the City Hotel, Mrs. G. Walch, proprietress; rate, |1.50 per day, good rooms, comfortable beds, electric light, bath and plenty of clean, wc^ll-cooked, wholesome food. UP GOES THE STARS AND STRIPES. Scarcely had the ink time to dry on the register, when up went the flag of our country in our honor. (114) nnp"««nHmiB MlSTAKi: N(V ± 11.1 AVo soon loarncd llmt the knowlcdtiv tluit one is ;ni Aincricjin is a sunicicnt passport in Xcwfonndland, not only in liu' capital of tlu; country, hut in cycry liandct tln'oniiliout the cntii'c island. Xcycr in any country where it has been the wi.ter's pi'iyile-^v to trayel has he heeii the recipient of so nuich unsoh- cited hospitahty as was accorded oui' [)ariy durini;" our short stay in St. Jolni's. To mention tlie names of all who Avere actiye in their zeal to make us comfoi'ta- ble and su])j)ly" us with sucli inlbrmation as we desired Avould 1)0 inj[)ossil)le, and to refer to a few would 1)0 injustice to all others Ayith ^yhom we came in contact. After breakfast we started out to attend the busi- ness of the hour, and as the sailing date of the first coast steamer north for IMUev's Island i»'oyerned our fc/ CD stay in St. Sohn's, it ^vas to ascertain of that fact first ; so we proceeded to the office of the N. F. Coastal Steamship ('ompany's office, Harvey & Co., where we were informed that the next vessel, the Viiyuiia Lake, would sail for Pilley's Island between the 9tli and 12th of October. This bit of information also reminded us of M: [MISTAKE NO. 2, as we were now to spend at least five or six days in St. John's, at an actual expense of $1.50 a day each, I :l Ml M IIG CAPvIIJOU SHOOTING IN NEWFOUNDLAND. wliic^li could all luivc k'cu saved liad we but waited for the Silrid, wliicli calls loDg enough at St. John's for the tourist to transact all necessary business, after wliich she sails direct to Pilley's. Our information cost us this cool cash in addition to tlie tliree per cent, discount, and we trust those Avho follow us Avill profit by the old adage '' a penny saved is a penny earned," and avoid our mistake. After bewailing our misfortune we next started out to hujit np the august personage who was to relieve us each of *1()(3.00 and one hundred cents for a license to permit each to shoot five male and three female caribou, tliis being the limit allowed by the GAME LAWS OF NEWFOUNDLAND, of Avhicli we here give a brief sunnnary: Car'iboit—DQCY Preservation Act of 1880. I. Heie- after no person shall kill any caribou except from the 15th day of September until the loth day of Feb- ruary, both inclusive. 11. No person shall during any one year or season kill more than five stag and three doe caribou. Notwithstanding anything con- tained in this Act, any poor settler may kill caribou (or deer), for his immediate consumption or that of his family, or may kil] for purposes of sale within the Colony during the senson, between the 1st of October liv^WJl-W GAME LAAVS OF NKWFOUNDLAND. 11 and tho loth of February, in uny year not more tluiii ten earibou (or dcH'r), but not by any snare or traj), or pit, or by the hunting or chasing of dogs. Non-Re>^uI(iit Limm'.^ — III. No person not actually a resident in this Colony or its dependeneies shah kill caribou without having first i)rocured a license for the season, and shall pay for such license an annual sum of |10( W. y. The license recpiired by this Act may be issued by a Stipendiary ^Magistrate, ( \jilector or Sub-( Collector of Customs, a Justice of the Peace, and such other oiticers or persons as may be empow- ered bv the Governor in Council for that purpose, the person requiring the license paying therefor one dollar. Exportation — VIII. No person shall export or carry with him out of this Colony any venison or the heads, antlers, skins or other parts of tlie caribou with- out first clearing tlie same at some Custom House. 7^^,s — XI. Any i)erson who shall hereafter kill any caribou with dogs shall be liable to a fine of $25.00. Ptannujaii, WiUoir Gnm.se, Partri(hjrx—J. No per- son shall kill any ptarmigan or willow grouse (com- monly called partridge) or any other kind of grouse or partridge within this Colony between the 1 2th of January and the 15th of September. -il t 11 118 CAUIBOU HltOOTING IX XEWKOUNDLAXD. M.jmton, llird.-Xn Act of June 11, 18!)(), ,S 2 ISO po..on sl.all kill a„y cu-low, plover, snipe or other w 1,1 ,nij,,,,tory l>ird« (excepting wild geese) be- tween the 12tl. day of January and the 20th day of Jioo.sr, Kit V. No person shall kill a.,y moose or elk for a period of ten years from the 1st of January, IMM, Hare. VIII. No person shall kill any wild rabbit or hare from the 1st of March until the 1st of September. Mmon, Gnhe, P,n; Trout, Char. 102, § II N(, sal .iK,n shall be taken before the 1st dax- of May or after the 10th day of September. Trout, char, wlutefish, hindlocked salmon. Chapter 7, Laws of 1888 § I Jo person shall catch any kind of trout, char, wliite- hsh, landlocked salmon or any fresh water or any nngratory fish between the 15th day of September and the bst day of February. Soon after starthig on our search for the means of complying with this law, we n,et a policeman, and in- q«n-e'>n. In tl,o nioun tin.o ho could cnu.se o.r papers :-e l,n.pa.oa. w,K.n It would ^ .nK.to.„,„,go,H„-|,u«i„,,, With so,uo hcituMcy e consented, and u-e Lowed ourselves out promising to call at the appointed hour. We were on hand at thet„nena,ned;howa,si„,u.ofKce,andhadthe rt or covered with six of the finest gray wolf sldns wo ad ever see., and upon which he informed us he ha,l just pan a oounty of »12,.,0 each. One of our party c^en.d that they would n.d.e fine ro >oma.ked w.th a sly twinkle in his eye that the law p;..red hi,, to take possession of tl.; pelts in ort that dishonest persons n.ight not collect the l,ou„ty a -^cond t.ne on the same animals ! We were soon re- moved of our cash, and in return were each in posses- sion of the following license: ' I IJ-L- i;}^ (JAME TAWS or NEWroUNDLANI). 121 Police Office, St. John's, NtwFouNOLANU, /€. c^^i;'-(Q*ei*r,^^ ^'*'*^ ^^/^ /^*^ «^.-^ij/iL— *^ i^tttr^ MH/1^^ ^ /C^-Ct^ ^««i* O^S^ «•-*..■«€. ~4^*» LICENSE — $100.00 AND 100 CENTS. In addition to the restrictions (contained in the above, we were obhged to subscribe to a written obli- gation that we would use our utmost endeavors to preserve the flesh of the animals taken. Before leav- ing, he insisted on us taking tea with him at his villa in the suburbs on the following day (Sunday) between the hours of 3 and 5 P. M. 9 I -^j^ J 22 CAlvMIJOlI SHOOTIXCi IN NEWFOUNDLAND. ^in,utter, for ex- ample, might have been added, and indeed many other articles, but they would have added considerable Aveight and very little solid comfort. It will also be noticed tliat what are known as ''wet goods," ''snake bite," "tangle foot," etc., are not included in the out- fit. We had two half-pint flasks of whiskey with us, to be used for medicinal purposes only, and both were taken back to salt water with the corks undisturbed. Inasmuch as it was an impossibility to carry our outfit all the \vay in at one trip, it was evident that what could not be taken had to be cached at or near the head of West Pond, the end of water transporta- tion. We tlierefore had all goods that could be di- vided put up in four different parcels and packed in four boxes, each box containing as near as possible MISTAKK NO. [i. 12." ;) one of {]{{' four parts of cacli article. Tl u'sc boxes were numl>or(Ml from oiu; to four and four lunn- bcrc'd lists inadc of their contents, MISTAKE NO. :{. J laving completed our ix)nnnissary purchases, we were ready for the next ordei* of business, viz., the procuring for each a i)air of sealskin Fiabrador boots, which we were assured Ijv A\^dveman Jlolbi'rtson, in liis descni)ti()n of a hunt in Newfoundland, were tlie only footwear wliich could be used. He went even so far as to assert that rubber goods could not be used in Newfoundland. Had he advised ruhher hoofs as the on^v proper footgear to use on a caribou hunt in New- foundland, he would have saved us from having our six legs pulled to the tune of $2.50 per leg. We got them all right, at $5.00 a pair. True, they are the lightest boot made, and may do on dry ice and in dry snow, but not to wade through water halfway uj) to the knees. Tlie}^ are as thin as Avriting paper, and the only way you can put them on is when sopping- wet. They are not Avaterproof according to the American interpretation of the term as we saw it. My friends after testing theirs gave them to the car- riers; I brought mine home as a I'elic, and they are for sale cheap. i|- ■<15I I I I 12(1 CAKIBOl' SIIOOTINO IN NKWHH NDr-AND. SEEING THE CITV. Tncsfhij/, Ocfohcr fitJi — 'I'licnnomctcr, 50; clear. Having Jittcndcd to all tlio IjiisiiR'ss iiiattcrs (U'cinod necessary, this day was s(^t apart for sij^ht-sccMnji: in this land-locked city within si^^ht of the turhulcnt At- hintic. For picturi^squeness of situation there is no AN OLD VIEW OF ST. .fOHN S. other city in North America to compare with St. John's. As the vovaiijer comini»; northward from Cape Kace sails along the grim-walled coast, Avhose rocks tower from two to four hundred feet high and hurl back the waves in defiance, the steamer sud- denly turns her prow shoreward, as if to dash herself against the dark cliffs. In a few moments a narrow -< TIIK NAKK'OVVS. 127 Opening ill tlio rocky wall is socn, ms if by soino con- vulsion of nature the gn^at dark rampart had hccii rent asunder and the sea had rusluMl in. As the ship glides tln'ough this cleft, the trav(^ll(M' looks not with- out a touch of awe at the great cl ills of dark re(l sand- stone, piled in broken Uiasses on a, foundation of gray slate rock. On the right hi^ sees an ahn(>st per[)('n- dicular preci[)ice 300 feet in height, above which rises with almost ecpial steepness the crest of Signal Hill, 520 feet al)ove the level of tlu^ sea, on which stands the block house for signalling vess(^ls as they ap- })roach the harbor. On the lel't the rugged bill at- tains a height of six lunidred i'vvX; from its base; ;i rocky i)r()inontory juts out, forming the entrance to the Narrows on one sidt^ On the summit of this projection is Fort Andierst lighthouse, where is heard the hoarse music of the restless Atlantic, whosi; waves lash the rocks beneath. THE NARKOWS. Formerly batteries armed with formidabli^ guns rose one over the other on the })roje(^ting shoulders and narrow platforms of the surrounding clitfs, and at tlic narrowx^st [)oint a rock above water stands off from the shore known as Chain Rock, where in former times, during the troubles with foreign nations, a huge ' 12S lAlMKor SliooTINiJ IN NKWForXDLA ND. lORT AMIIKIJST. cliain strrtcliLMl across tlie Narrows, bolted into this rock oil Olio si(l(^, and raised or lowered as required l)y a j)()werful capstan on the other side, [)recluded the |)ossil)U^ eiitraiici' of any liostilc? Heets. Tlie Narrows or channel leading to the liarl>or is nearly half a niih^ in length, and it is not until two- thirds of it hav(^ heen passed that the city of .')(),()()() inhal)itants (;an he seen. At the end of the Narrows the harbor trends suddenly to the west, thus com- pletely shutting out th(^ swell of the ocean. In ten minutes after tlu; bow is turned shoreward the steamer Ih safely moored in a perfectly land-locked harbor. Vessels of the largest tonnage can enter at all stages of the tide, the rise of which does not exceed four feet. TIIK CITY 12'J I»('t\V(M'ii Si«;ii:il Hill and I'^ort Aiiilici'st, at tlic cii- traiicc, tiic Narn>\vs ai'c ahont 1,100 feet i'l width; and at the nan'owcst point. l)('t^V('l'n TancaivC and (Jhain Uocks, they ai'c not more than ()0(i li-ct wide The hai'hor is one mile ham", half a mile wide, and 1)0 t't'ct diH'p, with mud hotloni : and its ('(|ual W(add he liai'd to lind anywhci'e. The citv is huilt on the iiradnalU' sIo|)injj,' hhill* on the north side of the harhoi". ( )n top of the slope tlu'i'e is a larj;(.' level plain, which is ocen|>ie(l hy hean- tilul residences; and still rnrther northward is a stretch of line agricultural land, divi many fine farms. TIk* i)iMnci[)al streets are Water, Duck- worth and (Joweii. Tin? new part l)uilt since the last great tire in LSti'i is considerahly improve(l, and the ST. John's burnt district after fire of I8OJ. 130 CAKIBOr SHO()TIN(; IN NEWFOUNDLAND. large business liouses in tlie eastern luilf of Water Street compare favorably with similar structures in cities of the same size in any part of the United States. There is an excellent system of sewerage, and the water supply cannot be excelled. It is obtained from Windsor Lake, four miles distant, the lake beinc: four hundred feet above the level of the sea. liELATIVE DISTANCES. St. John's is situated on the east side of the penin- sula of Avalon, which presents a wide frontage to the sea and is the portion of North America nearest to the (.)ld AVorld. It is sixty miles north of ( \ipe Race, GOO miles from Halifax, 1,170 miles from Montreal, 1,200 miles from Xew York and 1,700 miles from Queenstown, being 1,000 miles nearer the latter place than is New York. The codfish and seal industries are well illustrated by a visit to the large warehouses of Baine Johnston, Job, Monroe, Thcrburn and many others along the dock. The post office ^s a fine connnodious structure situ- ated towards tlu^ A\'estern end of A\^ater Street. The upper fioor is devoted to the purposes of a public nuiseum, which we found well worth a visit. THE MUSEUM. Here are arrayed specimens of all the minerals and THE CATHOLIC CATHKDK'AL. 131 coals found in the island, as well as building stone, marbles, granites, woods, etc. The birds, animals and fossil remains of extinct species are well represented, and the antiquarian will hnd a most interesting collection of relics belonging to the once powerful though now extinct aboriginal inhabitants, the Beothiks, or ''Red Indians." Here are skulls and almost complete skeletons of this ex- tinct race, together with their stone imi)lements. ar- row heads, gouges, liatchets, etc. The seal industry is well represented here, not only by mounted speci- mens, but a tine model of a seahng vessel, ice i)an and the method of capture in all its phases. THE DKY DOCK. Continuing our walk westward, the Long Bridge is reached, near the head of the harbor, where is the dry dock, built of wood and 0})ened in 1.^84. It is 600 feet long, 8o feet wide and 25 feet deep at low water, and capal)le of accommodating all but the very largest vessels atloat. It cost 1550,000.00. i i THE CATHOLIC CATIIEDKAL. This is the largest and most conspicuous building and stands on the summit of the liill overlooking tlie citv. It is in the form of a Latin cross, 237 feet in 132 CAKIUor SHOOTING IN NEWRJINDLAXD. THK CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL. CHURCH OF ENGLAND CATHEDRAL. I (^riDl VIDl. 133 length and 180 feet across the transept, witli two towers 138 feet high. Adjacent to it are the hisliop's palace, St. Bonaventnre's college and convent. The whole group of buildings cost over $5()(),0()0.00. CHURCH OF ENGLAND CATHEDRAL. This building, wliicli stands about halfway up the slope, will be when conii)leted one of the finest eccle- siastical echfices in l^ritish America. IJnifortunately it was greatly injured by the great tire (^f 1892, but is being rapidly restored. THE PARLIAMENT HOUSE. On the military road along the crest of the ridge stands the Colonial Building, Avhich contains cham- bers for the two branches of the Legislature, and also most of the public offices. It is 110 feet long and 85 feet wide, and was built in 1847 at a cost of £100,- 000. Near it is the GOVERNMENT HOT^SE. This comfortable residence of the representative of royalty is surrounded by well kept grounds, and though plain in architecture, is a very desirable hab- itation. QUIDI VIDL Wednesday, October lOfh. Thermometer 50; rain- ing by spells, clearing in the afternoon. To-day we 'i imi i:;i CAIv'IlJOr SIlOOTINd L\ NKWForNDLANI). I'ARLIAMENT HOUSE. i Ml 1 • U^^A • #pkSM K^^wK^iwMli '^IP P^*::- INWife^^^pl. ^"^ s^gS^JInl^^^ B**^ f ^ HK| ^ '• Pm:..^r ■|„,.^,C'4',j SI *.i ^7T— — ■ 31 ■■■ .. i*^ Li CJOVERNMENT HOUSE. QIIDI VI 1)1. 1 :\' took an i lite rest iiiji; walk to aiiotlicr of* tlic j)oiiits of interest in the suburbs of this (|uaint city. Those visiting St. John's should not fail to see this interest- ing little fishing village, (^ui(h \'i and tlic Imrbor contains scarcely more than an acre of water snrface. As seen in the illustration, tlieir little cottages are clinging to the rocky ledges, whiU^ the stages wIrtc tluy land their fish ])r()ject over the water, as well as the -flakes" on which the cod are dried. Dnring tlie fishing season the whole process of -splitting," -heading" and "salting" can \n^ seen. To add to the picturesque- ness of the scene, a little river which flows through Lake Quidi forms a beautiful little cascade as it fidls over the rocks into the diminutive harbor. (MI APT Ell XIV OFF FOR THE HUNT. T^Tortlnvard 240 Miles More — Arrival at Pilley's Island — Down Hall's Buy in the Nijjhiu — Mistake Ko. 4— Hotel Le Bufle — The Guide and His Family — Forward to West Pond — Big Marsh — '' Grub" or Tea and Tobacco — Our Cabin. 1 1 1; RSDAY, October 1 1th — Tiicrinoinettir, 48; clear and pleasant. An early visit to the Coastal Steamship Company's office had elicited tlie welcome information that the aS. aS. Vir- (jinia Lake wonld sail at 11 A. M. We soon had our dunnage on hoard, tickets purchased and state rooms assigned us; and long ere the time for departure we were on hand, anxious to get off — though the time spent in St. Jolm's had not hung heavily on our hands. The Vi)'OWN MAIJ/S IJAV [N TlIK NU'KIX. l*>v the time we ha'i made ai'ran.i;-ements for tin? huuich, the ,L,aiide, Rieliai'd Le IJulle, shoW(Ml Uj) as per ])revious arrangement to mecjt us at Pillev's Is- laiid. and this [)roved to he; MISTAKE NO. I, inasnuK^h as he was three days from honu;, foi* which time we paid |:].()() a day. It was not long hefore we iiad ourselves and baggage on l)oard,and at 2:45 \\ M. our Captain (Mr. Colburn, tiie inine boss) sounded th(? wliistle, opened the valve and in the pr(\senee of about half the population of the island we steamed off* down the l)ay Mt the rate of six nu'les an liour, ar- riving at the head of tlie ])ay at 7::>5 P. j\J. The wdiistle was souucUmI when within alxait a mile of our landing plaee, which ])roughttw^o boats manned by our carriers, who soon transferred ourselves and l)awii the l)nv was xcrN' atd'actiNc, the coast sc('ii('i-v liciii.i;" so (lilli'rciil in the iiortlicni pciiiii- siila IVoiii that ol" the soutlicni. In the soiitlici-n hall" of the island llic coast is little t»ut hari'cn rocks, while HOTEL LK lU'KKE, HALES I5AY north of lionavista l>ay the hills arc covered with a profuse growth of foliage, and in the fall months the autumn leaves, intersperscHl with the deep dark green of the fir, Jiniiper and cedars, pivsent l)eautiful j)i(;- tures not soon to 1x3 forgotten. I1ic afternoon was one of the choicest, the air pure nnd invigorating, and 1 12 CAiniUX SIlOOriNC in NKWI'orNDI.WD. both shores of the hay (owin,!;* to its iiarrowiuss) h(Mii«; within si'Mit, we all ciiJovmI to the t'lilk'st cvtciit tlic ride down. 'Wi add to the |)ietin'es<|Ueness of the sccniery, every now and then the sleek heads, with hnnian-like eves, of tlu^ hav seal would hoh up, laUe in the situation and duck, rea[)pearing fifty t(» a hun- dred and liftN' vai'ds awav. AT IIOTKL Li: lU ITK. Kiehard Ja' JUille is 1)V hirth a French ( 'anadian, and has heen a resident of Newfoundland for ov(m* twentv years; ahout fortv-two vears of ai^'e, strong, wiry and rather intelligent and untii'ini;' in his eni)rts to anticii)ate the wants of his ein|)loyers; and if the bivouac is crowded he will curl himself up like a doii* and sleej) l^eside tlu^ tire rather than crowd the mourn- ers. As a still hunter he cannot l)e excelled ; he un- derstands every trick [)ertaining t craft, an of ujj;!' \\v s('rv('(l as cook aiid carrici' I'oi' oui' outllt, jiiul stoo(l uj) iindcras heavy a load as any of tlic rest. Mrs. Lc liiiMi' is a ^ood ( •hristiaii woman and a mcni- bor of the ('hni'(;h (►!' Kn,iilaniK)rtnnity of att('n(hn,i;" chnrcli foi* seven years, her ehiUh'en are re(|nire(l to ^o to [)rayers twice a day and those of them who are old enon,i;h are fa- miliar with the creed. The shriek of the .\7y>////'N whistle was also a sii;'nal for this <''ood honsewife, and by tlie time we had our dmniaj^e unloaded and taken care of, she had hot biscuit, molasses, tea and other viands in readiness, and the hunij;ry crowd soon felt the l)etter of a square meal. After tea, a i^eneral pow-wow and smoke followed, and ])V \():?>0 we retired to a temporary bod, made on the floor of the cabin. M())Hl(ft/, Ortoher hVli. Thermometor GO at i\ M. All were u[) at 5 A. ^I., anaggage, bedding, etc. Xeither the guide nor can-iers took guns, as tlie liun- ters are supposed to do all the shooting. The trail was good, with but two or three sliort hills until we ar- i-ived at the foot of the Big Marsh, some three miles from cam]). This was laborious tramping, as without a load an oi-dinary sized man would sink to the aidvles in the ooze at every stej). During the whole day we made short marches of a mile and a half or two miles, when a halt would be made; and half a dozen times during the Journey the natives would ''bile the kit- tle,'* as they call making tea. (Jive a Newfound- lander his choice between plenty of grul) and no tea and tobacco, or tea and tobacco and no grub, and it Avould take hi> i but a moment to decide in favor of the tea and tobacco. W'e ari'ived at » OIR CABIN ON THE BKJ MARSH just before sundown, giving us ample time to prepare supper, add fresh boughs to the sleeping apartment. ./!'/' ^VPIMP-JJIHIM) LMIimHH, I VmtT"'^ 14(j CAKIBOr SHOOTING FN NHNVFOINDLANI). t'ABIN OX THE BHi MAKSH. (Seo niiip for IdCiitioiit etc., and as wo wvw all tired, wo slept the sleep of the just. And now, being fairly on the ground, w(^ will de- vote the concluding cluipter to the record of the hunt propel*, hoping that our success and our enjoyment of it niav lead many others to follow our exanii)le. ^nC.* ■-'■ -' iV^ CHAPTER XV. KECOKD OF TJ[E HUNT. The Cabin — Furniture — Thirty-seven Caribou seen though Raining the First Day— The " Lookouts "—The Doctor's Blind— Fresh Meat Plentiful—" Indian Jim "—We begin to Select Kepresentative Heads — Tlie Kid's Red Letter Day— ''Kep" Kills the Wrong Deer— William Paul, the Micmac and Family — Curing the Specimens— Killing at Twenty feet— Kep's Red Letter Day— Battle of the Stags— The '' King " — The Doctor Makes a Long Shot, but gets Broken Antlers— The " Emperor "—Our Quota Nearly Filled— Preparing Trophies for Transportation—" Exhibi- bition " Stag— Bear Tracks— Back to Salt Water— No l^lail frorii Home — How to Pack Specimens — At Pilley's Island Again— We Want to go Home— " Able Seamen "—Mr. Kepler Collars the Traps at St. John's, while we go on to lioston and Home— Conclusion. HE pages of this concjliiding ehaptcn* have been purposely held closely to tlu^ notes made at the time on the spot. Imagina- tion has no place here; the trophies are pictured by unflattering sunliglit, the originals are in our posses- sion, to be freely exhibited to the inciuiring guest. We give the record as it is, believing the class we hope ( 147 ) I 148 CAiiinor sn()()Ti\(; i\ nicwfoindlaxi). to have as rcadcis will tliiis reeoivo most pleasure and benefit. Wcdiir.stldi/, (h'tohci- 17 th. 'riiciMuonieter lO ; tln-cat- ening. Tlie cook liad no diiiicultv in awakem'ng any of tlie party for breakfast by dayli.^lit ; all were astir. Kepler, "tlu^ Kid" (J. W. Davis) and Lei Uitfe started out for fresh meat, while the writer took charge of the carriers and put the eanip in shape. The cal)in was a eornproniise between a lean-to and a regular log cal)in. The roof was leaky, and the smoke-hole had to be closed. The reai- wall, which was only about eighteen inches from the ground, Avas built up to four feet; a new bir(4i-bark roof was put on, a stone plat- form Avas built for the stove, and it was put up; "splits" were secured, and from them tables were made, which were covered with birch bark. The tent was pitched, and surplus goods were stored therein. As the camp was located in the edge of the timber fronting the marsh, a fairly good view of the latter could be had from the innnediate vicinity of the cabin ; and during the day the writer and the other men at work saw nineteen caribou passing on the opposite side of the marsh, some three-(piarters of a mile dis- tant. Rain began to fall about noon, and the i)arty who went out after meat came into camp empty-handed, THE "LOOKOl'TS." \V.) though reporting luiviiig seen eighteen earibuu, hut out of range. TJiursday Octolnr ISfh. — Tliernioineter 52 ; tlire.it- ning. Kep and tlie Kid, guided by Le liude, went down the niarsli alxnit tln'ee-(|uarters of a mile to what is known as the " lower lookout." These " lookouts " are certain trees which the guides have trinnned U[) in a convenient manner for climbing, ani' .iomc vantage point where a good view can be had ')f the marsh. The lower lookout consists of a scraggy pine al)out fifteen inches in diameter and some thirty feet high, standing in a point of timber in a somewhat elevatiul position. The guide would climb the tree, sit in a crotch tbrmed by the trunk and a branch, and wdtli a tield glass he was enabled to scan the marsh from one side to the other, as well as a mile above and below. When he sighted the gjime, he invariably called out ''Deer on the mash?" and when he had satistied himself as to what lead thev were likelv to take, he slid down the tree like a cat, and keeping one of the many small islands scattered over the marsh between him and his (piarrv, he w'ould bid the hunters follow and imitate his movements, wdiich would consist of running, sneaking, w'alking and crawling in his en- deavors to intercept the game, in which he usually succeeded. 150 CAIilHOU SMOOTINC IN NKWFOl NDLAND. 'Pile writer selected a point some fiv(3 liundred yards in front of the cabin and al)ont the niiddUi of th(^ niai'sli, neai' a well used trail, an 1*. M., and it is neeTIN(; I X NKWroCNDl.A \I). ti(m to the homo marsli, hut no (](>(. r passed. I*,v tli<' middle of the arteniooii we were all in, and as the deer were not travellin.i;' it was an nncvcnll'ul day. As ivfeivnce lias Iummi made to Indian .lim aetin,ii- as^uide to Mi-. I\ej)ler, it is well to state that he is a character, and deserves more than j)assin,ii- notice. ll(> is twenty-three years old, stands six feet in his moc- (,'asins, straii^lit as an arrow, and lithe as a catamount. He was horn in the little cove where his father still resides, and is a (;hild of nature, knowinii' little or notliin.i;- of the ways of civilization. Most of liis life has been s|)eiit with the nei.i»hhonno' lAFicmac Indians, and from the time lie eould follow has accompanied tliem on their annual fall hunts for meat and hides; aii:; IuhkIIc ;i cniioc like Jin l"]sutle' went south a short distance, saw fourteen, liad one shot but missed — a fine head. Indian Jim and Ke}) went west, saw three deer in sliort range, heads no good ; reserved fire. At first we were shooting for meat ; now as Ave myst not shoot more than the eight allowed by law, it dawns u})on us that none but representative h'^ads must be shot at, or s(miebody will get left wLjn the trophies come to be counted. Twenty-three seen in all to-day. Sunday, Odober Jlsf. Thermometer 32 ; cloudy and high wind. Moderated toward evening and began raining. All remained in camp to-day. But four deer passed the camp, two of them within range. Afondai/, Ocfoher JJd. — Thermometer 37 ; misty. Kep and Le Bufle went down the marsh, saw eight deer and could have killed two. The Kid and Jimmy saw twenty-three, but did not shoot, though they filed past them within thirty yards. The writer saw three and could have killed two but did not. ; ^ — -—- Si:Li:(TIN(i KKI'I.'KSKNTATIVH lIK.vn. 155 Ti((siJ(ii/, Ocfohrr J-Jig stag, sir.' Taking a quick but careful aim, I dropped him Avith a Tin: KIDS L'Ki) m:tti;k' day. 157 shot beliitid the shoulders. Twice lie trie(l to rise, wheii .lini ssiid, 'Slioot' li'iii, sir' which I (hd, and the second l)all sent liini to the happy hunt- ing grounds. This stag, whicli would have weigluMl at least 050 pounds, was the largest I killed, and had a niagnificent head of horns. Jini soon had him turned bottom side up ready to dress, when looking up the marsh, half a mile distant I saw an immense stag with antlers like; a brush heai). 'Jim! Jim!' J exclaimed — and away he ran, and 1 after him, through the woods, ovei' a little marsh into another little woods, where we crawled up to a herd twenty- two ill number. The deer were feeding, but soon be- came aware that something was near that boded no good and began to edge off, and as tlioy advanced, kept looking back. 1 could have killed a doe several times, but 1 was after horns ; but to save nu^ 1 could not get a shot at the old stag. At last they readied the open marsh and stood like frightened cattle. The old warrior turned ])roadside, and stepping on a rock nearby, 1 raised on tip-toe, fired over the back of a doe, and had the satisfaction of seeing my stag dro}) dead. He had the largest antlers 1 secnred. As we ran out on the niarsli to claim our prize, the remainder of the herd rnn off about a hundred yards and halted. A fine barren doe almost as white as snow took Jim's 158 CAlilBOU .SlIOOTINC; IN NEWFOUNDLAND. ri x O X! I— ( ' I "KEP" KILLS TIIL WliONC; DEER. 151) eye, and lie r()i)oate(l liis old story al)oiit winter's meat and buckskin for moccasins as lie i;lanced from the doe to me. ' Him a fat un,' said he. Only three inches of the deer's shoulder was visible as she stood by the side of a tree. ' -lim, I might miss.' ' No ; un gun shoot Avliere un held. Vou an me find more big stag by-un-l)y.' testing on one knee, 1 held just near the l)ark of the tree, and at the report of the gun the doe fell dead. I sat down on a rock watching Jim dress the deer, when all at once I heard a great nicket in my rear. I s[)i-ang to my feet to find a hen I of deer not twenty yards off on a hdl run ; in another instant thev would have been over us. On seeing us thev turned off, and there being no liorns among them, they were allowed to go unmolested. I then looked at my watch and saw that in forty-tive min- utes 1 had killed four deer and seen hftv-one." Kep and l.e liuffc' started for the Lower Lookout, and here the author will allow Kep to tell hoAV he killed the wrong deer and missed adding a tine pair of antlers to his list of trophies : ''About 1 1 A. M. we si)ied fifteen deer in one (h'ove about half a mile distant, fc'^^hng and moving slowly around the point of a thickly wooded island. Le P>ufle, who was perched high U[) on tlu^ tree, watched them very intently thi-ough the glass for quite a while. "iT^^Tf lOU CAiaBOU >SH0UT1NCJ IN NKWFOlNDLANJ), trying U) make out tlui direction they were aiiniiig for as tlioy circ'k'd over the niarsli. 'There's one awful big one, witli (huidy liorns,' said Le lUitie, as he came down tlie tree hke a streak of greased hghtning and beekoned nie to follow him as he ran down in the di- reetion of the caribou, keeping well under cover and as near the edge of the marsh as possible till we got about halfwav to them. We then had to cut across a small island in order to keep under cover and to windward of them. 1 was panting for breath by the time we got through the terrible thicket ; and there in full sight, only about a hundred yards distant, stood the whole Hock in a bunch. ' Keep close to the ground and try to get a shot at that big fellow in the middle if you can,' whispered Le ]>uife. J wanted him badly, but he kept well in the centre of the herd, as they moved uneasily around as if they scented danger, and grouped in such a way that it was hard to get a shot at him. Several times I was on the })oint of pulling the trigger as he presented liis head and neck above the others. 'What do you think?' said I to Le Ihiffe. 'Well, I would wait a bit: don't shoot till you get a good chance at his shoulders.' I was watching intently for that chance as the herd kept moving about and gradually getting a little fur- ther away from us, and 1 was getting extremely anx- :; \ "KEP" KILLS THE WKONCi DEHU. 101 ious, feuriiig that the moiuirch of tliu party might get iiway after all. Finally 1 caught a gliini)so of his inoiistrourt head as he moved a little to one sid(\ and the next instant 1 glanced tlu'ongli the sights and fired at what I supposed Avas his big white shoulder. At the crack of tlie rifle Le Jkiffe Jumped to his feet and shouted, ' You missed him — there lu^ goes — try him again on the run!' T saw my mistake, and fired at him as he was pulling out with the rest of the herd, as they helterskeltered over the wet marsh at a tre- mendous gait, making tlie water fly as high as a two-story house in their mad flight; hut I only succeeded in wounding liim slightly. We tlien took an inventory of what I had done with my first shot, and found that 1 had hit two caribou — (3ne a large stag, but with comparatively small horns, and killed the otlier a doe. 'I am sorry the big one got away,' said the guide. 1 was so mortified at my loss and mistake that I don't think 1 spoke six words on our Avay back to the lookout. It was then about the middle of the day and Le Buffe 'biled the kittle.' After lunch lie climbed the tree again, and a short time afterward w" both noticed a little smoke curling through the trees at the head of a small island in the marsh, about three-cjuarters of a mile distant. JiC Buffe discovered, with the aid of the glass, that it ,ii H i' U\2 CARIBor SHOOTING IN NEWFOl'NDLAND. \VM. !'\UL. was our old friend Win. raid, tlic ^ricniac Indian, with two scjuaws and two lialf'-gnnvn boys, wlio were on tho trail 1 ading to tluMr canii) near 1)V. and liad stopped to take a rest and '])ile the kittle.' While Le l>ut1e was watching tlie Indijuis' actions i noticed two fine carilK)u on th(^ marsh, moving directly to- wards old Paul and his pai'ty. ' Xow,' said LelJuffe, 'look sharp and we may see some fun.' Nearer and WILLIAM I'Al'L, THE MICMAC AM) FAMILY. 1 (;:; iioarer wc'iit the two doer toward the curlin*;' smoke, seeming not to notices till within fifty [)aces of it, Avlien they both stopi)ed with heads ereet, and stood as if })araly/e(l at what they saw. The next instant 1 saw a httle jmff of smoke from old Paid's six-foot nnizzle-loading gun, and a eonvulsive leap into tlie air bv one of tlie deer followed bv a loud re- port like blasting rocks. 'There, he has wounded WM. PAUL' .S SISTER. 104 CARIBOU SHOOTING IN NEWFOUNDLAND. one of them and scared the other ahuost to death.' said I.e ]>uffe. 'Yes,' lie continued, 'it is try- ing liard to get to its feet again, hut can't.' In the meantime l*aul loaded his old gun and tired another slug into the Avounded animal ; then the whole party hroke cover, and with an Indian yell of triumph ran out to the fallen deer, which was still trying hard to rise as the Indians surrounded it. ' Thud ! Thud ! Poonk ! Poonk ! ' came a peculiar sound over the marsh, while they kept up their infernal yelling. ' What are they doing now ? ' 1 asked Le Putle ( who could see every move they made, owing to his eleva- ted position and having the tield glass.) ' Oh, the dirty old heathen is mauling it to death Avith the butt of his old musket,' he replied, as he slid down the tree ; ' come let us go down and see what they are doing.' By the time we got there they had the hide almost otf, and so intent Avere the\^ on their work that they scarcely noticed our presence, as each one pulled and tugged at it Avh ere ver they could get a hold, chat- tering all the Avhile like a flock of crows. We re- mained to see them dress the deer and cook the dainty hits of ottal, consisting of tlie ' boiubgut ' or rectum and the marrow bones — the latter having been roasting over the hot coals since they Avere cut oH* and the boys Avere soon quarreling as they cracked WILLIAM PAl'L, Tin: MICMAC AND FAMILY. 1 ( >5 . thoiii between stones, each fcarin.^ tliat one nii.i;lit .i;c't a morsel move than tlie other. Old Paul and the squaws were gor^ini;- themselves from the eontents of the kettl(\ which contained scrai)s of offal scarcely warmed through. We declined a very cordial in- vitation to take a snack with them, on general prin- ciples, and eom})romised the matter l)y furnishing them with sufhcient ' hacky ' to fill tlieir pipes all round. On the way up the marsh 1 had an opi)or- tunity of killing a fme two-year-old stag, hut as my ideas of antlers had enlai'giMl very materially, and his were small, I allowed him to go on his way un ounces. Pulverized alum 2 ounces. Arsenic 1 ounce. Mix well. As soon as the skin has been removed from the animal, or before it has become dry, rub the powder into the flesh side well, being very careful to see that it has been well applied to the very edges of the skin, as well as the lips, eyelids and the everted ears. After every portion has been gone over and well rubbed in, BSS;SsiB^;irr5ft.iia;wa;a-v-.:a3ssrjiSi; iCxS CAiai50U SMOOTINC IN NKWI'orNDLAXD. Cold the skill lo.iictJK'r in sucli a injumcr tliat tlic llcsli sides shall conic in contac^t, tlicii roll tiiilitlv louctlicr and sccnrc the bundle with twine. The skin is then ready to l)c |)ack(^d away, one roll a.^ainst another, and Itctteronthe ground, coverini:,' the whole well with green houghs. In rorty-eight hours ojh'Ii them ii|). Imng thorn in the shade, hut where tluiv get ii tVei^ circulation of air, and in lair dry weatlier tlie skins will be dry and eaii safely be packed in bales, and when tlu^ taxidermist or tamun- relaxes them tiie liair will be found tight and the i)elt in Hrst-elass condi- tion. ( )ut of the twent\M)ne head skins l)rought out by our party, there was not a s(|uare inch of hair slipped. Ke}), the Ivid and I^e Butfc' spent [)art of the day at the Lower Lookout, sighting seven deer, but as they were not tlie kind they were looking for, they W(n-e not disturbed. Thursday, October ^rdJi. Thernionu^ter 35; clear and windy. The writer liaving sj)rained his ankle yesterday, did not get farther than the blind across the marsh. Saw four deer killing a fine stag with fair antlers under the following circumstances : The deer were feeding along slowly with tlie wind, just right, one path of the trail passing within twenty feet of the blind. The deer were slow in coming up, which i KILMNd AT TWKNTV riUlT. i(;i) giivo ample opportiinltv to cxaininc the sta.i;'s aiitlci's Avitli the ,i;iass, and the same time {o arrive at tlie enii- clusioii that he was not wante*!. As lie ap[)roa(*he(l still nearer, and when witiiin ahont lit'ty vards of tlu; blind, it was notiee(l that he took the trail which passed within twenty feet of it. The tem|)tation was too ureat, and he lost his life hv exeitinu' a desire in the heart of the hnnti'r to kill a wild eari- l)on at twenty foot, and tind ont whetlu'r at sncli short ran^e the l)all wcndd pass thron.i;h the animal. AVhen directly op})osite the Idind the trii;ger was pressed. The l)all, 40-05 Winchester, passed in 1)0- tween two ribs Jnst hack of the point of the fore- shonlder on the left side, [)assing throni;hand striking' the centre of the rih on the ot)posite side, which it failed to break. See llhistration, Fig. 3. Kig. ■ - -.- t i i,j.i|. i ]pi i |iij|!ii| pj mmmm »!«»iTIN(i IN NKWl'orNDLAM). 1 passed tlir(»ii,i;li Kotli shoulder Madcs of a lari^v stall- at a distaiuu' of three hiiiHlred naeos, and was I'ouud lod-vd a-ainst the skin. Ki.i;-. 2 passed thnm-h hetweeii two rihs, struck an opi)osite rib hrealdug it at a distance of lol) [)accs. Kep and Le liulU' were north of tlie camp part of the (lav and killed a barren doe with line head. 'IMie Kid and .linnnv were south, and killed a stag and Ijarren doe. Fri(Jf',i. Tliennonietertr); cloudy in the morning, but cleared u^) soon, and lu'came a beautiful bright day. We liad now been in the hunt ten (lavs, and had secured some tine heads, but not all WO desh-ed. ]'>y this time Kep was getting in tine shape for lumting, and seemed more hke the same ^' Black Fox" of vears ago when we made many a tramp together, when game was plenty in the western counties of Pennsylvania. The programme for the day's hunt was outlined the day before. Kep and Le JUille were to get an early start and make a roconnoitoring tour to '' Grand- father's Lookout," and if possible push farther into the White Hills, as we were all extremely anxious to secure fine kirge stag heads, as well as three antlered cows. The Kid and Avriter were to remain at the main camp and keep w^atcli over the passers-by. Our p KKPS Ki:i) r-KTTKi: DAY. 171 ('11(1 nf tho line did not pan out well, as \U)\ a deer was si;j;lit('(l ; l)ut K('[) and Lc lUillt' had A iii:i) m:tti:k nw. AikI here is the way Ke| ♦ells it: " We took a dif- I'ereiit route to reach the liills. and saw on our way u|» ((uite a nuniher of earihou, as we eirele(l round throu.iih the ' liiii;- Marsh,' thick wooded islands and small lakes, and could have killed a inmiher oi" them; hut noth in il;' suited us. Ahout noon westoi)|)ed to 'hile the kittle,' and enjoy our tea, sea-hiscuit and cohl venison as onlv liuimrv hunters in a hraein,i;' at- mosph' re and after a loni;" tramp can. As we were onjoyini;' our snac^k, Le IJulle ever on the alert, saw a very larii'e stag alone about three-(|uarters of a mile distant, feedini;' hv the side of a small lake. As we ()l)served him throui;h tlu^ .glass, Ave discovered that he had a line head, Just such as we were looking for; hut the great troul)le was to get within gun-shot, as there was little available cover, and the wird was against us. \\Y' succeeded, however, in getting within 250 yards of him wicliOLic nuich trouble, and then crawled through the wet marsh grass al)out seventy- five yards further. Here even the grass was absent, and I was obliged to try a long shot. After recover- ing my wind a little after the sneak and crawl, I wsm 1 r2 CARIBOU SHO()TIN(J IX NEWFOUNDLAND. took vc'i'V carcrul aii»i, and as tlio rillu cmcktMl tln^ lArcat aniDial made a lunge? forward and fell dead. ( )!' course I Icll elated, and Le liulVe put liis l/ig hand in innu.s congratulating mo on the fine shot and the beautiful tro[)hy. " After skinning him, Le liufle should(;red the head and hide, and we i)r()ceeded on our way toN^-ai'd the heiulit of land oi' what is known as the barrens. When W(? reached 'Hanah's Lookout' we rested, and left tlui head until our return. We were about two and a-half miles west of (nn* cabin, l)ut there was still a higher point about tw(. miles (hstant in the direction of the fan.ous 'Topsails,' which if we could reach it would allbrd us a magnificent view of the country, and put us in the very lieart of the best hunting grounds. We ])ushed on and arrived at our destina- tion, ''(irandfather's Lookout," about 3 I*. M. It was a beautiful sight as we stood on this high ledge of rocks o\\- )oking the high tableland in the heart of the rolling moss covered 'White Jiills.' A short dis- tance westward were the three Topsail i)eaks, looming u|) like gnnit castUfs or icelujrgs in the c^ear atn)os- pheru. North and south, the inii(iue gray hills as far m tlui oye could s(ie, ai look ilown on '1' id to the eastward, W(; could th(f many wooded islands and small lakuH dotted over the great marshes, J>ari»eys lirook, BVTTLE OI' -rJIE STAtlS. -j r-<> u W(^st J*oiid, and the 'tickles' Iciuling into the luiy ut rillcv's Island. "Dut near us to the eastward, within a mile, was to nie a much more? inten.'stini;- ])ietuiv. ( )n the plain heiow us were more than a huiuh'ed earihou, movini»- ahout amon<,^ the little moss-eovered knolls, ro(;ks and tufts of seraj^jAy evergreens of lir and Juniper. As I hrought my lield-glass to hear upon the s(!ene, 1 helield a picture which I shall never forget. Ahout ludfa mile down the sIo^k', in a small oi)en marsh, were at least fifty earihou gathered in a crowd, and riuiit in the centre was a ])attlo royal hetween several great stags for supremacy and possession of the favored does. The hattle seemed to he waged i)i-uicipally against one great kingly-looking fellow with magnifi- cent antlers. The does with thei'* fawns and the year- lings (prickets) and younger stags had ai)i)arently formed a ring or circle around the half-dozen or more tierce comhatants in their great struggle for the sur- vival of the fittest — the does venturing in near them now and then seemingly to encourage the fighters hy their |)resence. The clashing of their horns could he easily heard as they plunged and reared at cl h other in deadly strife. The weaker gradually succumhed oiKi hy one and w • eventually driven off, leaving the ' king' master of thc^ situation. Ihit his glory was i, 174 CAKIBOr SHOOTING IN NEWFOrNDLAND. I: destined to be short lived; little did he know that there was dan.i^er near, and that his kingly head should soon fall, as a s[)eeirnen and tro})hy of the noblest of his kind. It was now (juite late in the afternoon, and as we were about five miles from eamj) as the raven flies, and several more bv the roundabout wav we were obliged to take to reach our cabin, Ia' lUdlc' thou,Liht it was too late to begin shooting; the weather was mild, and the deer would not travel; better go to camp aud return in the morning with the whole outfit, put up a temporary camp, and remain until we had tilled out our strnig of heads all(jwed by law. lUit what Sportsman could turn his back on suchai)icture with- out making an attempt to secure the head of the king? I suL^2;ested that we should trv for it, even at the risk of cami)ing out. This was easier said than done, as there were several small groups of deer between us and the herd in which he was presiding, and many sliarp eyes and noses to be feared. Le ViuiVv was fear- ful that it they should detect us either by sight or scent we might stampede the whole party and lose all, though h(^ was willing to make the effort. "We started out very cautiously, creeping through the low cover and keeping as well to windward of them as })ossible, gradually getting nearer the point (jf attack. When within about 400 yards we thought ngas r.ATTLi: OF THK STA(;S. 175 l¥ k?:pler and the king. all was lost, as a l>ig stag close by, which had hccii whipiHxl, discovered us and created (|iiite a disturh- aiice hy his loud grunts as he kept trotting hack- wards and forwards from group to group, trying to give the alarm ; hut as there was another tight on be- i ITC) CAi;iIU)r ,SII()(>TIN(i IN NKWFOrNDI.ANI). low liiin, the main herd's attention was attracted [a tliat, and no stani|)eut I had him well cov(3i'ed with the rifle, and called out to TiC lUiffe to lie flat hehind the rock as f was going to shoot. Just as the great savage deer lowered his head to make a rush at me, I fired a ball into his breast, and he fell dead within six feet of Le Butte — who is a brave man and used to danger, but lit this moment was as white as a sheet as he again took me bv the hand. "This over, and before we had time to consider what Tin: -'KINCJ." 179 next, w'v noticed a tioek of about a dozen deer a sliort distance oft* coming directly towards us. Half of them were stags, with good horns and Ix'autiful white necks. We lay down l)ehind the dead tighter, and in a few seconds the leader was within thirty feet of us; and as they j)araded l)y I picked out the or^e with the finest horns and let him down. 'Hie rest ran oil' a short distance, circled around, and sto[)ped within easy gunshot. This last shot completed my eight stalls and three female caribou, allowed by law; and the only regret I had was that the Doctor and the Kid A\'ere not with us. It was now 4 1\ ^l. and we hur- riedly disemboweled the deer and struck for cam[), anxious to cover as nnich of the distance as [)0ssible before darkness covered that part of the earth's sur- face. I/nfortunately we had the worst part of the trail to go over last, and niglit caught us too soon. Several times Ave lost our course ; and as the trail was over the marsh, which is very treacherous, we had a sorry time of it. It was impossible to tell the differ- ence between a puddle of water and a stone, Ijut at last Ave did reach camp, wet, hungry and foot-sore, but not tired — on ! no, not after such a day's sport — but in fine shape to get outside of a big supper which Pap Goodyear had waiting for us. After supper w^e recounted the incidents of the day. I wrote up my in "Vi I Hi 1ility without tlu) aid of a rest and the tolcsropc si.uht. ^rhus far all was very satisfactory; hut when we canio to cxaniinc the antlers k- out, to fnid the rest of our party j^one, wo knew not wliere. JUit inasmuch as it was not our [Jarty we were lookin.i;' for, we at once hrou,i;ht the .i;iass to focus on the landscape helow us, and soon located an- other herd of carihou. We were sure Ke[) and the Kid were on the' sloi)e somewhere, thou.i^h farther west of us. They could, as we afterwards learned, see us as well as the deer, and knew from our actions we had also sighted the ([iiarry— in fact, they saw us enter the thick growth of trees which covered the slope for some (hstaiice helow the highest point. The deer were coming up the slope at an angle and in open ground, in the direction of where Kep and the Kid were lying Hat on their hellies, exp<^cting that in case we did not get a chance at the stag, Avhich from all appearances had the finest head of an}' we had thus far seen or killed, they might stop him as he was coming their way. The herd was scattered ahout promiscuously, Avhile m IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 11.25 1.4 IM 2.2 1 2.0 1.6 ^. /A ^jv# 7 MM ts \ 184 CARinor HIIOOTINC IX XEWFOrNDLANI). the .stai*' would walk slowly along for iwciity-fivo or thirty yards, then stop for two or threo ininutes apparently to lest, paying no attention to his sur- roundings. In the meantime we had succeeded ii\ getting to the edge of the coyer just as lie stoi)ped on a httle hunnnock, with his great white broadside to- ward us. I had just time to get the cross hues located by ([uick work, fearing that he would start again, and thereby inchice our friends to shoot in case they were in range. At the report of the gun he twitched, shook his massiye head, turned S(|uare round to the right, and walked briskly down the hill about two rods, when he stopi)ed, offering a (piartering shot, which he got promptly — the second ball entering his right side just back of his right front leg, and lodging just under the skin at the point of the left shoulder, breaking him down. Distance, 150 yards. As soon as he fell tlie two concealed hunters broke coyer and came run- ning at full speed, shouting like Comanches after a successful ambush. After the post mortem the jury agreed without a dissenting yr)ice upon the following verdict : 1st. That the deceased had the largest and finest head they had eyer seen. 2d. That he would ^veigh not less than 000 pounds. 3d. That he had a just right to the title of THE "EMPEROR." 185 "THE EMPEKOIi," (See baok cover). and that kings and otlier potentates were beneath liini in all respects, and likely to remaui there. Here are his antler nieasnriMnents : Length of right beam from hair to tip 42 Inches. Length of k'ft beam from hair to tip 41^ Tip to tip :J2j Spread, centre to centre ST] Circumference of right beam at hair (5 Circumference of left beam at liair UA Points on right liorn -'{2 ^ Points on k^ft liorn 1 ."> ) Breadth of right palm 7-\ lireadth of left palm (J^ Circumference of entire rack 11 feet '.> Diameter of space occupied by rack. .4 " Several old Indian jnid Newfoundland hunters who saw this head were unanimous in the (j|)inion that they had never seen a more perfect or larger one; and the writer is free to sav tiiat he believes it is to-day the largest and n\ost [)erfect woodland caribou head in America, l)asing his opinion on specimens carefully examined wherever an o[)portunitv was offered, in- cluding those at the Columbian Exposition and the Sportsman's Exhibition recently held in Madison Square Garden, Xew York. 13 a a a 1 8() CAIMI'.OI- SIIOoriNC I\ MIWI'OINDI.ANI). I.K lUl FK AM) TIIK KMI'KKOK. \jV lUifli; and the wi'itcr took careful nieasureiiients of tlie "Ein[)i'i-or," as woU as several })hotoi2;ra[)lue nega- tives, when we removed the skin and carried it to tlie Lookout while the Kid, coac^hed by Ke])ler. shpped up u})on and killed a very tine, unusually white stag which they found feeding in an opei: .)r clear patch in a clump of Jack-pines, not more than a mile from our temporary camp. 'I'his com])leted his score, and he was well satisfied with his (irst attcnnpt at large game shooting, as the walls of his residence in Bur- lington, N. J., will Hnely illustrate, and where all sportsmen will be heartily welcomed by ''The Kid." j oil: t>r<>'i'.\ ni;ak'i,>' 1:11.1. i:1). IS- Siiinhii/. (h-lolxr JSlli. 'I'hci'iiioiiK'tcr .■'»'): Iii,L;ii wind tVoin west. Startc*! to coinplcic skiniiiiii;' out the dcci'. clcauin,!;' up the Iicnds and carryiii,!:' tlicin (o the Lookout ready tor tlic carriers, who wei'e e.\|)e('ted ill tlie inoiMiint;'. Sighted a herd ot" i\v{'V. eoiiiinu' on til" main trail, which passed thi'ou.i;h the openin,i;' wliere most of our specimens in this section were killed. Le liulH' and the writer succee(led in reach- iuii" a scrul)l)V cedar neai" wliere the deer crossed the water-way which .•rNhL.\Ni). THi; ALTHOK AND HIS PKIZK, THE KMPKKOH. Wo had just dropped on our knees when tlie does and young stags l)egau to file past witliin tliirty yards of us, and as usual an old stag brought u}) tlie rear in company Avith a fine an tiered doe separating just he- fore they eanie up — the stag passing to our left about rin:i'Ai:iN<; ruoi-niKs for Ti.'AXspoirrATioN. 18<) thii'tv vards and the doc about tlic same distaiUH' to tlic ri,iilit, wIhtc most of tlic herd liad just |)ass(3d. Tlu'V walked slowly along, stoj)i)ing ovcry now and tlicn. and as tlicv approached to a point nearly on a line with us we could examine their antlei's carefully, iiC Butle examininii' the staj:; ) i the left, while tlio writer sci'utini/ed the doe on the rigiit. Both had })crfect antlers: in short, they were just what wc wanted. When this was decided I covered care- fully the stag on my left, tired and killed, then swung mv ^•un round to mv riuiit and before tlie doe could recoN'cr from her surprise 1 had made a double and both of the magnificent deer were dead almost at our feet. We broke cover aiul the rest of the hei'd gallo[)ed oti' at a nite that would do credit to a broncho under a cowboy. The l^alance of the (' I'nlle went ont to tlu,' marsli aftei* liini. Tiiey inti'i'cepted liini all I'iii'ht, lait as all heads were now nieasure(l hy the '' iMnperor's" he was allowed to pass by. After finishinj;' breakfast we (jonehided {n pack np and vv- turn to onr main (;anip, and make ready to tnrn onr LEAVING UKANDKATHER S LOOKOUT. LEAVING GKANDFATIIEli'S LOOKOl'T. 1 1) 1 faces towtinl salt water. Williams and Sanders had just arrived to lielp ean-v out. nnd after all hands had loaded uu witli all thev thouuht thev eould earrv, we i^ot under wav ahout 10 A. AT., struni;- out in reiiular Indian fashion, headed foi- the l)ig]\Farsli — fre(|Uently sto[)ping ou the way to I'est. talk and live over the great s})ort we had enjoyed in the locality we had just left. ''When ahout halfway to camp and just as we were rounding a point of one of the many wooded islands in the marsh, Indian Jim, who was in the lead, tin'cw down his pack, drop|)ed to his knees, and sung out, 'Oh! I see deer.' And there in full view, ahout 300 yards distant, was a herd of aVjout thirty. Some v/ere lying down, others feeding, and a few seemingly on the alert for danger — notably several barren does. Among them were two fine stags, one with a beauti- ful pair of antlers towering above the rest as they gleamed in the bright sunlight. As there were seven of us in the party we had to he parti('ularly careful liot to attract their attention ; so we quickly crawled into the edge of a little thicket close by for cover. 'Who wants a stag?' said Le BufFe. 'I do,' said the Doctor ; ' you and the Kid take cover to the right, ct below them, and I wall shoot the best one as they run past us.' 'Follow me close, then,' said Ta' Bufie, and 1!)2 CAinnor SM(K>'IMN(; in NKWI'orNDLANI). tli(» two start('f.ANn. 'Here lie coincsl* \v;is shouted l>y Jill. l>an^i;! wont the I )()('t()r's ,i;im, and down wcnl llu; stajj;; l)nt up ai-ain in an instant and undci' wa\' with the rest of tlic licrd. JJan.i;! a.^ain went tlic rifle, and down lio went i)i'oni])tly as Itelore; hut full ( '" game, the nohle animal struggled to his feet, hut only had tiuK^ to n>ake a few wiekeil jumps when the Doctor hit Inn) the tl. rd time, the h;dl passing through his s[)ine. All present agreed that it was the finest exhi])ition ot ritle marksmanshi[) in the Held they had ever seen, and congratulations were the order of the day." We secured the heautiful head of the "Exhibition Stag," and took up our line of niarch for camp, where we arrived in good shape before night, well satisfied with our trip to ( grandfather' s Lookout. Ttu'sdaij, Odohcr oOth. Thermometer 25; windy. To-day all hands busy skinning out iieads and get- ting them ready for tra. ^portation. Sent two car- riers out to head of West Pond with heavy loads of lieads, antlers and head skins, topped olf ^^'ith such articles of household and kitchen furniture as we could spare. These faithful men left camp with their heavy loads about sunrise, and returned to camp just at dark the same day. Wednesday, October 31st. Thermometer 32; clear. All busy taking care of our trophies. No hunting Ki:iM,i:i:s si'i:cimi:ns. It)" <1()IU', tlioui;'!) (|uit(' ;i ninnlx'i' <>1" deer were seen ci'osH- ing tlic lii.ii' Marsli. This was n cliiin.nn;^ day. ^l/nirs(hii/, \<)r(iiil>(i' hf. 'riicrmoiiictci' .'5'i; clear. As tlic writer was eiitilK'd l(MHie more doe. and was desirous of seein'inm" a fawn if possible to ('oni|>lete his KEPLEK S SPECIMENS. family of reindeer, viz., "The Em[)eror," cow, '^ Ex- hibition Stag," and five-months' old calf — all hands took a w^alk to the Soutli Hills, when? the Kid and Indian Jim had their red-letter day, where the author fortunately killed a fawn which completed his family of specimens as sliown on front cover page. We found where a large bear had eaten lialf of one of the iF lUO CAUIHor SHOOTING IN NEWFOUNDLAND. 'A ■f. C X 1 1 HWWWii BACK TO SALT WATKK'. I';)' stajijs killed l)y {\\v Kid, and had draii'gcd tlio <»Teat deer several feet, showing that he must have been of good size. The conditions were viM'v favorable for a forty-|)ound trap and about three days' time which without doubt would have furnished some more 8[)ort and a tine pelt. Fi'iddi/, Xorcnihcr .J"ter 35; raining, Imt cleared oti' beautifully, and at *J A. .M., aftei' cach- ing the stove and most of our kitchen furniture, we bade adieu to our cam)) on the liig Marsh and turned our faces toward salt water, arriving at our cache one and a-half miles west of the head of West Pond at 4 P. M., where we cami)e(l for the night. Monday, Noremher 'tfJi. 'I'hermometer 33; windy. [jiitl cam}) at 8.30 A. M., and soon rea(*hed the head of W^st Pond with whole outfit. Owing to the higli wind, ^:he water was so rough that we were detained about two hours, regarding the trip hazardous with n)(S CAiniUH S1I(>()TIN(; IN M';\Vl()rM)I.AM). HUG(}rN(r THE SOUTH SHORE <)E W .,ST I'ONI). ^V|- ^ ■ wk ^Kfl tii li^Mi li M H| ^H ill nd^^H ■ S |H| m P r* B^^i^^^R'" ' ■ /^^i^^^dO^^^^^^H ^ni ^^^1 ^^H ^HH ■ fSSt^'^^' — ^^ fl H ■ STUCK OX THE KOCKS AT DEVILS ELHOW. NO MAIL V\Hm HO.A'i:. 11)1) our heavily-ladcii (/anoos. l^^inally madc^ ihv i\n)i of tlic' pond in safety l)y luiggin^u' tlic south sliore, and after cxperiencin,!!: some ditticulty at tlic ''Devil's VA- bow,' on ^Vest Tond Brook l)et\veen tlu^ foot of the pond and the head of llalTs Uay, arriving at our guide's cabin at ^) i*. M. Mere we met a disa})pointnient at not reetMving let- ters from home, which confirmed our suspicions as to MISTAKE NO. ."). From some correspondence had with a Mr. White, mail agent between W'hitbourne and the terminus of the railroad, we were induced to cause our mail to be directd to his care, supposing that tliere was a mail route from Norris' Arm, via. PilU^v's Island, to the Hall's Bay postofHce, and that we would thus receive mail as often as we could send out to the head of the bay. In consecpience of this mistake, we had no word from home from the day we sailed until our return. Our folks had telegi'ams from us, however, from Halifax, St. John's and Pilley's Island on our way north, and on our return to I Alley's Island on our homeward journev. Sportsmen visiting this country will do well to Ije- ware of inducements held out to go via. the railroad from St. John's. If tine sport and large antlers are isai 20(J CAJaiJor sjiooTiN(; i\ Newfoundland. (Icsiml, "follow your leader and fear no dan^vi-." Take the Si/rin at Xcw York direct for Pilley's Is- land. JIave your mail matter dii'eeted in care of Richard Lc I>„dfc, to Hall's Bay [\ ()., Wolf (Vovc. Notre J)ame Hay, X. F.. and Mrs. lirown, the affid>le I)0stmistre.ss, and her dau.uhters will as opportunity offers send them to Mr. Le i>>ulle\s ranch, where they ean be called for by the carriers as tiny have occasion to return to the cache at the head of West Pond. Ar- rangements can also be made with Mi-. Jlerbert. the gentlemanly ])ostmaster at l^dhy's, to send any im- portant telegrams to the camp on the 13ig Marsh. The telegraph oHice foi- this section is not at VlUvy's. but a few miles further north, at Little P>ay Mine, and ten words cost 11.75 to Philadel])hia, Vi\., {\ S. A. Tiu'sihui, Noirmhcr ath. Tliei-monu^er 81 : threaten- ing. Le P>utfe, Indian Jim and the writer left at an early liour for Wolf (\,ve, six miles up the bav. in a small rowboat, to secui-e a sailing yacht to convey us to Pilley's Island; while Kep and the Kid un])acke(l the head skins, verilied the tags or labels on each and ar- ranged them in, over and about Le P>uffe\s storehouse, which stood on the edge of tlip bank fronting the cabin. In this connecti jn it might be well to state that it is im- portant that every specimen should be earefully marked and numbered, and for that ])urpose the wri- How TO TACK SPI'.CIMKNS. •201 CrRING THK TIIDKS AND HEADS AT LK HIFFK S STOHKirorsE. tvv was i)n'pai'('(l witli good strong pajuT tags witli eyelets, similar to tlujse used ])y (.'xpi'css ('oinpanies and general shippers of niercliandise. These tags if plainly marked with a lead })en('il. will resist moisture iniu'h l)ett(n- than ink, and no diftieulty will i)e ex- j)erieneed from getting the specimens mixed up. A\^(^ retui'ned hv .*> V. M., with the vaeht, in a storm of rain and wind; and in conse():*> WK WANT TO (lo noMK. Tlic lu'xt ((Ucstioii tit (listiirl* our sIiiiiiIk'I's was. when would we li'ct a N'csscl ^oiuii' south ? 'Tliu slvanuT Arahm. a lar.u'c l']u.iiiisli vessel (See cut. |)a,uv 25) kuowu as a trauip lu'lonLiiu.ij," to the IUmM'toss Liue, eouuiianded hy(a|)t. i*]. M. ('ox, was l()afh. Thermometer ;')■_? : cleai* and pleasant. This was a lovely day. Spent a \-erv ])leas- ant e\'ening with (apt. ('ox at Mr. llerhert's in com- pany with friends of the family, playing Nap and lis- tening to tine nuisie rendered hy Mr. Ilerhei't and his estimable wife and daughter. Finished packing our trophies, and received a final answer from (Ai[)t. ('ox, wlio aiireed to take us: hut as he was not allowed to provide aeeomnuxlations for passengers, he said it would he necessary for us to shi[) as seamen at one shilling a dav, and i)av one dollar a day each for om* board, with the verbal understanding that we should 201 CAKllJOr SIlOOTINCi IN NKWFOrNDLAND. desert the sliip at liostnu. ( )iii' four days' wait at rilley's Island wei'e pleasantly spent, and would have J)een nnieh niore eniovahle had it not heen tor MlSTAKi: NO. 7. We had left oiH' trnidvs at St. .lolnTs which con- tained onr travelling" clothes, as well as some presents for the loved ones at lionie. However, we had pre- })ai'ed a letter of instructions to one of our many new- made friends at St. John's. Mr. .1. \>. ll(>wson. l^s(|.. to forward our 1 ta.upi.u'e. While in our (quandary, on the elexi'Uth the Sl/rla steame*! in. THE sn.viA wArriX(i in pillky s island haruok. "^ twn Tin: vovA(;i: iiomk •20.') ( hi the ritli our cases — one coiitaiiiiii.L: live {)airs of antlers and live licadskins, directed to tliat master of his |>rofession, Mr. A. 11. Wood, taxidei-iiiist, of Painted I'ost. N. ^^; one to ,1. W. havis, r>urlini:toii. N. .1.. and the third to the writv'i' at Lancaster, Pa., wer<' showed away in tlie liold of tlie i;reat steel steamer. toLictlier with )).0(MI tons of ])vrites ore; tlie liatclies were clamped down, and on Tuesday morn- ing:', just as we were al)out to hoist anchor, the coast steamer I'lruiuin Lyage, and hoth .>^hips sailed out of the harhor at the same time. — he 2iH) L\\i\\\n\ Sl|()(>riN(i IN M:\\ rolNDLAM). ptiiii;' ^ontli .iinl we iiortli. tlii-ouiiii tlic Sii-ait- n\' r>('ll(' Isle. illollLi" -tlic sIhu'cs of" L;il>r;ir siiir in stkaits ok HKi.i.K isi.K oi'i'o.^rn', amoik's point. iHMicc, past (ape lircton Island, across the Way ot* Fiiiidv, and down to IJoston. wlici'c wc ai'ri\('(l at rt'C('(liii_ii' pjiucs liUNc iii>t liccii written tVniii llic standpoint citlKT of historian or natnralist, it may not itc considered amiss to note in detail some of tlie lial>its of the nohle name wliieh formed the principal snltject of the work, and leon arc very siiseeptilde t<> do- niestieatioi), and make a \alual»le sul)stitnte lor do,ns in drawinj;' loads o\-er the ice and snow. '\1\>- writer saw a yeai'lin.i;' on hoai'd the steaniei" \'lrf/inilo 1' ti) (In- fo r (lojis i»- writer in I I J the lUkc liiit 1 docile, sii^n of or run, k thciii- to a fast jiitin.u" a I' friii'ht- •e" and t'd as to Dwh ru- K — and tl. rough coiivcn- L? a i)ar- a liaiid- f a stick and place it near the Juiictinii of (he •leads." When tJM' luM'd comes along, Mie leadei- soon ject. and take the road which leads to daniicr. Their senses of smell and hearing ai'e \-ery acute, hut theii" \isi(ai seems defecti\(' in ( Ustiniiuishiuii" oh- jiM'ts. If a man in a dead-grass colored suit stands perfectly still in the o|)en marsh, they will walk close up to him hefore (a|)|»ai-ent ly ) they ai"e ahle to distinguish him from a stump (tr some other ohject. While they invariahly pi-efei" to travel ovei- the open mai'sh or harrens. when wounded they innnediateh' rini for covei": and once within a Newfoundland thicket, the chances are ni le in ten thev caiuiot lu^ found. 'riu^y ai'e very tenacious of life, and the missile nuist sti'ike eithei- in or close to the sj)ine or heart, or through hoth shoulders, as otherwise they are likely to get away. The calf whose head is shown oi over ran three hundred yards after receiving a A<)-i'u) hall through the hodyjust hack of the heart. Here we must leave the carihou to the furth(?r ac- (juaintance of those whose fancy leads them in pur- suit of the nohler game of our continent. The lieads of the |)rincipal specimens mentioned in our reeoi'd f 210 CAUIBOr SHOOTING IN NEWFOrNDLANI). look (U)\\]\ Upon us from tlie walls of our homo, re- iK'VviTig daily tlu' pleasure we found in the pursuit. (Jo and do likewise. TPIE MICMAC INDIANS. As reference has heen made in the preceding (;haj)- ters to the Micmacs of Newfoundland, a few' words about them may not be out of place, as tlu^y are the onlv Indian inliabitants. 'Phev belong" to the eastern branch of the Algoncpiin family, representatives of which are also found in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Lower Canada. Some thirty families of them are located around Hall's Bay, and compose about all on the island. They live in houses like the white men, i^peak a little broken English, cultivate small patches of ground, and eke out a Uvelihood by fishing and luinting. They are all Boman Catholics, and in front of their cemetery on the north shore of Hall's Bay the cross and a totem-pole stand side by side, and are guarded with jealous care. Many of these people are afHicted with tuberculosis of the throat and lungs, from wliich cause there an; a number of deaths every year. Notwithstanding his attempts at civilized life, this member of the aboriginal race is moving towards the extinction which seems to be the fate of the red man in every portion of the new world. NEWFOUNDLAND'S Fl TUHE. 211 CONCLUSION. And now, about to lav down tlie pen, as we glance backward hv way of fai'cwell to tlie little hook, there I'HJwd upon US pleasant reminiscences of tlie ])e()ple among whom we spent those autunm days, so full of pleasure and of incident. We came among them .strangers, w(^ left them fi'iends; should we not be tempted back again by the recollection of this visit, 4it least the friendships formed will not be suffered to lapse, if the islanders reciprocate our feeling tow^ard tfiern, as we have every reason to expect. In this feeling is an element of sympathy which we trust may awaken the same in the heart of the reader. These people of the north have for decades been making a heroic struggle not only against nature's forces, but against tlie colder and more cruel hand of oppression, moved by soulless greed; and last and worst, against the corruption among tliemselves in- ducted by the exiunple set them in their treatment by the mother country. But the corruptionists are a small minority ; the honest masses will slough them off, a,nd we feel safe in pnulicting for them a brighter future. What are the grounds of our belief? First, the seemingly inexhaustible bounty of nature in the waters surrounding them, the undeveloped riches of 919 ..■■.« •■ -f- CAK'IROI SMOOTIXd IN NKWForXDLAMl Ho.l and miiHs tlio (elastic spirit shown wImmvv.t tl.^ smallest ..pportunity is o-i,,,, fnv iinprovenuMit un- <^^'i''it(.l l,y .vp(>at(.] a],plic.ati(>ns nf tlie KnolisI, -w^.t »>U.nk(.t;' anP^''^t",l also that of th(> write... I k- n.av as well c^ontess here that a eontJ.leration of American states ^^■*^"' •••'^'^''•1^"'<1 <>v<' IJtes(v that, sinee the vears of Methuselah are no lono,.r vouehsafed to man. ^ JUit he is not so sure that he may not hold out Ion- ('Hough to hunt the earihou in the American State of Newfoundland. Wliether we shall s(v it or no, l<>t our last w<.rd in taking h.ivo of the reader exi,ress onee more the hoi,e that instead of a Kuropean dependeney. the twentieth century may early greet our friends of Xev. foundland as in the fullest sense American citizens. r _^_^2Si '-^-"^^mmmmt yrv the 'lit. Uii- ^Ii ••wet all Host iiiK'xa- > tli<'ir IS well 1 states soutli- "oi- his ' Vcars I. r>ut loll-;- ati' of JV(\ ill ' ho[)e iitii^tli Hand ir- HMH 1