9> ^^ 'V IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // !?• .** .<.* fe 1.0 I.I £ Its 12.0 Ul II U 116 [•][|t4i^:)i ScMices Carporatian 'm*' n WHT MAM ITMIT WIMTN,N.V. 14IM (n*)t71-4M3 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Inatituta for Hiatorical Microraproduetiona / Inatitut Canadian da microraproductiona liiatoriquaa Ci^ 'fosarn^;? Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniquat at bibliographiquaa Tha Instituta haa attamptad to obtain the beat original copy available for filming. Featurea of thia copy which may be bibliographically unique, wliich may altar any of the imagea in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D D D D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur □ Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagAe □ Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture reataurte et/ou pellicuiAe □ Cover title miasing/ La titra de couvertui couverture manque Coloured mapa/ Cartes gtegraphiquea en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) Coloured plataa and/or illustrationa/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur D Bound with other material/ RelM avac d'autras documents Tight binding may cauae ahadowa or diatortion along interior margin/ La re liure serrAe peut cauaer de I'ombre ou de la diatortion la long de la marge int4rieure Blank laavaa added during reatoration may appear within the text. Whenever poaaibia, theae have been omitted from filming/ II aa peut que certainea pagea blanehea ajoutiee lore d'une restauration apparaiaaent dana la texte. mala, lorsque cela Malt poaaibia, cea pagea n'ont paa 4t* film4ea. Additional commanta:/ Commantairee suppl4mentairae: L'Institut a microf limA la meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a AtA possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-AtrQ uniques du point de vue bibliographiqua, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la mithoda normale de f iimage sont indiqute ci-dessoul. Tl to |~n Coloured pages/ D D Pagea de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagtes □ Pagea reatorad and/or laminated/ Pagea rastaurAea et/ou peliiculAea Pagea discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pagea dAcolorAea, tachaties ou piqu< Pagea dAcolorAea, tachaties ou piquAea Pagea Pages ditachtea Showthroughy Tranaparance Quality of prir QualitA inigale de I'impreaaion Includea supplementary matarii Comprend du material auppl4mentaira |~~| Pagea detached/ rri Showthrough/ r~~\ Quality of print variea/ rn Includea supplementary material/ Only edition available/ Seule Mitlon diaponible Pagae wholly or partially obacured by errata allpa, tiaauea, etc., have been ref limed to ensure the best possible image/ Lee pagee totalement ou partiallement obacuroles par un feuillet d'errata, una pelure. etc., ont 4tA fiimAee A nouveau da fapon i obtanir la mailleure image poaail>le. Tl P< o fi O b< th si< ol fii sii or Tl •h Tl w M dii er bs rifl rei m( This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document eat filmi au taux da rMuction indlquA cl-deeaoua. 10X 14X 18X 22X 2tX 30X X tax i«x aox a4x 2IX The copy filmsd here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: National Library of Canada L'exempiaire film6 fut reproduit grAce A la gAn6rosit6 de: Bibliothdque nationale du Canada 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. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol — '^^^ (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol ▼ (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les images suivantes ont At4 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetA de l'exempiaire film6, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est ImprimAe sont filmte en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la derniAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmte en commengant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la derniire page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaftra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols -^> signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole ▼ signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre fiimAs k des taux de reduction diff Arents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, 11 est film* A partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 8 6 "1^ CHIPLOQUORGAN. \-^-"ii CHIPLOQUORGAN; OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE IN % ^ DOMINION OF CANADA AND NEWFOUNDLAND. I BY RICHARD LEWES DASHWOOD, XV. REGIMENT. I $eb (Sbiliotr. LONDON : SIMPKIN, MARSHALL & CO. 4 stationers' hall court. 1872. [.1// rights reserved.} 183721 V^\^\ J PREFACE. The word " Chiploquorgan " is the Indian name, in the Milicite language, for the stick on which the kettle is suspended over the camp fire, as depicted on the cover of this book. The Indians attach a certain degree of superstition to the Chiploquorgan, and it is considered most un- lucky to burn or remove it on leaving a camp. CHIPLOQUORGAN. CHAPTER I. Sail for North America — Mishaps on the Voyage — Arrival at St. John, New Brunswick — First impressions of the town — My first fishing expedition — American Hotels — The Schoodic Lakes — Tankee «• Sportsmen " — Trout fishing — The Schoodic Indians — The musquitoes, and how to get rid of them. On the 24th of January, 1862, I sailed in the steam transport Adelaide, from Cork, for North America, with six companies of my regiment, which formed part of the force sent from Eng- land at that time, in consequence of the seizure by an American man-of-war of Messrs. Mason and Slidell, while passengers on board the royal mail steamer Trent After our engines breaking down on several occasions, and meeting other damages from a 1 CHIPLOQUOllGAN ; severe hurricane, we were obliged to put back to Plymouth for repairs. Here we were detained three weeks ; and at the end of that time we sailed for St. John, New Brunswick. We were ordered to take the southern route as a means of avoiding the rough storms of the North Atlantic, against which our ship had proved herself totally unequal to make any headway. We were also ordered to touch at the Bermudas for coals. We reached those islands with just enough coal to take us into port. We stayed there ten days, and eventually reached St. John, New Bruns- wick, on the 24th of March, seventy-nine days after our original departure from Cork. If we had embarked in one of Cunard's or In man's steamers, we should probably have crossed the Atlantic in a fortnight, and besides having a pleasanter voyage, the saving of expense would have been considerable. The Adelaide was quite unfit to cross the Atlantic at that time of year, her engines being deficient 'in power, and being moreover old- fashioned and worn-out. Their defective state may be imagined from the fact that they broke down altogether about ten times. OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. k to ined ) we were nsof mtic, )tiilly I also We )al to days, iruns- 3 days If we man's d the ing a would the being ir old- state broke The Victoria, the sister ship of the Adelaide, sailed from Cork with the 96th regiment on board, the day after we left that port. She proved even in a worse state than the Adelaide, for besides being defective in her engines, her rigging was rotten. She also put back to refit, and starting again for America, got no farther than the Azores (she was likewise ordered to take the southern route), ;Hfhen her engines breaking down, she was obliged to return to port; nor did she make another attempt to cross the " herring pond." It is to be hoped that the lives of British soldiers will never again be entrusted to either of these ill-fated vessels. I had always a great longing to be quartered in North America, and make practical acquaint- ance with the various sports to be obtained in that country. My keenness had also been much increased by the description given to me by a near relative, who, thirty years ago, was quar- tered in New Brunswick with the 34th regiment, and who spent all his leave in the woods. The Iniliuns at Fredericton, to this day, speak of him as a wcll-remembered sportsman of tlie right sort, or, as an old Indian said one day when referring CHIPLOQUORGAN ; to him, " He great hunter, good hand in woods, same as Indian in canoe." On disembarking at St. John I was much struck with the appearance of the town, which was both novel and interesting : the sleighs fly- ing about in all directions; little boys sliding down the hilly streets on small hand-sleighs, and gliding just clear of the horses when a collision appeared certain. This amusement is called "coasting;" and in winter appears to take the place of the marbles and peg-top of the boys at home. Having shaken down into barracks, I began to make inquiries as to the commencement of the fishing season, and made arrangements to join a fishing party at the end of May to the Schoodic lakes, which are situated in the State of Maine. On the 15th of May I was to start for these lakes by steamer from St. John to St. Stephen's; but being detained, I sent all my traps and fishing gear with the rest of the party, and I myself left St. John the same evening by stage. Of all the miserable means of locomotion, a stage waggon in America is the most wretched. The road was in parts very bad, and full of large OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. boulders. Luckily I was the only occupant of the vehicle, except the driver, and so had plenty of room. I was amused, on driving up to a place where we changed horses, at the remark of a loafer to the driver, on his paucity of passengers, "Why, you have quite a small crowd to-day, Jim." Three people would be quite a crowd, and four or five a big ofewd, in the Yankee parlance of the country; and this habit of calling every- thing by the most grandiloquent names strikes a stranger as being especially ridiculous. Every pothouse is an hotel, every village a city, and the most dirty eating-room a dining saloon. I reached St. Stephen's at about nine o^clock the next morning, and went to an hotel to have some breakfast, where I joined the rest of our party. I found that I was rather late for the table d^hote — all meals at American hotels being on that plan — as, on being shown into the breakfast-room, I found all the servants of the establishment feeding on the remains. Fancy, in an English hotel, the servants being turned into the coflfee-room, en masse, to feed ! The servants at the hotels in this country arc exceed- im>W»m» ; ^H»iP . 'Mlb . ^^pw>*»>w w i iiiJiK . HiWW'* " CHIPLOQUORGAN ; ingly touchy, and object to being called " waiter," or " boots," but expect to be addressed as "young man," or by their Christian name. I remember, on one occasion, when dining at an hotel in St. John, an officer, whom I shall name Captain Heavyswell, called to the waiter, during dinner, for a glass of beer. The man addressed "waiter," merely shouted to the bar-keeper, loud enough to be heard all over the room, " Pitcher of beer for Heavyswell." After breakfast we all started by train for Louis Island, a small village situated on one of the lower Schoodic lakes, at a distance of about twenty miles. Here we hired Indians and canoes, and took the steamer to the head of the lake, about fifteen miles off. Having disembarked our luggage, we portaged to the upper lake, which is connected with the lower one by a stream three miles long. In this stream the trout congregate at certain times of the year, as also in the other streams connecting the chain of lakes, which extend some sixty miles up the country. We arrived at the head of the stream at sundown. Here was a lumber dam, and a large crew of men OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. engaged in " driving " the timber brought down the lake in large rafts. Whilst the Indians were putting up our tents, I made haste to put up my rod, and have a cast before dark — my first cast in American waters. In half an hour I had landed nine trout, averag- ing over two pounds each. These fish gave immense play, jumping high out of the water, several times orr being hooked after the manner of sea trout at home. I may here say a word as to the species of trout in these lakes, as it has been a matter of a good deal of controversy between American naturalists, some of whom afiirm that they are pent-up salmon. The St. Croix river, of which these lakes are the head waters, formerly abounded with salmon, but is now blocked up and quite impassible by the mill dams. I, for my part, do not for a moment suppose that these fish are salmon. In my opinion the idea is absurd, as there is nothing to prevent the fish going down to the sea ; and when the river was blocked up in the first place, surely the fish then in the river would have followed their natural instinct, and returned to the salt water. Besides, I know plenty of rivers 8 CHIPLOQUOEGAN ; in North America from which the salmon have been shut out, and they contain no such fish. The trout in question are only like salmon in two respects, in colour and shape. I can only account for their being called salmon from the general ignorance of the people in America of natural history, and their common habit of calling birds and animals by their wrong appellations, merely because they have a slight resemblance to the animals they are named after. For instance, an American thrush (turdus migratorius) is called a robin, because it has a red breast ; at the same time, it is the size and has the note of a thrush. I could enumerate many other like instances. But to resume. On returning to camp much gratified with my trial of the fishing, I soon dis- covered that whilst I had been so occupied I had been most horribly bitten by musquitoes, which were in swarms everywhere. T had, in the inno- cence of my heart, worn a pair of knickerbockers ; this was a lesson to me not to do so in future, as the musquitoes had stung me through my stock- ings in all directions. There were some excellent casts near some OR, LIFE BT THE CAMP FIRE. 9 piles which were formed to guide the timber down the dam, and were filled up with stones above the water line. I found it a good plan to take up my station on one of these stands, with a good supply of rotten wood with which to make a fire with plenty of smoke, and so baffle the attacks of the musquitoes to a great extent. I remained at this place about a week, and had capital sport, killing with the fly one day sixty-three trout, of an average of two pounds each, few being smaller than one and a half pound, and none over three and a quarter pounds. There were several camps of Yankees along- side of us, who were a great nuisance, following one about to any spot where they saw you suc- cessful, and fishing close to you with enormous flies, which fell with a great flop in the water. I managed to shake them off by fishing out of a canoe. These people were no sportsmen, and came out to have more what thoy call " a good time," and consume an unlimited quantity of liquor of the strongest kind. To escape these annoyances, and for the sake of change, one of our party and myself made an excursion in canoes to the stream connecting the 10 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; lake on which we were camped with the one above. After a paddle of about fifteen miles we arrived, towards evening, at our destination. The stream here, between the upper and lower lake, was onlj a few hundred yards in length, and verj rapid and rocky, but with a capital pool both at the inlet and outlet. The trout here rose so greedily that I continu- ally hooked two at once ; and the fish broke my casting line so often by jumping in different directions at the same moment, that I was obliged to fish with only one fly. The scenery on our voyage up the lake was very pretty, the trees coming down to the water's edge. The foliage was very beautiful, and of a brighter green than one sees in England, the birch and white maple especially so. I found that these trout took an artificial bait readily. I also caught with a spoon a togue (salmo siskawitz) of about six pounds. This fish is of the trout species, but never rises to a fly. They give no play, and their flesh is white, and very indifferent eating. They are some- times caught as large as thirty pounds and up- wards. I saw some specimens of the wood duck, OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 11 SO useful to the fly-makers, but was unable to bag one. Loons, also, were plentiful, with their peculiar weird-like note. I do not know anything more mournful, and at the same time more fasci- nating, than the cry of a loon on a still night, coming across a large lake, and echoing back among the forests. The flies I found most killing in these waters were a light mallard wing, with red or orange body, and red cock's hackle. In the middle of the day, when the sun was bright, I did good execution with small greys and dark browns. I was astonished at the ease and skill with which the Indians paddled their bark canoes, which were of the Milicite pattern — long, narrow, and crank. A single-bladed paddle is used ; and one man at the stern, paddling from one side, both steers and propels the canoe with the same stroke. It looks very easy, but I, who was at that time quite a tyro as regards the woods, and had never been in a canoe before, on at- tempting to paddle one found myself describing small circles, nor did I feel exceedingly safe from turning a turtle at any moment. However most things are to be learnt by •■k 12 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; t ' '.' practice and perseverance ; since then many a mile have I paddled, many the hour have I stood up pole in hand forcing the frail birch bark up the foaming rapid where loss of balance would be an upset, and an upset the loss of one's tackle and perhaps the ruin of the ex- pedition. We kippered several hundred of the largest trout, w^hich one of our Indians packed in a box made of spruce bark and sewn with the roots of the same tree. The Indians were of the Milicite tribe, and a very lazy lot. One of our men, Joe by name, especially so. On one occasion after breakfast we paddled up the lake about four miles to try a brook for brown trout ; on our return in the evening, Joe appeared slower than usual, and on being asked why he did not paddle quicker, replied in very doleful accents, " Me had no breakfast, me had no dinner ; " the amount of pork and trout he had consumed at the first mentioned meal would have sufficed two ordinary men. Owing to a raft of timber which blocked up the end of the lake, we had to land and walk home about a mile. Joe being too idle to carry OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 13 his canoe, left it on the beach. Next morning he went to fetch it, and returning with a very long face, informed us in a whining voice, "Canoe spoilt. Porcupine he eat him hole last night." Sure enough, the animal had evidently dined off the canoe, eating a large hole in the bark. These Indians of the State of Maine were very exorbitant in their charges. A dollar a day is the regular tariff, but the following year they wanted to charge a party from New Brunswick a dollar and a half per diem, expecting to receive it in gold or the equivalent, although no such stipula- tion was made. The party at last agreed to give them what they demanded, but when pay day arrived, handed the Indians the amount in green- backs, much to their disgust and discomfiture. As the premium was at that time very high they received in reality less than a dollar in gold. Some Yankees who were present at the time were much amused, and guessed the strangers " were pretty smart." I consider the trout fishing in the Schoodic lakes the best in North America, for although there are plenty of both sea and brown trout to be killed in most of the streams, they do not 14 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; i jump when hooked, and I have never met any fish either at home or abroad, which for their size gave equal play to these " lake shiners," as they are called by the settlers. I learnt one wrinkle by this trip — viz., how to dress for the flies, which had punished me most severely. I have never but in one place since found them so numerous. A person fresh from England always suffers at first, the bites swelling very much, but after a year or two one's blood seems to get accustomed to the stings, for although they annoy at the time, the swelling soon subsides and the irritation is much less. There are many receipts for keep- ing off flies ; the most effective of any, and I have tried most of them, is a mixture of hog's lard and Stockholm tar, three parts of the former and one of the latter mixed together. It easily washes off, the grease preventing its sticking. With a small box of this in my pocket I could always in a few minutes render myself proof against mosquitoes, black flies or sand flies, the latter called by the Indians " bitum no seeum," are the worst of all, but are only very thick in light soils. This specific requires to be renewed OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 15 about every hour. A veil is also of great use with a broad brimmed hat to keep it off one's face ; but it is a great obstacle to the sight which, when fly fishing, as I need not mention, requires to be quick and sharp. "^"'^'MHIMAlltfMlLW 16 CIIIPLOQUORGAN ; CHAPTER II. Expedition to the Bay of Chalenrs— A Settler's fishing gear. No sport in the Bay — Depart for Bathurst — GafBng lobsters — Encamp on the borders of the Nepisignit — French settlers— The Bapids — Fishing stations on the Nepisignit — Bringing the Yankees to terms — How to smoke salmon — Fishing in the Nepisignit — Evenings on the river. On the 1st July of the same year I left St. John on a salmon fishing expedition to the Bay of Chaleurs accompanied by two brother officers, Captains Butter and Coventry. We reached Dalhousie by steamer from Shadiac. Having here hired three Miemac canoes and six Indians, we chartered a schooner to drop us at the mouth of the Cascapediac, a river some distance down the Bay» We commenced the ascent of the stream, each one in a canoe with two Indians to pole, one at the stern, the other at the bow. The stream was so rapid that although our men were first-rate polers, we did not make more than ten OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 17 miles a day, and that without much delay except for dinner at mid-day. The way our canoes were forced up the strongest rapids appeared to us wonderful. Of what use would a Rob Roy be in such waters? A Rob Roy canoe is a cockney craft, fit only for the Thames or other such sluggish waters, and easily to be paddled by any muft". In a country where the rivers are the only roads, as in parts of America, it is of no use whatever. After a week's hard work we arrived at the Forks, about sixty miles from the sea. The river for most of the way ran through a deep gorge, with high and very steep mountains on each side, wooded to the water's edge. We caught plenty of sea trout on our way up, some as heavy as five pounds. I met a settler coming down the river with his canoe half full of them. His fishing gear was the most primitive I ever saw. A stiff spruce pole served him for a rod, string for a line, and his fly was a bunch of feathers and red worsted fastened anyhow to u large hook. He had no reel, and on hooking a fish hauled him at once by main force into his canoe. We were much sur[)rised and disappointed at 18 CHIPLOQUORGAN the paucity of salmon on our way up, and when we reached the Forks only succeeded in killing two, after several days fishing. We therefore came to the conclusion that the river as regards salmon was a myth, and decided to return to the sea. It only took us one day to run down to the salt water, so rapid was the stream, especially at one place called " Indian falls," which we ran in our canoes, and very ticklish work it was. There are no settlers on the Ctiscapediac be- yond a distance of ten miles from New Richmond, the village at the river's mouth ; here we hired a schooner, and having embarked with our canoes and Indians, set sail for Bathurst, a small village situated at the mouth of the Nepisiguit river, where we determined to try our luck ; getting becalmed about twenty miles from Bathurst har- bour we left the schooner, and prepared to paddle along the coast, the rest of the distance. Going ashore to have breakfast, we found swarms of lob- sters in the siiallow water among the rocks. We succeeded in gaffing about thirty of them, these made a welcome addition to our breakfast. The number of lobsters all along the coasts of North America is astonishing; there are ' Mil ( ■ OR. UFE Br THE CAM: FIEE. ,9 nianjr companies who make a lucratir« h., • bj potting them. 'ucratire business After a long paddle we reached the head nf tK t'de way of the Nepisiguit late in 7/ ' where we made a fire and cam^\*f ' r'""^' canoe Ivine on thp .h. ^ '^^'""'^ «" oW up, mke 'a vet t7'::-''-*-ned bottom wet night. ^ ^ ""^"'"'P*" «"■«? on a som'^i'lf tf " '"'^ ^''^ '"' *■■« ""^^^ port French their flies try' 2^^ ^'.^ ^^''^^ '^ "^d, and - they know werfh!' .*'"' f ' """^ ^^'' *.-s i/any stretis h ,f tl? '° "» -". fish will oftpn t I, '^''"'*> «« a "sing especially Semlf: at tr?'^ ''°""- %' iow to iceUorhim'^ ""•''""' '°"-- ^'-^f £r^i:Lk" VTr b^ted is " Winpigikewick •' r. ^"''""' •"""« The first'th'reei ZZl ^^'^ -'- "the rough waters •-' fM """^ '' <=»"«' wide, and intZecJd h ' ^"^ "' **■* ^'^«'"° '« M«! 20 CHIPLOQUORGAN of rock at the top of the rapids and " pitches," as a small fall is called. Some of these pitches are too steep to pole up, but most of them can be run ; to do this requires nerve, and a steady hand, but is not so difficult as it appears at first sight. On a subsequent visit to this river I was able to do bow-man in a canoe, and poled up, and ran places that appeared on my first visit extremely perilous and difficult. The canoes on this river are of Micmac pattern, requiring two men, and are quite steady enough to stand up in, and fish out of. Two miles above the rough waters are the Bound Hocks, which is a very fair fishing station when the river is high and the fish are running. Four miles above, at the bottom of the Pabneau Falls, is a most excellent pool; the stream at this spot is not more than twenty yards across, and can be fished with a trout rod. Here is that famous cast from the flat rock, so well known to all sportsmen who have visited the river. We camped within a few yards of this place, and built a smoke house of spruce bark, as we decided to make this our headquarters, one of us always remaining here during our stay on the river. Souie Yankees were camped not far oif, so we Ott, IIFE BY TBE CAMP FIKE. 21 sent to make arrangements to fish the fl„. , pool day about, as it was the belt il th f bourhood, these gentlemen refusl to ""^'" any terms at all we se..f , ^^ """'^ *« effect, that under tIL """"''""■ *° t^e would Sleep nigrtl t thTrrir '' T -" are^ratd :" *^ "- - bringing the YantstthTrZ" ^'^ ~ "^ made an amicahl. bearings. We then friends :v:r:t:;r'^'"''»''-'»-e good fishing stais-v : tSl^T- "" '"^^ ^''"'^ of Bocks ; the fll' ^"•"'mgand Chain -. water: a:d\::[ir;:;,:-!";-poon„ good only in high water. £ltd f"u '"*'' '' best station on the river „ . '' '" *">« pools ; it was, on our Sal ^ "'"f '"'' «»-'' ^0 we were unable toTh'r"''''^ '^ ' P*"^' time before our departurf f I """" " ^'">« -1-n cannot gSbrthfcli^pir;, '\^ steps might be made anH f 1 '' "'°"S'' '«ngth of river above Id TV ''''' ""^^ S'ounds. There arl\ '"*"' 'P^'^-'i-S ' «-•«, however, great quantities r 22 CHIPLOQUORGAN of brown trout above, especially at a place called the "Devil's Elbow," where they are large, some weighing three and four pounds. During our stay on the river, which lasted a month, we smoked over a hundred and twenty salmon, which we packed in boxes and sent off to our friends at St. John. The following is the receipt for that process :— Split the fish down the back and clean them, cutting out the gills at the same time ; this should be done as soon as possible after they are caught, or the fish will become soft ; immerse for two days in a strong pickle of salt and water, a trough for this purpose is easily hewn out of a fallen spruce or pine, or, in lieu, use a dish of birch or spruce bark. After taking the fish out of the pickle, wash them in running water, then hang them up in a smoke house for six days. A smoke house is built in the shape of a wigwam, and covered with birch or spruce bark ; great care must be taken to keep the fire, which is placed in the smoke house, always burning very slowly, if it gets too hot the fish become cooked and therefore spoilt ; it is a good plan to place the entrails of fish on the fire to keep it cool. \>m\. , OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 23 e ve ell ids for ind ime iible ome leof asily lieu, tog ining jefor shape ipruce fire, llways lefish good The scenery on the Nepisiguit, though pretty, has very little grandeur about it, the land being comparatively flat on both sides of the river, which with the breadth and shallowness of the stream in many parts, soon causes the water to become hot after a drought, when the fish natu- rally become sulky, and will not rise. I remember once, under these circumstances, whipping the stream for four days without a rise, although there were many salmon up at the time. I consider this river therefore most uncertain, though if one is lucky enough to hit off the right height of water, excellent sport is to be had. The flies for the Nepisiguit are of a plain description, especially as regards the wings, which should be brown mallard, with a few sprigs of golden pheasant neck feather underneath ; body fiery brown with blue and claret hackle, wound on together, is a standard fly, and is known by the name of the " Nicholson," so called after the inventor, a well-known sportsman of St. John, New Brunswick. Black body, black hackle and yellow tip is a killer, and the same fly with a crimson tip fishes well at Middle Landing. Grey I I 24 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; monkey body and Irish grey hackle is very good in clear water. Body half grey, half claret fur, with grey and claret hackles placed on to- gether, is an admirable fly for the Pabineau. This fly was invented by my friend Captain Coventry, who stuck many a fish with it off the Flat Rock. The climate is charming in the summer, hot days succeeded by most lovely still evenings, which you can never so thoroughly enjoy as when camped alongside a noble river, smoking your after supper pipe ; you listen to the shrill cry of the mosquito hawks (a species of night jar); and the notes of the frogs, which vary from a shrill whistle to the hoarse croak of the bull frog, intermingled with the pleasant sound of running water. Your rod, ready for the morning cast, is leaning against a bush ; at length you lie down to rest, speculating where you will rise him in the morning, and determined not to miss that fish which comes up by the white stone, as you did yesterday. OR, LIFE nv THE CAMP FIRE. 25 CHAPTER III. ang kiriU ligbt oiria frog, nlng cast, down imin Second Espedition to the Bay of Chalenrs— The inquisitive Storekeeper — a type of the settling class — Leave for the Bestigouche and M«tapedia — Quality of the sport — Milisite Canoes — Want of protection of the rivers — Necessity of enforcing the Fishery Laws — Instances of the carelessness of the officials — How to protect the rivers — ^Advantages of the American waters for sport. The following year I paid another visit to the Bay of Chaleurs, and on the 6th of August reached the mouth of the river Bonaventure., having paddled along the coast in a Micmac canoe with two Indians from Dalhousie, a distance of fifty miles. We had employed one of my Indians, named Peter Grey, during the previous year ; he was a good poler and knew how to gaff salmon, which is an art that few Indians understand, their idea being to strike him dead in the water, not to land him, consequently many is the fish they have lost me. The settlers along the south shore of the Bay 2C CHIPLOQUORGAN of Chaleurs are almost exclusively French. They both farm and fish — chiefly the latter. Their implements of husbandry are most primitive ; they are far behind either the British or the German population, and appear never to improve. At Bonaventure I was much amused by the inquisitiveness of a storekeeper, who, when asked to change a sovereign, was evidently puzzled as to who or what 1 was. I was got up in a smock and trowsers of blue drill, which I found to be the best dress for the mosquitos, as being both light and impervious to their stings ; the ends of my trowsers were tucked into my socks to prevent any ingress at that point, of black flies or other villa' nous winged insects ; my head gear was a broad brimmed Yankee felt hat. The man first asked me if I wanted anything out of the store ? Answer — No. Did I belong to any of the schooners in the harbour ? No. Where did I come from ? Dalhousie. Did I belong there ? No. Was I a native of the country ? No. What brought me out there ? Because I was sent. What was I doing ? Salmon fishing. " Why that won't pay ? " " It pays me." Had I anyone with me? Yes, two Indians. Did OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP .££. 27 these men assist me in any way ? I was not likely to keep them if they did not. Was I sure I wanted nothing out of the store ? Not to-day, but I should be obliged if he would change me twenty sovereigns to-morrow. I then left him, more mystified than ever. These people can never understand one's going to any trouble or expense for mere sport — the almighty dollar is always uppermost in their minds. Next morning on presenting myself at the store, my friend of tlie previous evening was exceedingly civil and offered me a drink, having in the meantime discovered from the Indians who I was. But he looked rather foolish when I entered his shop. The great peculiarity of the Bona venture is the exceeding clearness of the water, which is signi- fied by its Indian name. At the depth of twenty feet I could distinguish between the head and tail of a new coin. After fishing a few days with but indifferent success, and finding that the run of fish had passed, I paddled eighteen miles to Pasbeiac, a fishing station further along the coast, and arrived th«;ru just in time to catch tlie 28 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; Canadian steamer which dropped me at Dalhousie. On leaving the steamer I immediately paddled up the Restigouche as far as Campbelton, a village eighteen miles from the mouth. We arrived here at two o'clock a.m., and making a fire on the beach, were soon fast asleep. The next day we continued our course up stream, which was not very rapid until we got to where the Metapedia joins the main river ; after pad- dling about five miles up the Metapedia, a very rapid stream, I camped near two good salmon pools. I remained a fortnight at this spot and had some fair sport, though here, as with the Bonaventure, I was rather late for the best run, which takes place in July. The flies for the Restigouche and its tri- butaries are rather more gaudy than those used in the Nepisiguit ; orange body with claret hackle ; body half black, half orange, with black hackle and yellow shoulder ; body half black, half crimson, with black hackle and jay shoulder; with all of these mixtures use a rather gaudy mixed wing, with sprigs of wood duck, and red macaw feelers. There is good fishing in the Quatawamkedg- OK, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 29 n id g- wick, another tributary of the Restigouche, falling into that river forty miles above the Metapedia. The worst of the Restigouche is, that the pools are very few, and about thirty miles apart, but the fish are larger than those of any river in the province. The Mirimichi, which flows into the Bay of Chaleurs, at the town of Chatham, one '^f ti' chief ship building localities in the Provinc( a fine stream, having many large tribu' "■ heading far back in the heart of the co: i.try. I made a trip up this river on one occasioi, and had some very good sport. Burnt Hill, about forty miles from Boistown, is the best station, where are some excellent pools ; ten miles above is Slate Island, also a good place, and higher up still are "Louis Falls;" there are also many other pools where fish are met with. The Mirimichi is a very difficult river to pole, owing to the great number of rocks and rapids. At the time I went up the river we brought Milicite canoes and Indians from Fredericton, there being neither on the river. The settlers use "dug-outs" (canoes hewn from single trees), but I prefer a birch canoe and Indians whom 30 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; I have been in the habit of employing, I remember polling bow all the way up, and very hard work it was, particularly getting up what are called the "Three Mile Rapids," which are one continued length of rocks and broken water for that distance. Near the top is the worst place of all, called by the settlers " Shove and be d d." A Milicite canoe is much more crank than a Micmac, and is difficult to stand up in at any time, unless to one accustomed to it. The flies for this river are plain; grey body, with mallard or turkey wings, is one of the standard patterns. Most Nepisiguit flies are also adapted for this water, The salmon are about the same size as those in that river, namely, from ten to fifteen pounds, and some few are larger. The country bordering the Mirimichi is more hilly than the Nepisiguit, and the banks of the river are steep in many places. Along the coast, half way between the mouths of this river and the Nepisiguit, is the Tabusin- tack, a small river with few or no salmon, but celebrated for its sea trout, beyond all other streams in the province. One hundred or more I'l' '' OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 31 trout may be killed in a day by a single rod, and they weigh from one to four pounds. But one soon gets tired of such sport. All the rivers in New Brunswick are very much damaged by over netting, both in the tide way, along the coast, and also in the fresh water. At first it appears a miracle how any salmon can manage to pass the labyrinth of nets, set with hardly any restriction ; for although there v^e very fair fishery laws, they are but seldom en- forced. The fish wardens are for the most part useless, their appointments sinecures, and mere political jobs. The following is an instance of the way some of these gentlemen do, or rather do not, do their duty ; — I met an Indian when on the Restigouche, who had been hired by the warden of the river, to take him up in a canoe on his one annual inspection, which I suppose he re- quired to enable him to satisfy his conscience, on pocketing his salary, some £40 per annum. The individual in question called at the houses of the different owners of nets, and after informing them of their proper legal length, without insp-v- ting the same, finished up by asking for a sal- mon. Having made about twenty such like visits. ,S2 CIIIPLOQUORGAN ; not forgeting the salmon, he returned home and drew his salary. Some of the wardens are proprietors of nets, and do not trouble their heads how they are set, provided they catch fish. Several years ago when I was in New Bruns- wick, the proprietor of a net at Bathurst was prosecuted by the warden for having the mesh of an illegal size. The delinquent wrote to a friend of his, then a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, and representative of his county. This honorable member managed to get the law altered, so as to make the net of a legal mesh, not only this, but he made the law retrospective, in the mean time staying further proceedings. Such a state of things speaks for itself. The only way to protect the fisheries is to abolish the wardens as now appointed, who are chiefly farmers, and have other things to attend to. Appoint one head inspector for each province, and let him have under his control a staff of water bailiffs, strong active fellows, able to pole either a birch or log canoe, and with sufli- cicnt pay to enable them to relinquish all other OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FlkE. 33 me are ;ads ans- •was [nesh to a lat'ive tative ,naged net of he law urther iks for Ties is ed, who ings to employment and traverse the rivers and coasts by day and night during the fishing season. By this means poachers would easily be dropped on, and a fear established. For although the settlers talk very bigof what they would do in the eventof their being interfered with in their illegal practices, yet no people have a more wholesome dread of the law when they know it will be enforced. Great things are now expected from the " New Dominion," and I hope that the protection of the rivers, and the proper carrying out of the fishery laws will be amongst them. One great drawback is, that with a few excep- tions the inhabitants are not sportsmen, and would rather make one dollar than enjoy the sport of killing a hundred salmon. However, I think things are about to mend in New Brunswick, as the present Governor of that province is fully alive to the importance of protecting the salmon, not only as a source of amusement, but of food and wealth to the country. A great advantage in the North American rivers is, that they cannot, as at home, be poached by spearing and gaffing in the winter ; at that season, Jack Frost proves an effectual keeper. 8 34 CIIIPLOQUORGAN : CHAPTER IV. Moose callings An Indian village — The Indians — Degeneracy of the half-civilized Indians — Description, food and habits of the Moose. — Start on a Moose-hunting expedition — The Upsalquitch river — Pleasures of the hunt — Pains and penalties of '• Lugging" in the woods — Narrow escape — Scenery at Lake Nictor— Disap- pointed of sport— Depart in search of Moose to the Sevogle waters. Finding the fishing on the Metapedia getting slack I resolved to carry out my original inten- tion of calling moose, the time for which, the 1st of September, was drawing near. This sport of which I had heard such exciting tales, more than justified by after experience, I was most anxious to try. Leaving ray camp on the Metapedia, I ran down the river to Campbelton. On the opposite shore is the chief Indian village, and Government allotment to the Micmac Indians who inhabit the northern part of the province. The Milicite ■s?*f". OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 35 tribe occupies the south, especially the St. John waters, their head quarters being on that rivei*, fifteen miles above Fredericton. The Indian village at Campbelton is no mere accumulation of bark wigwams, but includes a considerable number of very fair cottages, with land attached to many of them. Some of these Indians farm, and keep cows, and most of them are well off and decently clothed. The village also boasts of a chapel and school, in charge of a priest, who is paid by the Government. I may mention that all the Indians in the provinces are Roman Catholics, having been formerly con- verted by the French Jesuits ; but whether they are, at the present time, in favour of the new dogma of the infallibility of the Pope, I cannot say ; being ignorant and superstitious, they pro- bably believe everything they are told. This description of the Red man, will, no doubt, appear charming to some persons, but I must confess that for my part, I prefer the man living in a bark wigwam, wearing a pair of mocassins in place of boots, the rest of his attire more or less patched, without regard to unifor- mity of either texture or colour. 36 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; A half finished canoe outside his door looks business-like, which, together with an old deer skin and a steel trap or two, leads one to sup. pose the man is of some use in the woods ; but strange as it may appear, not more than one In- dian in twenty, in these days, is able to build a canoe. On the other hand, the man with the cows and farm knows nothing, having lost the craft of the hunter, and imperfectly learnt that of the farmer ; he probably knows how to make a butter tub, but has never learnt the art of canoe making ; he understands little or nothing of trapping, and might as well try to call an elephant as a moose. Unfortunately the genus hunter is dying out ; the young Indians are too idle to go into the woods, and the old men can- not last for ever. It was not without a considerable amount of trouble that I at last succeeded in finding an old Indian of the name of Noel, who was able to call moose. I had some discussion with this man ns to the best hunting ground and the means of reaching it. It was at length decided to proceed to the lakes at the head of the river Nepisiguit I! OR, LIFfi BV the camp TIRE. 37 Noel assisted me in making this decision by maps of the country drawn by him on sheets of b'rch bark with a burnt stick. Before giving an account of hunting the moose, a short description of that animal will, perhaps, not be out of place : — The moose, or North American elk, (cervus alces) is identical with the European animal of that species, with the exception that the American elk is of rather a darker color. This point, which has been a matter of controversy among naturalists, has been indisputably settled by Captain Campbell Hardy, R.A. The moose, almost black in sum- mer, is in the winter months of a lighter shade ; his hair is long and coarse, particularly on the mane, which sticks up like bristles when the animal is enraged, or otherwise excited ; under the throat there is a tuft of hair ; in the male this tuft or bell, as it is called, is more than a foot in length. A full grown bull moose often weighs fifteen hundred pounds ; he stands six* teen or seventeen hands high ; his legs are slight for so large a body, but of immense strength, and his capabilities of jumping are surprising. He rarely breaks into a galop, but at a swinging ■-<. 38 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; trot will clear a height of many feet. One of the chief characteristics of this animal is the mouffle, or over hanging lip, -which gives to his head an ugly appearance ; his hoofs are sharp and pointed, his horns palmated, and they some- times measure six feet across ; their surface is rough, and they have been known to weigh seventy pounds. The moose casts his antlers, which commence to grow in April, yearly ; the old bulls drop them as early as November, the younger animals later. The meat is excellent, having a flavour of gamey beef ; the mouffle is considered a great delicacy. The skin, which makes tough leather, is in great request for mocassins. The food of the moose, consists chiefly of the shoots and bark of young hard wood trees ; the height of these animals enables them to reach some distance, and their weight to bend down small trees by sliding over them with their bodies, and so to strip off the bark and twigs. In summer time they hang about the neighbourhood of muddy lakes and sluggish brooks — called " dead waters," to which they repair, plunging into the water up to their necks, for the purpose of escaping the flies, and OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP IIRE. 39 feeding on the roots of water Jilies, or other aquatic plants. At this time of year the bulls are solitary, the cows accompanied by their calves. At the approach of the rutting season, which begins in September, the males leave off feeding, and rub the velvet from their horns by scraping them against the trees ; they also dig holes in the ground with their fore-feet, rolling them- selves in the earth they have scattered about. I have seen places in the woods where the brutes have been disporting themselves in this manner, treading down the bushes, scraping up the earth, and rubbing against the trees with their horns. During the rutting season, which lasts until the middle of October, the males follow about the females. On the fall of the first snow in November, the moose begin to " yard," as it is called, namely, to take up their station on the side of some hard wood hill, whei'e the moose- wood, birch, maple and other trees on which they delight to feed, are plentiful. In the ab- sence of hard wood growth, they will yard in any place where food is to be had. A yard con- sists of generally three or four animals j cows I 40 CHIPLOQU ORGAN ; ! and young bulls yard together, the old bulls, alone. If these animals are not disturbed they will remain the whole winter feeding about in one place, never perhaps moving more than a mile from where they originally took up their quarters ; so that a hunter finding a yard may always put off hunting the animals until a favourable day, without fear of their decamping, unless frightened by man. If once disturbed they will travel miles before yarding afresh. On the approach of spring, when the snow and ice melt, the cows go off by themselves to calve. The horns of the moose are at their prime when he has reached the age of about nine or ten years, after that time they get stumpy and deteriorate. Having left my "half-tent" and all other superfluous baggage behind, I started from Camp- belton at the end of August, taking two canoes. My Indians were Noel, Peter and another man. Two of us in each canoe poled twenty miles up the Eestigouche. We then turned up the Upsal- quitch, a tributary of that river, and falling into it on its right bank. The Upsalquitch is a moderate sized river, \ on, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 41 containing few salmon and those of small size. In this stream we speared some white-fish, a species peculiar to North America, and excellent eating ; they do not rise to a fly and seldom exceed two pounds in weight. We continued our course up the river, which was quite unsettled, camping at night on the banks. This, in fine weather, merely consisted of making a fire in some sheltered spot and lay- ing down a bed of fir boughs. After eating supper, and smoking a pipe, I rolled myself in a blanket, and slept soundly till day break. There is a charm in this manner of travelling in a wild country, known only to those who have experienced it. Something fresh appears in view at every turn of the stream ; all talking or other noise must be avoided, as at any moment an animal may make its appearance, perhaps a moose coming down to drink, or a bear to feed on the berries that grow on the dog wood, and other plants found in the vicinity of water. In the course of six days, having journeyed seventy miles from the mouth of the river, which was easy poling most of the way, though my hands got very much blistered, we reached the " por- ti^^Mmu^^ ■J Satii Jiifc - 42 CHIPLOQU ORGAN ; tage/' (viz., a place where you leave a river or lake to travel by land to another), at this spot we left our canoes, and prepared to carry our luggage through thick woods without a road of any kind to lake Nictor, one of the heads of the Tobique, distant twenty-five miles. The Indian fashion of carrying your hunting paraphernalia, also the way in which they make up a bundle is peculiar, at the same time it is by far the best and easiest method of transporting a load ; a cockney tourist, with the latest thing in knapsacks, would not carry a third of the weight. The following is the Indian plan : — A blanket is spread on the ground, across which is laid a strap two feet broad in the middle, with long narrow thongs attached. The thongs are placed about two feet apart, the sides of the blanket are then turned inwards over the thonga ; the different articles to be carried being placed in a compact heap in the centre, the two ends of the strap are then drawn tight on either side and fastened together. The blanket is thus drawn up at the edges, in the middle it is lapped over and fastened by wooden pegs; the broad part of the strap should be sufficiently loose to enable it to go over both OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 43 shoulders and across the chest when carrying this bundle ; an axe stuck in the belt and a rifle on the shoulder complete the load. Having collected all our luggage into four bundles made up as above described, we set out on our journey. Our loads were heavy, and weighed over eighty pounds each, although I had diminished my kit to the lowest ebb. For one must eat, and flour and pork are heavy articles, not to mention ammunition, blankets, kettles and other things. Travelling through woods with a load is tedious and often most aggravating. The continued scrambling over fallen trees, which are sometimes rotten and give way with the weight, the constant pushing through a thick undergrowth of alder or moose-wood together with frequent falls, form a combination of evils most trying to the temper. You are not looking out when a bough, bent down by the man directly in front, springs back and cuts you a wipe on the face. Again you come to a brook with a tree fallen across, looking as if placed there purposely to form a bridge, when half way over you loose your balance and come down on your back in the water. This accident happened to myself the day after we 4 44 CHItLOQUOROAN ; left the banks of the river ; I was as helpless as a sheep on its back, and had to be hauled out by the Indians, who laughed a good deal at my absurd position. I was a novice at " lugging," — the local term used to denote carrying on the back — so found it hard at first, but after a time became quite accustomed to it. It is the usual plan when lugging in the woods, to set out after an early breakfast ; in the middle of the day a halt is made for dinner, then on again until near dusk, when it is time to think of camping for the night. On the evening of the fourth day since we had left the Upsalquitcb, I was delighted to see the long wished-for waters of lake Nictor gleaming through the trees. The journey proved longer than I had anticipated from Noel's map of the country. Distance in the woods always appears greater than it really is, there being nothing whatever to mark your progress. Several times I questioned Noel as to how far we were from the lake, all the answer he gave was "a good piece yet ; " this means anything from two miles to ten. The woods we had passed through in our route \:j^:^ OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 45 from the Upsalquitch were principally of mixed growth, with some hard wood ridges ; " hard wood " in America meaning all trees that do not belong to the fir tribe, they on the other hand being designated " soft wood." Hard wood growth, consisting principally of larch, birch, maple, with a few pines and firs intermingled, is generally found on the uplands, where is the best soil. The low lands are mostly covered with a mixture of hard and soft wood. In some parts the latter entirely predominates. In winter time the soft wood growth is com- monly k: o^\ n as the " green woods." It is a curious fact that where hard wood growth has been destroyed by fire, or cleared by the axe, soft wood springs up spontaneously and vice versa. In parts of the Baltic coast, now covered with the fir tribe, numbers of oak trees are discovered embedded in the soil. We camped near lake Nictor, and during the night I had a narrow and providential escape from a failing tree, which, when we were all asleep, fell right across our camp ; fortunately it caught on a log by the fire, so I escaped with a slight bruise, otherwise Peter and myself would .-,^^..../ i 46 CIIIPLOQUORGAN ; have been crushed to death. As it was we were pinned to the earth, another inch or two would have broken his neck and niy legs. I got up in the night before this accident happened, and was on the point of putting the log that saved us on the fire, but luckily changed my mind ! The scenery at lake Nictor is verv beautiful, consisting of the usual forests of maple, birch and fir reaching down to the water's edge ; this part of the country had not at that time been visitt- by the axe of the "lumberer" — woodcut ./v The stately pines still towered here and there far above the other trees. To the north a high mountain with top devoid of trees rose up ma- jestically, adding to the wildness and beauty of the scene. Finding an old bark canoe left by some hunters, we patched it up and proceeding to the head of the lake portaged the canoe together with our other luggage three miles, when we came upon the uppermost lake of the chain, forming the main source of the river Nepisiguit. This chain is composed of three lakes two or three miles in length and connected by short streams. A more admirably adapted spot for moose calling could I., <¥ * OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 47 Lin I in )re lid not be found, but to my disappointment the chief requisite was wanting, — the presence of the animals themselves, nor could we discover any fresh moose " sign " in the neighbourhood. We tried calling on several very suitable nights without any response. The woods near these lakes a few years back were celebrated for moose, but a number of Indians the previous winter had made much havoc among them by the abominably unsportsmanlike practice of running them down in the deep snow where they cannot escape. Moreover these hunters took only the hides leaving the carcases to rot, the smell of which in the spring has the effect of driving away any moose that are left in the vicinity. There was ample evidence of the slaughter that had taken place in the piles of moose hair lying near old camps, of which I came across several on the margin of the lakes. I caught in these lakes plenty of trout — small, though of good quality. Noel now informed me that we should find moose at the head of the Sevogle river, I therefore determined to go there, or anywhere so long as moose could be found. 48 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; Leaving the lakes we ran down the Nepisiguit in our canoe, and a dug-out we had picked up. After deseendiijg the stream about twenty-five miles we halted where the south-east branch of the Nipisiguit joins the main river. We passed several beaver daras on our way down, but did not stop to meddle with them ; I shot a couple of black ducks, and near the junction of the two streams caught with a fly some fine brown trout, several of which were over three pounds in weight. Our provisions were now getting low ; fortu- nately I was able to replenish our stock from a " lumber " camp in the neighbourhood, where we found flour, pork, and molasses stored up for the next winter, when a crew of men would occupy the camp for the purpose of cutting timber. Leaving our canoe and dug-out pn the bank of the river we made a fresh start for the new hunting ground, lugging as before heavy loads. Just before setting out we were joined by a party of nine Indians on their way up to hunt beaver on the Sevogle waters and murder moose on the snow becoming deep, late in the winter. In parts of the country we passed through the OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 49 woods were very thick, especially at one place. Here we had to cross three miles of burnt land, and the trees lay piled in all directions on the top of each other. It was impossible to go three yards without having to climb over a fallen spruce or fir with the dead branches sticking up, catching in our clothes and poking us in the face. The day was hot, and falling several times I felt as a Yankee would say, "quite mad." At lust after several hours of toil we extricated ourselves from this " Slough of Despond," and throwing off" our bundles took a rest, with its invariable accompani- ment, a pipe. At the end of six days' journey from the time of leaving the Nepisiguit, we came to a small lake where the nine Indians left us. Here we were glad to see fresh moose " sign," and culled at night alongside a beaver dam, situated in a brook flowing out of the lake. At this spot I had for the first time an opportunity of seeing a beaver. These curious animals swim about their ponds in the evening, several did so on this occasion ; one in particular sat on a log forty yards off eating some roots, which from time to time he fished up from the bottom of the pond. I refrained from firing, 50 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; ! f as the noise would have disturbed any moose in the neighbourhood. Noel had called several hours without an answer, so at length I fired at a beaver swimming in the water (it was moon-light), but missed him, the ball passing over his head. " No good wait any longer," observed Noel, " beavers no come out any more ; he tell him other beavers in house." We waited a short time and his words proved true, for no more beavers made their appearance. I have no doubt the one fired at communicated his fears to his companions. The next morning we broke the dam, killing two beavers, of which I shot one as it was escaping over the top of the dam, where I was stationed in readiness by Noel. The same even- ing we set steel traps both at the inlet and outlet of the pond, and next morning had a beaver in each trap ; one animal had nearly escaped by knawing off the foot by which he was caught. These beavers were a great addition to our larder ; the tail is one of the greatest delicacies to be met with in any country, and makes soup as good as turtle. The flesh is fair, but requires to be boiled twice in water, freshly y OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP ^RE. 51 replenished, or it tastes strong ; but we were glad to get fresh meat of any description, having, with the exception of a grouse and four ducks, lived on salt , .^: for the last three weeks. The next evening we camped at the foot of a high mountain on which there was not a tree ; on walking up to the top I had a magnificent view of the surrounding country. It was one glorious panorama of forests interspersed with lakes and rivers as far as the eye could reach. The high ridges were principally hard wood ; in the low lands the fir tribe was most numerous. The surface of the mountain was rocky, covered with large granite boulders ; cranberries, of which I collected a quantity, were also plentiful. Our stock of provisions again becoming small, I sent off Peter for flour, &c., to a lumber camp distant about thirty miles. 52 CHIPLOQUORGAN CHAPTER V. Arrival at the Sevogle waters — Descriptior of scenery — Moose tracks — Pleasures of moose calling — Delight at bagging my first moose — Encamp in the woods— Our provisions run short — Indians ar- rive to our assistance — Decrease of moose, and cause of it— Inci- dents on the journey back to St. John — The sport of moose call- ing defended — The three classes who attack it, and their argu- ments answered — Advice to those going moose calling — How a Governor of Novia Scotia missed sport— Various methods of hunt- ing the moose — Bemarks on the practice of " Buuning down." The following day we reach '' the lake at the head of the Sevogle river, for which we were bound. At this place I was delighted to see plenty of moose sign, their paths round the lake being trodden down and much used. The even- ing was favourable for calling ; so, accompanied by Noel I proceeded to the inlet of the lake, which was bordered on one side, by " barrens," (often called plains) several miles in length ; on the other by woods. These barrens are open spots in the woods, varying in extent from an / oil, LIF£ BY THE CAMP FlUE. 53 It acre to several square miles. They are fringed by a growth of dwarf tamarac, (American larch) and spruce ; the latter, in many places is dotted over the surface of the barren, which is generally more or less marshy.- Finding a large fallen tree close to the water's edge, on the side of the lake bordered by the barrens, Noel pitched upon it as a good station for our operat* ns. Except in a canoe, a better spot for calling could not be discovered. The country bordering the lake was flat, surrounded at about two miles distant by high hills. The night was beautifully clear, the air frosty, and intense stillness prevailed, broken only by the hooting of an owl, the loud splash of a beaver striking the water with his tail, or the plunge of a musk rat in the lake. The wailing note of the female moose admir- ably imitated by Noel, with his horn of winter birch bark, rolled over the lake and barrens, and echoed back from the surrounding hills. Be- tween each call, which was repeated about every fifteen minutes, we listened with drawn breath ; for upwards of an hour there was no response. Suddenly th* Indian pointing with bis " caller " % o4 CMIPLOQUORGAN *, towards the end of the barrens, ejaculated in a low voice " Hear him ; " I listened intently, and from afar, fully three miles away, was just able to distinguish the short gutteral call of a bull moose. Oh, welcome sound ! far more sweet than that of any musical instrument invented since the days that David played before Saul. Noel called again at intervals, the moose answer- ing, his response becoming gradually more dis- tinct as he approached. I now placed myself about fifty yards a-head of the Indian, taking advantage of a stunted spruce as cover. Half an hour elapsed, the an- swers becoming nearer and nearer. Now and then the moose dashed his horns against the trees, producing a loud crash. At length I caught sight of his dusky form coming straight towards me, but when within about one hundred yards he stopped. At this juncture, the Indian, who was on the margin of the lake, imitated with his axe the noise made by an animal walk- ing in the water. On hearing this, the bull, whose hesitation seemed at once to vanish, gave a loud call, and advanced several yards nearer. There lie stood, pawing the earth and snorting. OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIUE. 55 ng. His antlers in the uncertain light, resembled the roots of a torn up tree. My nerves were strung to the highest pitch of excitement ; now the long wished for moment had arrived ; slowly raising my gun, I fired. The animal gave a tremendous plunge and suddenly turning round, made for the woods. The contents of my other barrel followed him in his flight. I was almost sure that he was hit ; but hor- rible thought ! if I should have missed him, and lost such a pair of horns ? However, there was nothing to be done until morning, so, having smoked a pipe, I lay down in my blanket. An hour before day-light Noel commenced to call again, but the wind getting up, made it useless. There is not much chance of getting an answer after eleven o'clock at night, as the animals lie down about that hour, until shortly before day- break. From that hour till morning or even after it is light, is the best time to call ; and should the moose make his appearance when it is light, or even partially so, there is, of course, a much better chance of killing him. We rose with the dawn, and tracked the moose to the edge of the woods, which were two hun- I V 56 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; dred yards distant. On reaching the spot where the animal had entered the forest, Noel made an exclamation and holding up a leaf with blood on it, said, " Moose him hit." A little further on we discovered where he had lain down, there, also, were marks of blood. " He feel pretty bad," said Noel, " he not go ftir." After following his tracks for a couple of hundred yards further, we came to a thicket of young firs. Aha ! what is that dark mass on the ground just distinguish- able through the trees ? There he lay dead, a fine bull, with splendid horns. One ball had passed through his lungs, the other inflicting a flesh wound in the neck. Thus, at last, after numerous disappointments, the toil of many days through the pathless forests, was rewarded. Having cut out a steak for breakfast, we re- turned to the place where we had deposited our bundles on the previous day. I determined to take up my quarters in this locality ; so we built a double bark camp in the woods, a mile from the lake. It took us a couple of days to finish this habitation, and transport thither the best part of the moose, together with the skin, head, &c. The skin was stretched on I OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 57 poles, and the meat, after being cut into thin strips, was hung up to smoke on a stage made for the purpose. On a subsequent evening we called up another moose within forty yards, though, unfortunately, I was unable co see him, on account of some alder bushes that intervened. I heard the rustling of his horns among the bushes, and expected him to emerge every moment ; but after waiting for fully ten minutes, a cr'^ck of a sticl was heard about a quarter of a jnik off. ** He gone," said Noel, "smell us." The next morning I saw by his tracks where the moose had stopped, and then turned back. How that great beast with his horns, could sneak off, without making the slightest noise, is a marvel. But I have since found, they always manage to do so, when frightened on coming up to a call. Young bulls often never answer at all, but come sneaking up, as still as mice. They ap- proach in this stealthy and silent manner through fear of the larger bulls, who, should they come in contact with them, would soon send them to the ri^ht about. Ml! it 58 CIIIPLOQUORGAN ; It was now getting towards the end of Sep- tember, and after several sharp frosts, the woods were clothed in all the magnificence of their autumnal beauty. The verdure of the forest was changed into brilliant scarlet, rich violet, every shade of blue and bro\» vivid crimson, and glittering yellow. Trees of the fir tribe, alone, retained their unchangeable dark green. We had, by this time, consumed almost all our provisions ; and the Indian who had gone for flour, &c., had not returned. In addition, we had a week of very wet and boisterous weather, which prevented all chance of sport, and the moose meat would not dry on account of the rain, and so became tainted. In a couple more days we had eaten the last of our flour, pork, tea, sugar, and salt, and worst of all, our tobacco had come to an end. We had nothing now to live on but the tainted meat; if we had had aay salt and tobacco re- maining, I should not have cared. Already I had turned out the pockets of my old shooting jacket, and smoked the tobacco dust there accu- mulated. Gun-powder became a substitute for salt, and dry leaves for tobacco. The beavers OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 59 declined to enter our traps, and we were unable to find any grouse. At length, after four days of this starvation diet, going to bed hungry, without any prospect of breakfast on the morrow, Peter arrived with pro- visions, and glad, indeed, we all were to eat a good meal. The reason of Peter's long absence was, that he had lost his way for some time, and on reach- ing the lumber camp at last, had found it un- occupied ; he was, therefore, obliged to go down to the settlements, fifty miles distant, before he could get any supply of food. At one time he had nothing but a grouse to last him three days. I did not pity him much, as Indians ought not to lose their way in the woods, except in a snow storm, and then only for a short time. We remained, altogether, a fortnight in this place, trapping beaver, and, whenever the night was still, calling moose. I got two more shots, killing one moose and missing another in the dark. As the latter was only a young bull, and had but small horns, I did not take it to heart. The call of a young bull can be distinguished from that of an older animal, being less gutteral i ' ,* '.y 60 CIIIPLOQUORGAN and in a higher key, at a distance it somewhat resembles the noise of chopping with an axe. One night we heard two moose fighting, and a tremendous crashing they made. With the beaver we were pretty successful, nine of which we trapped. There are some magnificent pines in the neighbourhood of the lake, the largest I have ever seen. This part of the country has never been "lumbered," being too difficult of access and devoid of streams of sufficient size to float down the lumber. There was a great scarcity of ducks in this part of the country and of cariboo — we had met but one track during all our wanderings. The moose seemed entirely to monopolize the woods, though they and cariboo do not interfere with each other, like hares and rabbits in England. At the time I am now writing I should probably not find one single moose in these *' regions," so great has been the destruction of those animals in the early spring, by Indians running them down for their mere hides. My leave now drawing to a close, we left the lake and portaged our horns, skins, &c., nearly OR, Lirfc BY THfi CAMP FIRE. 61 twenty miles to a lumber camp, which we were fortunate enough to find occupied by a party of lumberers. These men, who had only arrived the previous day, received us with great hos- pitality. All my Indians, with the exception of Peter, now returned to the woods for the purpose of trapping during the coming winter. Leaving most of my kit at the camp in charge of the head man, who promised to forward them to me, I set off with Peter for Newcastle. We carried only our guns and horns, but they weighed quite enough. After a walk of thirty miles in torrents of rain, and after crossing with great difficulty several swollen rivers, we arrived late at night at an Indian camp a few miles from Newcastle. We put up at the home of Julien, the head man of the village, who was most ao3ommodating and procured us a good supper. The next day this man took us down to Newcastle in his canoe. On arriving at that town I went to an hotel and ordered some refreshment, tendering my last dollar note as payment. The note was so torn and dirty that the landlord declined to take it, and suggested my getting it changed at the bank across the i 1 f f" 62 CIIIPLOQUOKGAN \ street. This was rather awkward, for I did not know any one at Newcastle, and my dress was certainly no recommendation : home-spun trow* sers, one knee patched with a shot bag, the other with a piece of blue drill picked up in a lumber camp ; socks made from the remains of several pairs sewn together ; mocassins, ditto ; a home- spun smock faded and dirty ; these, together with an extremely dilapidated and battered old wide-awake, completed my attire. However, proceeding to the bank I introduced myself to the manager who was exceedingly civil, cashed me a cheque at once, and asked me to come over in the evening and have a pipe and a glass of grog. On returning to the hotel I found the landlord had during my absence pumped Peter. I was accordingly received with the greatest civility, put up in the best room of the house, and had a private sitting room placed at my disposal. The landlord informed me with pride that his father had been an old soldier, and had served through the whole of the Peninsular war. In the evening I strolled up to the house of the manager of the bank. The btill was answered by a hxdy who OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 65 eyed me rather suspiciously, and replied in answer to my inquiries that Mr. — — was out, and that I had better call the next day. I had not the cheek to introduce myself, so departed. On the way back to my hotel I met Mr. ■ , and returned with him to his house, when amidst much laughter on all sides, I was introduced to his wife, who proved to be the lady who had opened the door, and I spent a very pleasant evening with these hospitable people. The next morning I took the stage to Shadiac, and from thence travelled by train to St. John, where my appearance and get up was the cause of considerable chaff from my brother officers. I shall here say a few words in answer to those who declare that moose calling is no sport, and is taking an unfair advantage of the animal. The man who makes such a statement, and I have heard and read of several doing so, I put down as belonging to one of three classes. Either he is entirely ignorant except by hearsay of what he is writing or talking about, if so, he must at once be put on one side as unable to judge. Or he is an unsuccessful sportsman, who has failed through want of knowledge of the woods. If f< C4 CHlPLOQUORGAiJ J I * such be the case, he has likely enough hired worthless Indians, who humbugged him, and would not, or probably could not, call a moose. Perhaps he has been induced by a good deal of " tall talk" to join a party of five or six settlers, who pretended to know everything, but knew nothing, except how to consume an unlimited supply of rum, and make noise enough to disturb all the animals in the neighbourhood. Under these circumstances the grapes are sour, as the man in question abuses a sport which he is not able to accomplish. Lastly, in the case of those individuals who are of the wrong breed, who feel no excitement or pleasure in sport of any kind, whether it be the hooking of a salmon, shooting a stag, or any of those stirring pursuits that rouse ordinary mortals. Englishmen in par- ticular. I think sufficient has been written to enable my readers to judge of the excitement of the above-mentioned sport. As regards its unfairness, it must be conceded that such is not the case, where the animal has many more chances in favour of escape than of falling a prey to the rifle of the hunter. OR, HFE BY THE C^MP FIRE. 65 There are few Indians in these days who can call a moose, and I know from personal experience that it takes a long time to acquire the art, as it was only after several months of practice that I was enabled to imitate the call correctly. " Moose-calling " does not last much longer than a month, during that time on an average not more than one night in five is calm enough. If there is any breeze the animal is sure to approach up-wind, consequently he smells you, and decamps altogether from the neighbourhood. In fact, it does positive harm to go out calling on a windy night, inasmuch as it damages your chance for a favourable one. The slightest noise will pro- bably mar everything. The animal, if you go to your station by land, may come across your track, when he turns back at once. This misfortune happened to me on one occasion, and cannot be guaided against, unless you are able to place yourself in a canoe on a lake or dead-water. Two moose answering from opposite directions, generally results in neither coming up, as they are afraid of one another, though there have been instances of their meeting and fighting it out. When a moose does come within range it is 1 I 66 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; not always so easy to hit him, especially if the night is dark. In the event of hearing a bull and cow together, it is a good plan to go towards them at early dawn, making the call of the male now and then, and imitating the noise made by horns against the bushes. He will probably advance to meet you, thinking it is another bull coming to fight. In this manner one sometimes gets a shot. I have seen several attempts to describe in writing the call of the moose, but always without success. I shall not therefore add another to the list of failures. I would advise anyone going on n moose- calling trip to take plenty of warm clothing, as it is exceedingly cold work sitting out all night without a fire, more especially towards the morn- ing when it is often frosty. Indeed I have felt the cold more on these occasions than in mid- winter with the thermometer at zero. Undoubtedly the most favourable spot for moose-calling is a chain of lakes, or a long dead- water, provided you have a canoe. By this means tracks are avoided, and the ground is always fresh. Oft, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 67 Care must be taken not to make any noise, and even in camp your chopping should be done on a windy day. Apropos of this, there is a story of a former Governor of Nova Scotia who went out with some officers moose-calling. The party was a convivial one, and amused themselves in camp with songs, &c. They had no sport, and on finding fault with the Indian on their want of success, he replied, " You think moose big fool like yr i to come near when you make so much noise." Another legitimate way of hunting these animals is stalking, termed — " still hunting " or "creeping." This is comparatively easy with light snow, but early in the fall requires great judgment, consummate skill, and an intimate knowledge of the habits of the animal. The Nova Scotia Indians are the only men I know of who can " creep " moose without snow. Oc- tober is the best month, the leaves by that time have mostly fallen, and the animals have not cast their horns. The following is the manner in which creeping is carried on. — Having found moose tracks, fresh browsing, or other signs, which indicate the i \ 68 CHIPLOQUORGAN. presence of the animal in the vicinity, the Indian leaves the track and keeping to leeward makes a circuit which he narrows until he again comes upon the trail, when he strikes off as before. This plan is repeated until he sees the animal or starts him without doing so, which sometimes happens. The reason for not following the track, even supposing it points up-wind, is, that the moose when he lies down always turns on one side and goes down wind, so in the event of any enemy following, he would by his smell be aware of the danger before it was too late. If the ground is unfavourable for tracking, the direction of the animal when feeding is indicated by the manner in which the young shoots, he has been browsing on, are bitten off. The moose severs the twigs by an upward move- ment of the jaw, which leaves the stump of the twig longer on the nearer than on the reverse side. A person breaking off a few shoots can easily demonstrate this. By scraping away the outer bark of a twig just below where it has been severed, you can tell by the colour of the inner bark at what period of the year the animal was there. t OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. eg Although the power of smell in the moose is not so acute as that of the cariboo, their sight and hearing is exceedingly quick. The greatest caution is therefore necessary when stalking them. One false step on a dry stick may ruin all. Moose may be killed in the summer months in lakes and dead-waters, either by waiting near their roads, or when feeding, out of a canoe. In hot weather they plunge themselves into the water, generally towards evening, to escape the flies and feed on the roots of water lilies and other aquatic plants. The animal keeps his head some time under water pulling up roots ; if in a canoe, you then paddle as hard as you can, and stopping as soon as he raises his head, remain perfectly still. This plan is repeated until you are near enough to try a shot. It is well known that every animal takes less notice of an object on the water than on land. Towards the end of February, from the effects of the sun by day and frost by night, a hard crust is formed on the snow, which is generally deep at that time of year. The pot hunters and would-be sportsmen now sally forth. The moose 70 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; being started from his yard is followed by the men on snow shoes, sometimes accompanied by dogs, who head the animal and bring him to bay. Even in the absence of dogs he is soon overtaken, for his sharp pointed hoofs sink into the snow, and the crust cuts his fetlocks. There he stands, helpless and unable to escape. The muff is sure of his prey, as he might fire sixty rounds at him. In the event of white men going out with Indians, the latter always out- strip the former in running; the Indian heads the moose, and waits until the white man, exhausted and blown, arrives. He does not always kill him with the first shot. Sometimes if the snow is not very deep the moose runs a good distance before he is overtaken, but cannot escape when once headed. I am sorry to say that this abominable and unsportsmanlike practice is followed by English- men calling themselves sportsmen, and in some instances by British ofiicers, in the neighbourhood of Quebec, and Ottawa especially. In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick this species of murder is confined chiefly to the settlers and Indians, tm OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 71 who have in New Brunswick well nigh extermi- nated this noble animal. Moose can be easily tamed, a former Governor of New Brunswick used to drive a pair in a sleigh. They are able to accomplish a very long journey. 72 CIIIPLOQUORCxAN CHAPTER VI. Salmon rivers of Nova Scotia— Flics in use— The rivers east of Hali- fax — Scenery of Capo Breton — Description of the settlers — The Margaree ri'ver — Salmon fishing in the St. Laurence tributaries — American trout — Bass spearing — Advantage of making your own files. There are many excellent salmon rivers in Nova Scotia, but they are much damaged by netting and spearing, and in some instances altogether blocked up by impassable mill-dams. The salmon fishing in this province commences much earlier than in other parts of North America, especially in the rivers lying to the westward of Halifax, where i'resh fish can be taken with a fly in March. The Indian and Gold rivers, within forty miles of Halifax, aflford fair sport at times, and are the earliest streams. In the spring large flies take in these waters. Greys, fiery, browns, and the OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 73 Nicholson, all of them tied with rather gaudy wings, kill well. The Le Havre is a splendid stream emptying into the sea at Liverpool ; forty miles further to the westward. The bottom of this river is dark, and I found that flies, as gaudy as those used at Ballyshannon, did good execution. Yel- low body, yellow hackle, jay shoulder, with a gaudy mixed wing, and a couple of toppings over all, proved an excellent fly in high water. Since I visited this stream it has been totally destroyed by the erection of an impassable mill-dam at the mouth. Twentv miles to the west of the Le Havre is Mill river, a capital stream. The fish here are bothered by sawdust, and the angler by lumber driving ; however, notwithstanding these draw- backs, fair fishing is sometimes to be had. Tlie same flies as for Le Havre suit this river, also the " Admiral," a fly of repute in many parts of the country, but with which I never yet suc- ceeded in raising a fish, altliough I tried it in various places. To the east of Halifax the sal- mon run later. The best river on that coast is the St. Mary's, but it is so horribly poached and 74 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; speared, that any sport is a great uncertainty. The same class of flies as those mentioned above are used in this river. There are many other smaller streams, where, occasionall' , after a freshet, fish may be killed. I paid a visit one summer with a brother officer of the name of Farquharson., to the Mar- garee, a river of Cape Breton. We travelled from Pictov by steamer, to Port Hawksbury ; from thence by land to the Bras d'or Lake, an immense inland sea connected with the salt water by very narrow straits. We crossed this lake by steamer to Bedeque, and drove from that place to the valley of the Margaree, distant twenty-seven miles. We brought a canoe with us from Halifax, together with an Indian, who proved but a bad hand at poling, and was altogether a poor speci- men of his race. Our driver, who started from Bedeque elated, got more drink on the road, and ended by nearly capsizing us down a preci- pice. After we reached our destination, this man having only rested his horses an hour, and still exceedingly intoxicated, set out to drive home, on a pitch«dark night. They get tlieir OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 75 worth out of horses in North America, though the animals are rarely sound from being over- worked when young. Cape Breton boasts of some very pretty scenery, the valley of the Margaree, in particular. The river, for the first twenty miles from its mouth, runs through broad "interval" land, backed by high and steep hills covered with forest. " Interval " is the word used to denote meadow land on the banks of rivers, which are covered by the spring floods. This alluvial soil is very valuable, and produces large crops of hay. The settlers here were a peculiar set of people, almost all Highland Scotch and Roman Catho- lics, speaking Gallic in additi.OL to English, some even not kno^^ i;ig the latter language. I met a Scotch wonia' nearly a hundred years old, who had been all through the Peninsular war with her husb . .d, a soldier in a Highland regime -it. These people were most kind and hospitable, but some of them very ignorant, and rather lawless. As an instance of their ignorance, we were actu- ally asked by a we^-to-do settler, if it was true the Duke of Wellington was dead, and if ho was not a ^reat general ! 76 CIIIPLOQUORGAN ; The poaching on the Margaree is far worse than in any other river in North America, the settlers spearing and netting the pools nightly, in open defiance of the law. We were much an- noyed by their spearing the pool opposite our camp, and reported it to the chief warden, who was afraid to do anything, and as the settlers came in gangs of over twenty, with blackened faces, we could not identify them, and so were powerless. I was informed that the late chief fish-war- den was a plucky fellow, who did his duty and prevented poaching to a great extent, but his politics not suiting the Hon. Member for the District, he was turned out to make way for the present useless individual. The river is naturally most prolific, the fish run over twenty pounds in weight, and rise well. There are no rocks in the lower part of the stream, and the pools arc smooth, compared to most American waters. The bottom is gravel and sand, so the salmon " stands " vary more or less with the spring freshets, new jwols being la' med and old ones silted up or changed. Among the best fishing stations are the Forks, and the Island pool, half a mile lower down. " > I III m^m' "HT^ Tf^ OR, LIFE M THE CAMP FIRE. 77 I cared less for the Margaree than any river I had ever visited in North America. It was too civilised, and you were apt to have your camp surrounded, especially on Sundays, by a crov/d of loafers and gaping natives. One after- noon, whilst making flies in camp and resting the river for the evening cast, I was horrified at the sight of two tourists in Rob Koy canoes, splashing about in the middle of our best pool. They had come down the stream, to the head of which they portaged their cockney crafts in carts, after crossing the Bras d'or Lake, which they had reached by steamer from Halifax. It is a consolation to know that there are still plenty of wild rivers, inaccessible to the town loafer and cock-tail sportsman in a Kob Roy, as provided he cannot get al)ove you, there is no fear of his coming up stream, which it would be impossible to do in such a ciult. As a matter of course, we asked these unwelcome spoilers of our best cast to partake of the usual camp hospi- tality. They proved very harmless men, and only damaged our fishing tlirough ignorance. The flies I found most killing in the Margaree were, the old " Mcholson," and a ycdlow fly, and I il 78 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; when the water was low a fly perfectly black, with the exception of wood duck in the wing. Broad silver tinsel or twist suits this water best. There is a good marble quarry near the bank of the river, but it is not worked. Gold is now found in one of the tributaries of the Margaree, and an American company have commenced working it. I found some good specimens of quartz in some high barrens several miles back from the river, where I spent a couple of days looking for cariboo, but only saw a few tracks. The sand flies were here in swarms, while down in the open intervals there were hardly any flies at all, which was a great comfort. Without doubt the best salmon fishing in North America is in the rivers flowing into the St. Lawrence ; among the small celebrated of which are the Jacques Cartier near Quebec, several tributaries of the Saguenay, the Mingan, Moisic ;iad jnany others. The fish cf>^ mence to run in the St. Lawrence ubout the middle of June. The same flies as used in the New Brunswick rivers answer for these waters ; in the Moisic a fly entirely green kills at times. The Nicholson is also good, OK, LIFE BY THE CAMt FIRE. 7& and orange bodies with claret hackles ; wings should not be very gaudy. Most of these rivers are rented by Canadians and others. There is a good river near Gaspe at the entrance of the bay of Chaleurs, which is hired by a Canadian. Sea trout frequent more or less all the rivers in North America. In some streams they are so numerous at the commencement of the run as to be a positive nuisance to the salmon fisher. These fish are not the same species as the sea (commonly called white) trout of the English and Irish coasts ; they are a shorter and thicker fish, more spotted on the back, and with a yellowish tinge on the belly. Nor do they jump out of the water when hooked, like the fish met with in Connemara and other parts of Ireland. As to flies they take almost anything, and are excellent eating. In most of the rivers there is an enormous run of gaspereav, a species of herring; they ascend the fresh water in May, and are caught in thousands by weirs made of brush, and constructed in the shape of the letter V wiih a kind of trap at the top. They are also captured at the foot 80 CIIIPLOQUOUGAN of heavy falls by dip nets ; a man stands on a platform or rock, and keeps dipping his net into the foam. These fish are then salted and packed in barrels ; they are soft, without much flavour, and very inferior to the regular herring, which also is taken in large numbers in the Bay of Fundy. The herrings do not appear until after they have dropped their roe, and are not to be compared to the same species that frequent the English coasts. The shad, an excellent fish, likewise belonging to the herring tribe, and weighing from one to four pounds, ascends the fresh water, but not until June. They are chiefly killed by nets and spears. Smelts are very plentiful, especially in the St. John river, though they are never sold in the market, being small, and quantity not quality is the first desideratum in this country. At Fre- dericton our men used to catch hundreds of them wit i a rod and line. The smelts are quite equal in flavour and superior in size to those caught in England. I never saw a shrimp in the country. They . . «,^--*-.^^.^ > 4 OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 81 would be considered much too small fry, though a regiment formerly stationed at St. John had a shrimp net, and some of the officers used to go out shrimping in the harbour and catch plenty of them. Of lobsters, as I have before mentioned, their name is legion. Many English fish, such as soles, whiting, red mullet and others do not frequent these coasts. There are numbers of white bass and sturgeon in many of the large rivers. The St. John river. New Brunswick, contains fish of either kind. We used to have good sport near Fredericton, spearing bass when they made their appearance in the early spring. At that time of year they come to the top of the water in shoals, and play about for a few minutes at a time. Two men in a canoe station themselves near where the bass are playing, and on a shoal coming to the surface, they immediately paddle as quickly as possible up to the spot and throw a spear, the head of which on striking a fish comes out of the socket, and is held to the pole only by a cord. This is to enable the fish to play, as they would otherwise very likely break the hold. Most of the inland lakes of North America 6 ClIIPLOQUOUGAN ; contain brown trout, v.iiich vary in size, appear- ance and flavour according to the nature of the country where the lakes arc situated. Some fish ar exceedingly well fed, and of a deep orange colour when cut open, of others the flesh is white and tasteless. The trout vary in size from a quarter to three or four pounds, but generally do not exceed two pounds, and in some waters one pound. I have generally observed that rocky bottomed lakes contain small and poor fish, whilst tliose situated in rich and loamy soil the reverse. The trout in lakes which have not been much fished rise greedily. In the neighbourhood of Halifax, and other large towns they are much more shy. I remember when camped on the Nepisiguit lakes the trout rose to every cast, and on bring- ing a fish into the side of the canocj he was frequently followed by others eager to take the fly from him. Many times the original fish having wriggled off* close to the canoe, the one " in waiting " rose at once and took the fly. I am speaking nov. of waters that had rarely ever had a fly cast into them. OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 83 The trout flies used in lakes are not large, and of almost any shade and pattern. It is an immense advantage in this country to be able to tie your own flies ; good ones are hardly "^o be got, except a few imported ''rovsi horn' As a rule you pay enormously '*-.i a rtry infeiio M'ticle, both as regards workmanship, material and pattern. Most of the feathers are dyed, and the hooks weak and bad. Fortunately for myself I mastered the art of fly-tying years ago, and was therefore independent of the scamped rubbish sold by the tackle makers, more especially those of Halifax. In St. John, New Brunswick, there was a very respectable man of the name of Willis — a saw-filer — who could put a decent fly together if he had the materials. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 111.25 2f 1^ ^ Z U£ 12.0 ■UUte Photographic Sciences Corporation <^ V 93 VMKT MAIN ITMIT WIUTM.N.Y. 14SM (n«)l71-4S03 ;\ %^ % 6^ m CHIPLOQUORGAN ; CHAPTER VII. Small game shooting— Characteristic story of a farmer — Various kinds of game found in North America — Concerning woodcocks and where they resort — War-office wisdom — Duck and wild goose shooting in the St. John river. The small game shooting of Canada is indif- ferent, the only birds that give any sport are snipe, ducks, geese, woodcock, wild turkey and quail, the two last mentioned birds are met with in some of the western parts of Upper Canada, yet are never found in the Maritime provinces. The tree grouse show no sport at all, neither do the hares. The American woodcock {scolopax minor^ is by far the most sporting bird of the whole number. It breeds in the country, and is much smaller than the European species, weighing rarely more than eight ounces. The plumage is also diflferent, being of a lighter shade on the back, and of a OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 85 light yellowish brown on the breast. These birds frequent coverts of alder and young growth of tamarac. Such coverts are chiefly found in the neighbourhood of settlements, on the borders of "intervals," or often in places where the land has been cleared of its forest growth, and then abandoned. The nature of the land has also a good deal to do with the locality in which they are met with ; they prefer black and loamy soil in the neighbourhood of marshes or wet land. Some large tracts of alder covert which appear in the distance, most likely woodcock ground, prove on close inspection and trial to contain not a single bird. The soil is either unsuitable or the grass is too long. Many a time when exploring new country have I been deceived in this manner, and had a long walk for nothing. Good woodcock coverts are scarce, consequently, sportsmen who know of them keep them dark, and are chary of giving information to out- siders. In Canada there is an absence of the sporting rufl&an frequently to be met with in the garrison towns of Ireland, who knows the whereabouts of every snii^e in the neighbourhood. At Halifax 86 CHIPLOQUORGAN J there was a useless impostor — a white man — who pretended to know everything connected with the sports of the country, but who in reality was not even worth his keep in the woods. This indivi- dual once fired at a stuffed moose's head purposely placed for him in the woods near Halifax — imagining that it was a living animal. Woodcock shooting commences on the 1st of September, but the birds are not fully grown until October, by that time also the leaves have fallen, and better sport can be had. By the end of that month they have all migrated. When quartered at St. John I killed one year forty-four and a half brace of woodcock from the 1st to the 25th of October. Good spaniels are indispensable for this shoot- ing, as the birds lie very close ; on rising they make a low whistling note, and do not as a rule fly any great distance. I picked up a spaniel when a puppy on my first arrival in the country, and a capital dog he turned o his name was " Musquash," the Indian for ma.K-rat. A curious fact in this country is the extreme ignorance of the settlers with respect to natural history, hardly one knows what a woodcock is OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 87 V like. If you ask any of the people if they have seen any about, they invariably imagine you mean wood-peckers, a species of which the great black red crested wood-pecker (picus erythrocephcdus) is commonly called the cock of the woods. On one occasion I produced a woodcock out of my pocket, and asked a farmer, who had replied as usual to my queries, if he knew what that bird was. He answered he did not, but had seen such birds when driving his cows from among the alders — guessed it must be a snipe, and, added he, in accents of contempt, " Why don't you go and shoot partridge?" — meaning the ruffled grouse — " it would take many of them things to make a meai." He could not understand the dif- ference in the sport ; the man also observed, " They must be pretty hard to kill, as they would take a deal of seeing on the ground." I replied I shot them flying. " Well do you now ? I reckon you must be a * boss ' gunner to do that, as they fly mighty fast." There are a good many snipe in many parts of North America. In New Brunswick the best place for snipe shooting is the Tantamar marshes. They are also numerous in Prince Edward's CHIPLOQUORGAN ; island, where there are plenty of woodcock and wild fowl, but no big game. There are three species of grouse in Canada, erroneously called by the settlers partridges. Their proper names are the ruffled grouse {tetrao umheUus\ the Canada (tetrao Canadensis)^ the willow (tetrao albus.) The two former kind are common, and are found all over the woods, the latter is rare ; I never saw but one bird. They all invariably fly up into the trees on being flushed, where I have killed them with a stone. The Canada species is particularly tame, and can be snared when perched with a long stick and a bit of string. The ruffled grouse are very good eating, but rather dry ; the Canada has a strong flavour of the fir tree, but are eatable when one is hungry. There is a species of hare (lepus Americanus) mis«called a rabbit, which is numerous, .but hardly eatable, as they feed altogether on the shoots of the fir trees. In winter they turn white. Though the settlers are so ignorant of the natural history of the country in which they have been born and bred, they are far from stupid, and in many respects are more intelligent than the Il OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 8d same class in the old country. Every man can handle an axe, mend his waggon and build his own " sled " — a kind of rough sleigh, for hauling timber and other heavy stuff. Most of the settlers on the sea or on large rivers can build their own boats. Apropos of sleds; this reminds me of gun carriages sent out for use in the snow from England at the time of the Trent affair. These machines — I can call them nothing else — were most expensively constructed of the best English oak, bolted and secured with iron in all directions, but warranted to stick fast in the snow without the additional weight of a gun. The runners nearly formed a half circle, and were of solid oak converging inwards, which threw the snow between them, and having so small a portion of their length resting on the ground that they sank down, and all progress was impossible. These useless and expensive articles were with difficulty hauled as far as the St. John Barracks, where they remained, and are probably there to this day. One more added to the many instances of War Office wisdom ! Thousands of country sleds, fit to transport the heaviest guns could have been 90 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; bought in a week, thus saving a great and useless outlay. In the Maritime provinces of Canada the duck shooting is not of much account, for although in places a good many birds are sometimes killed, there is so much water and feeding ground, and so few reeds and rushes, that though seeing plenty of ducks it is hard to get near them. In New Brunswick the St. John river, from the many lakes, creeks and marshes connected with it, is the headquarters of the wild fowl. This river is the largest in the province, and is navigable by good sized steamers, as far as Fredericton, up to which point the stream is sluggish; smaller boats go up to Woodstock, seventy miles further. Plenty of salmon are caught in the tide- way with nets, but of course the absence of a swift current and the great depth of the river prci- eludes fly fishing. The expanse of water is also too great, being over a mile wide in some places, and in parts intersected by large islands, pro- ducing great crops of hay. High up in the numerous tributaries the water is rapid, but the fish there are few and far be- •nwr OK, LIF£ BY THE CAMP FIRE. 91 s '• tween. With the exception of the Nashwauk, now blocked by a mill-dam, and the Tobique, I never heard of salmon being taken with a fly in the St John waters. In the Nashwauk, which empties itself into the main stream at Frederic- ton, there are plenty of lamprey eels, but the natives will not touch them. The barracks at Fredericton are charmingly situated within twenty yards of the St. John river; a smooth lawn lies in front surrounded by fine old willows. When stationed there I used to get pretty fair sport, flight shooting in the Duggaway, a swamp fifty miles below Fre- dericton. Steam boats, two of which came up and down the river daily, afforded great facilities for shoot- ing all down the stream. I generally took a canoe on board, ji id was dropt wherever I wished ; spending two or three days in one place, and camping out on one of the islands. In this manner, often accompanied by a brother officer of the name of Grant, I had many pleasant days shooting. I always made it a rule never to put up at a house if it was possible to camp, as one is so ts-i:^^^. CHIPLOQUORGAN much more independent and comfortable in the latter case, besides being more ready for an early start in the morning. In the spring of the year, when the ice is breaking up, there are large flocks of wild geese in Grand Lake, St. John river. These are killed by making a blind with blocks of ice, behind which the sportsman sits. Decoys, viz., wooden geese, being placed on the ice within shot. On the approach of geese, their call is imitated, generally by an Indian hired for the purpose. The geese hearing the call and seeing the decoys, circle round within shot. Ducks are also killed with the aid of decoys, which are anchored in the water within convenient distance of your canoe, which is hidden by bushes or rushes. One of the best places for duck and geese shooting in the Maritime provinces is at Point Miscoe. In Western Canada, in the neighbourhood of London and Hamilton, there is good duck shoot- ing on the rice lakes, where canoes made of bass wood, beautifully built, very light and shaped like a birch bark, are used. The black duck (anas stelleri) is the most com- 1 im^ OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. mon species in North America, and takes the place of the mallard at home. There are also several other kinds, including teal and widgeon. The rarest and most beautiful of its species is the American wood duck, (anas sponsa). These lovely birds inhabit shady ponds and creeks in the woods, and both perch and build in trees. I remember in a wood bound creek off the St. John river, an old birch tree overhanging the water, in the branches of which, on a hot day in Sep- tember, I always found some of these birds sitting, and often shot one. Bitterns are very common in the marshes ; they make excellent soup in the month of Sep- tember, and the feathers are also useful for flies. There are no landrails in North America, and in the early summer evenings you rather miss their harsh note. Stone plover are sometimes found in marshes near the sea, I never saw any inland. Flocks of wild pigeons, pretty birds with long tails, make their appearance early in the fall ; they are often met with in fields of buck wheat, on which they are fond of feeding. These birds are smaller than the common English wood pigeon and are not nearly so numerous as they were some twenty years ago. CHIPLOQUORGAN ; By the end of October all migratory birds have departed, and these form the majority in those latitudes. During the winter none remain but the owls, the grouse, some of the wood- peckers and the cat-bird, (turdus lividus,) com- monly known as the moose bird, the Canadian jay, and a few other minor species. In November ice begins to form in the rivers, which are finally frozen up by the end of the month. Snow falls in November, but rarely re- mains; from the beginning of December there is generally snow enough in the woods for hunting purposes. OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 95 CHAPTER VIII. Cariboo hunting— Description of cariboo — ^Food and habits of cariboo — Description of a hunting toboggin— Start on a hunting expedi- tion — The lumber trade — A lumber camp — Mode of life of a lum- berer — Dangers and diflaculties of the trade — A night in a lum- ber camp — A fatiguing journey — A camp on fire — Our sport spoiled by the wolves — Provisions fail — Musk rats as food — Priva- tions endured on our return home — How we spent Christmas Day at Cain's river — Return to Fredericton. Early in December is the best time to proceed on a winter hunting expedition after cariboo. At this season the skins of the fur bearing animals are in the best order ; and the rivers, lakes and marshy barrens are frozen hard. The cariboo, or North American rein-deer, (cervue tarandus) is found in many parts of North America. In Lower Canada it chiefly frequents the country bordering on the St. Lau- rence, and is met with in the Maritime provinces, especially in New Brunswick. ■»■> ^1 1 ppf 96 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; This animal differs in many respects from the European species, particularly as regards the horns, which are stouter and in general grow straighter than those of the European reindeer. The horns of the cariboo are partially palmated, and smooth on the surface ; their shape is most eccentric, no two pair ever being alike. A full grown stag weighs over three hundred weight, and is about four feet in height ; the head is full shaped, with none of the fineness of the red deer about it ; the neck is very thick ; the legs are beautifully fine ; the hoofs large, round and split, which enables the animal to traverse the snow without sinking. The does are smaller and rather finer about the head. Cariboo vary in colour according to their age and the season of the year. In summer the stags are brown, and the does nearly black, while in winter they assume a much lighter shade, resembling somewhat that of an old donkey. Very old beasts, whether doe or stag, are at all times of a still lighter hue. The big stags drop their horns in November, the smaller ones later ; the females, whose antlers are small but prettily shaped, not uiitl! May. Cariboo feed chiefly on the white moss, (c/a- ^ OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE 97 / donica rangiferina) also on lichen, and the moss that hangs in festoons from the firs and tama- racs. In summer they will browse on leaves. During winter when the snow is deep, they dig down several feet with their hoofs to get at the white moss, and not with their horns, — long since cast, — as has been erroneously stated. On one occasion when hunting near the head waters of the Washademoak, I stalked some cariboo, on a very still day, and when there was a bad crust on the snow, which made a crackling with every step. The snow was deep, and the animals, who were hard at work digging for moss, made so much noise with their hoofs, that I was enabled to approach unheard. In summer time the old stags are solitary. The does are accompanied by their fawns, and sometimes by young stags. At the approach of the rutting season in September, cariboo con- gregate in herds, each of which has a master stag, who fights all interlopers. When winter sets in, the big stags herd toge ther, the small stags still remaining with the does. The principal resort of these animals is in the neighbourhood of barrens, or in open mmm 98 CHIPLOQUORGAN J woods of scrubby spruce or pitch pine, where grows the white moss, their favourite food. There are large tracts in New Brunswick answer- ing to this description ; though in the absence of fir growth they are frequently found in hard wood ridges, but from the comparative scarcity of food in such places, they are never in such good condition as when found in the vicinity of barrens. Cariboo never remain stationary in one place like moose, but are always \v:mdering about from plain to plain, revisiting the same spots at inter- vals. No one, therefore, need be disheartened when hunting these animals, at not seeing fresh tracks, provided there be old ones, as the herds are almost sure to come round again sooner or later. Their meat is excellent, and when fat, surpasses any other venison. The skins make capital rugs and sleigh robes, and when tanned, the leather is exceedingly close in the grain, and very strong. The skins of the old stags killed in the autumn are often beautifully soft and furr). The shanks make good mocassins, as well as hunting pouches, knife sheaths, &c. Cariboo can be -jailed in the rutting season, OR, LIF£ BT THE CAMP FIRE. but not in the same manner as moose. The females do not, as far as I know or can ascertain, call the males ; but a solitary stag when looking for does in the rutting season, will come to the noise made by a stag, for the purpose of fighting him, as at that time they are most pugnacious. As an instance, on one occasion when calling moose, a large cariboo stag came out of the woods mak- ing a snorting noise ; this, Sebattis, our Indian, imitated on his horn, when the animal came right up to us, giving vent to a gruff kind of grunt and pawing the earth. He was immedi- ately dropped by a ball from Farquharson's rifle, a brother officer who was with me. There have been instances in which cariboo have been tamed like the Norwegian reindeer. I once knew an Indian who drove one in a small sleigh. This animal was eventually bought by an Englishman. It is, of course, far better sport to hunt cari- boo in the autumn, when the horns are at their prime, than in winter, when the large stags have dropped them ; but there is great difficulty in most parts of Canada in finding the animal during the fall. For at that time of year the barrens ->•» •— «■■'»' Ml '! » I t i trn ' tti i u i m mM irm0n»itmt»ttm0n>iimtiilli 100 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; are in many places wet and swampy, and the cariboo generally only hang about the edges, and are mostly hid in thick woods, where it is impossible to track them. I certainly did, on several occasions, by chance, kill an odd stag early in the autumn ; but expeditions at this season of the year almost always prove abortive as regards cariboo, for the reasons above stated. It is better, therefore, to call moose in Sep- tember, spend October in woodcock shooting, or moose creeping, and wait until the snow falls, and the ice forms, to hunt cariboo. At the end of November, 1864, Farquharson and myself arranged to proceed on a hunting expedition to the head of the Little South West Mirimichi. This ground was a long way off, and rather difficult of access, but affording the inducement of beaver and other trapping, in ad- dition to shooting cariboo. We hired two In- dians, Sebattis, the man I frequently employed, and Joe Bear, son of old Loui Bear, the most fa- mous of the Milicitc liunters, now gone to the " happy hunting grounds." We also got together our hunting gear, including four "toboggins." ' ^ OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 101 A hunting toboggin is six feet long, composed of two side pieces of spruce, six inches wide, and one inch in thickness, rounded off in front, and square behind ; these are placed parallel to each other, at the distance of two feet, and joined at the upper sides by wooden benches of maple or other hard wood. Strips of thin sheet iron, two inches wide, and turned up in front to serve as runners, are then nailed or screwed to the bot- tom of the side pieces ; thin pieces of wood are placed over the benches, on the top of which the load is fastened by ropes, or thongs of hide. It is a good plan to have rings in the side pieces to which your lashings are fastened. In lieu of iron runners cedar may be used, turned up at the ends. Iron runners are better in a thaw, and wooden when the snow is dry. A rope, or better still, a " lugging-strap," is made iiast to each side of the foremost benches, the centre of the strap is then put across the chest, and placing your hands behind, you grasp it with a twist, which gives additional purchase. In this man- ner a man can haul a couple of hundred weight. Starting from Fredericton, we drove to Bois- town, on the Mirlmichi, a distance of fifty miles. ;R; ;. !g! i';ffffiTTinT» Bii 102 CfllPLOQUORGAN ; It On arriving there we found the river still open, though large quanties of ice were floating down. Hiring a couple of settlers and their dug-outs, we poled to the mouth of Rocky brook, ten miles up stream. From this point we intended to leave the river, and take to the woods, which were quite devoid of settlements. Here we for- tunately overtook a party of " lumberers," — men employed in the cutting of timber,- — who were about to set out in our direction with a sled and team of horses for their camp, distant fifteen miles. There was not any snow on the ground, be- tween the river and the green woods, which were three miles off; we therefore arranged with the lumber party to haul all our gear to their camp, where we arrived late in the evening, tired and glad to sit down and smoke our pipes opposite the fire, waiting until the cook had got ready the evening meal. I will here endeavour to give a short descrip- tion of a lumber camp, and how the business is carried on. The camp is an oblong structure, built of spruce or fir logs notched at the ends, 80 as to fit into each other, the chinks are stuffed OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 103 up with moss ; the roof which slopes on each side from the centre, is composed of rough boards, split with an axe from cedar or pine, these are termed " splints." There is a door at one end, and the roof over the fire place, which is situated in the centre of the camp, is left open. In case the camp is made single, that is to say, with a roof sloping only one way, the fire is placed on one side against the centre of the wall. Round the smoke hole, which is large and wide, boards are sometimes built up a few feet to make a draft and serve as a chimney ; a smoky camp is an abomination, and occasionally met with. The fire place consists of stone dogs, and if placed against the side of the camp, stones or pieces of rock are piled up to prevent the camp from catching fire. In front of the fire on one side, and running the whole length of the camp, is a bench, hewn out of spruce or fir ; this bench is termed the ^^ deacon seat ; '* behind it the men sleep in a row, on fir boughs, with one long rug under and another over them. Two bunks are made at right angles to the fire ; one of these is occupied by the teamster, who has charge of the horses, 104 CHIPLOQUORGAN and is therefore enabled to get up and feed them without disturbing the other men ; the other by the " boss," as the head man is designated. The cook sleeps on the other side the fire, which it is his duty to keep going all night. On that side he has all his cooking apparatus, consisting of a couple of frying pans, baking oven, kettle and large iron pot, besides numerous tin plates and dishes, knives, &c. It is also part of his work to cut all the fire wood for the camp, and woe to him if he has not the meals ready at the proper time, or does not keep up a fire. The men breakfast in winter an hour before daylight ; dinner is served at twelve, supper at dark, and a fourth meal later if they wish. Their wages vary from twelve to sixteen dollars per month, and found ; not much cither^ considering the hard work. A crew of lumberers have different occupations assigned to them ; the " fellers," who cut down the trees and trim them ; the " swampers," who "swamp" — cut roads — to the felled trees, to enable the " teamster " and his assistants to haul them on a " Bob sled " —two sleds working inde- OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 105 pendently and joined with chains — to the banks of the river or brook where the lumber is " yarded" — piled up, — ready to be launched into the water in the spring, when the melted snow transforms the now insignificant little stream into a raging torrent. It requires a large crew of men to pilot this floating timber down the streams, as many logs get stuck in trees and stumps ; " hung up " is the local term applied to these stoppages. Sometimes "jams " occur, the logs being piled up one above another to a great height. To break a jam and cut the log which holds the pile together requires skill, and is attended with considerable danger, as directly the key log is severed the jam gives way at once, some pieces of timber shooting up their ends high out of the water. The man on the jam has to get ashore quickly, jumping often from one floating log to another. To prevent him slipping he has spikes in his shoes. Some of these fellows are surprisingly active, and will cross a river full of floating trees in this manner ; no easy feat, as a floating log when stepped upon immediately turns round and upsets you at once if you are not very quick. This mmmmmmm 106 CHiPLOauORGAN ; river work is called " stream driving," and the floating timber the "drive." It is hard and killing labour ; the men are always more or less in the water, which is very cold from the melting snow. Few can stand it long, and this no doubt coupled with the extreme dryness of the air, is one of the causes why consumption is so prevalent in North America. The wages during the driving are higher than at other times, the men working at the head of the " drive " earn more than those at the tail, where there are no jams, the smartest men therefore go in front. The work at this season continues from daylight till dark, and five meals a day are provided. Temporary camps are made along the banks, as the drive progresses down the stream. When the timber has been driven down to large rivers or lakes it is rafted, then wharped, or towed by steamers to the saw mills, with the exception of what is called "square timber," or that used for masts and yards, which is shipped in its present state. Nothing can exceed the hospitality and kind- ness of the lumberers, and no man need starve in the vicinity of their camps. To offer payment OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 107 f:-: for food and a night's lodging is quite out of the question, and would be considered an insult. A bottle of rum and drinks round is not refused, or if hunting in the neighbourhood, a quarter of venison is accepted. But to continue : after we had supped, and all hands were in camp, we were cross questioned in the usual manner relative to where we came from, and where we were going to hunt, our guns minutely examined, and passed round from one to another with the remarks, " Well now," " And what would she cost?" "I guess that is a complete gun and no mistake," or alluding to our breechloaders which more especially excited their curiosity, " That beats all," with other quaint expressions. One or two of the men professed to know of places swarming with cariboo and moose. " Any amount of them " near such a brook, " The whole place alive with cariboo, which were that thick that their horns looked like a forest of trees," such a part of the country "beaten solid with moose tracks,'' and so-forth. Of course none of these stories were to be relied upon for a moment. The knowledge of these people with a few ex. 108 CHIPLOQUORGAN J ceptions is confined to the trees ; as a rule, oddly enough, they know little of the animals, though spending half the year in the woods. A grove, or as they would call it, a " bunch " of pine or spruce, catches their eyes sooner than the signs left by a wild animal. A stray herd of three or four cariboo hanging about any spot, of course make many tracks, which to lumberers convey the idea of hundreds of animals. I do not think their wild stories are told for the purpose of misleading you, but more from the habitual practice of exaggeration in these men, who are always ready to further your sport if they can, and help you out of any difficulty. Many is the time when tired and hungry I have met with a hearty and most acceptable welcome at their camps. Having smoked sundry pipes and* done a good deal of talking, we turned in for the night, Farquharson among the men. I had already experienced sleeping with a dozen men under one blanket, packed like herrings. It is a case of one turn, all turn ; nor is it pleasant to awake with one man's elbow in your eye, and the knee of another in your ribs. So with a bag of flour OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 109 for a pillow, I slept on the deacon scat, which though hard and narrow, afforded me room to turn to the fire when one side got cold. Indians, when in a lumber camp never talk or make a remark, even at the most glaring yarns. On asking Sebattis the next day what he thought of the stories of the preceding evening, he replied, "Lumber-men all liars, must think us big fools, believe all they say." We were aroused long before daylight by the voice cf the " boss " calling, " Now, boys, tumble up." Far- quharson had had quite enough of his anything but downy couch, and declared he would not sleep among the men again. After breakfast having packed our three to- boggins, which when loaded, weighed heavy, we left the camp on our way. Farquharson and myself had a toboggin between us, the Indians one each. We followed an old " sable line," built formerly by Joe Bear ; a " sable line " is a line of traps set for that animal. The hauling was exceedingly bad from the slight depth of snow and the numerous " windfalls " — fallen trees — which intercepted our way, and over which pur tobo^gins had to be lifted. We only got no CHIPLOQUORGAN ; about five miles that day, and camped at night in an old hunting wigwam. The next morning we proceeded on our way with the same difficulties, our progress being slower as we stopped to set up and bait the " dead falls " — wooden traps — along the line. On this evening we were not able to reach a camp, of which there were several on our route, but camped in the snow at the bottom of a very steep hill, which we were too tired to face that day. It was some time after dark when we had rigged up a camp with a blanket, cut wood, and cooked our supper. After two more days hauling, camping where the shades of evening overtook us, we reached a bark wigwam on the Kenous lakes. Here we set some traps for otter and one for beaver at a house near. We had performed a hard day's work, and consequently slept soundly. During the night our camp, which was of birch bark, caught fire, and the consequences might have been serious haj the cold, vou pile on fresh logs, and 130 CHIPLOQUORGAN* i ^M ii as they blaze up, take a few draws of your pipe, then turning to the fire you roll yourself in your blankets and are soon asleep. Gabe proved a most amusing companion in camp, sang capital songs, and told excellent hunting stories. I never take grog out hunting, as when tired it only stimulates for the time, and you soon feel more done up than ever ; but on reaching camp a nip is acceptable. Two pieces of bread, with a slice of pork between them, was my usual lunch. On a cold day, this had to be wrapped up and hidden away in the innermost recesses of my shirt, or it would soon be frozen as hard as a brick. Our camp now presented a sporting appear- ance, with cariboo hides stretched on frames, heads and meat hanging in all directions. We had plenty of good venison, abundance of excel- lent fire -wood, and fared sumptuously. Very different to our food on the little South- West Mirimichi. The usual number of moose-birds had collected and fed on the meat about the camp, hopping within a few yards of us. However much these birds eat, they are always as thin as herrings. They are soou attracted by blood or OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 131 a meat, and five minutes after killing an animal you hear them chattering close by ready for their feast. After three weeks hunting we returned to Fredericton, having killed nine cariboo, all of which we brought in, some of them whole. The venison of the does was fat and in good order. I made many other expeditions into the woods with varied success. On one occasion when hunting in December, at the head of the Washa- demoak, I had great luck in meeting with bears. There was only a few inches of snow on the •ground, and we were traversing a hard wood ridge, when my attention was drawn by a curi- ous whining noise. Looking about I saw a dark moving mass in a cavity formed by the uproot- ing of a large tree. " Bears," exclaimed Sebattis, (who accompanied me) in an excited whisper. I immediately let drive both barrels into the lot, Sebattis, quick as lightning, laid about him with his axe on the noses of the cubs, as they at- tempted to escape through the roots of the tree. On hauling them out, we found an old she bear and three large cubs ; the former had been killed by a lucky shot, and two of the cubs were ll. 132 CHIPLOQUORGAN hit. Their skins were in first-rate order, and eventually made a splendid robe. It is a very rare occurrence to find more than two cubs in a den. During this trip I got lost in the woods. I had left camp very early in the morning, and toward evening came out on a large plain, where I fired at, and missed a cariboo. The sun was nearly down, and my Indian, a man of the name of Noel Lolah, who was a stranger to this part of the country, told me our way to camp lay in a certain direction, which we accordingly took. I soon discovered that we were astray, and Noel at length owned he was lost. Visions of roast venison, &c., in our camp rose up before me, but where on earth was our camp ? After scrambling several hours in the dark, through thick woods, we eventually came to a wild beaver meadow ; out of this I knew there must be a road leading somewhere, as hay was cut here every year. In a short time Noel, who had gone to look for a road, returned, having found one, which we followed for a long way, and at length arrived about midnight, quite done up from fatigue and hunger, at a deserted OR, Lii'E BY THE CAMP FIRE. 133 [ark, DO a Ihere was who Iving |way, [uite jrted lumber camp. I was so tired that [ felt as if I could have lain down and slept in the snow. We searched the camp carefully for provisions, but found nothing but a barrel of salt and an old pair of boots. Having made a good fire we were obliged to content ourselves with a pipe, and sleep as best we could, without a blanket or covering of any kind. We rose with the dawn, and Noel then discovered that we were twelve miles from camp, where we arrived about noon, quite faint from want of food. But a tin of tea and a cariboo steak soon set us all right. I had at first tried to stifle my hunger with smoking, but after a time this lost its effect. I wished I was able to chew tobacco, as Noel appeared to stave off his hunger by that means. It was very stupid and green of him to lose himself in the way he did; had Sebattis been with me I should have been sup- ping off cariboo, instead of starving in the woods. I afterwards discovered that on our making for an imaginary camp the evening we went astray, we were in reality only four miles from home, and took a course at right angles to the proper direction. On my return from this expedition, in which we met with very good sport, I witnessed for the ^ <^ V 39 VVIST MAIN If MIT WIMTIi.N.V. I4SM (7U)«72-4S03 ;\ #,<^ ^ y -I^ I 178 CHIPLOQUORGAN J and patience to take them, as although you may see fresh tracks and set your trap, it may be ten or twelve days before the animals re-visit the spot in their circuitous wanderings. Otters may be taken in dead-falls set in their roads leading to the water near a slide, or especially in a trap set at the top of an old beaver dam, a breach being made in it, and sticks being so placed as to guide him into the trap, — a steel trap being, of course, by far the most certain method. In the fall, the trap is set a few inches under water, near a slide, io as to catch the otter as he lands; he does not come ashore directly on to the slide — which is that part of the bank of the stream or lake which inclines at a steep angle into the water — so that the ani- mal may plunge from the slide into deep water without obstruction. On landing, he chooses a place where the water is shallow, and where he can easily walk up tlie bank ; there the trap should be set a few inches under water, and a little on one side of the path of the animal, for the legs of the otter stand out on the sides of his body, and are so fur apart that he is likely topuu down his feet on each side of the trap, and not OR. LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 179 in it, if it is set in the middle of his track. The trap, if possible, should be placed at the point where the animal's feet strike the bottom on approaching the shore. Another plan is to set the trap at the top of the slide where the animal starts for his descent, he will then be probably on his legs, whereas, in the middle of the slide, he would be rolling, and apt to spring the trap with his breast or belly, and escape being seized by the jaws. The trap should be placed on the side of the path, as above described, in a hole made in the earth for that purpose, deep enough to bring the jaws nearly level with the ground ; the whole should then be covered with leaves, or fine rotten wood, placed to look as natural as possible. A few sticks, or bits of brush, should be thrown down in a careless way, to guide the animal to the trap. The chain-ring ot the trap, wherever it is placed, should be fastened to a young tree, with branches left on, as before des- cribed. When the ice sets in, and the slides can no longer be used, steel traps must be set at spring h des, and at the entrance or outlet of a lake, where the water does not freeze. Here tlit> ¥ 180 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; otter will pass, as the only way of getting under the ice for the purpose of fishing. The trap should be placed a few inches under water, so as to take him either as he leaves the water or enters it. Traps can also be set in open spots, in shallow, quick-running brooks ; for otters, tra- versing a stream in the winter, come out at an opening in the ice, walk along the top, and take the water at the next open place they come to: they also always come out of the water to dung. If the water is too deep at the entrance or outlet of a lake for the trap to be set on the bottom, make a platform of brush, so situated that the animal will be likely to climb over it, and on this place your trap, which should be under water. The skin of an otter, in good order, is worth from seven to eight dollars. The mink (mustela vison)\ inhabits most parts of Canada ; it resembles i^ •'hape the ferret, and is of a dark-brown color, b short legs, long body and neck, and a bushy tail. Though not amphibious, they frequent the banks of streams, feeding chiefly on fish, but will devour meat of any kind. Their breeding season commences in May, and the females have from four to eight at OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 181 a litter. The skins of these animals are worth from four to five dollars each, and the fur is in good order from October to the middle of April. They are taken in dead-falls and steel traps, but are at all times difficult to catch, and in very cold weather will hardly bite at all. I have seen where they had passed close to a trap, of which they seemed to have taken no notice. The best bait for these animals is fish scented with fish oil, obtained in the manner before referred to. The marten, commonly known as the sable, (mustela zeheltina)^ is about the same size as the mink, and differs little from it in form, save that its feet are larger, and hairy to the toes ; its tail is also somewhat larger. It makes a strag- gling track in the snow, like that of an English hare ; whereas, the mink moves by a series of jumps, the feet being brought close together at each spring. The fur of the marten is longer than that of the mink, and varies in color from a light buif to a very dark brown. The price of the skin varies in America from three to five dollars, according to the color ; the darker the shade the more valuable, and the further north he is found the darker the fur. The darkest and most vain- 182 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; able sables come from Russia and northern China. The favourite haunts of the sable are thick forests, especially of hard wood growth ; they are arboreal in their habitat, and generally live in hollow stumps, or in trees. Their food consists of rabbits, mice, squirrels, and other small ani- mals. They are capital climbers, and chase squirrels. They breed in April, and have four or five young at a time. Sable are taken in dead-falls and steel traps, the same as set for mink. " A sable line," as it is called, is generally set across hard wood ridges, or mixed growth. Deer meat is the most general bait ; but any flesh will answer the pur- pose, and fish will do. It is a capital plan to set a couple of traps alongside where you have killed a deer ; the smell of blood is sure to attract any carniverous animals that are in the immediate neighbourhood. At the same time you must carefully bury in the snow, or cover with earth, all bits of meat or entrails left on the spot. The fisher, {mustela penante^) — sometimes miscalled the pekin — resembles the marten in its habits, though much larger than that animal; its general shape is somewhat similar, though the OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 183 its the head is more pointed, the ears more rounded, the neck, legs, and feet stouter, and the claws much stronger. An averaged sized fisher will mea- sure two feet from the nose to the tail, which is large and bushy. The fur is dark grey, tipped with black, and a skin is worth from seven to eight dollars. The fisher feeds like the sable, and does not live principally on fish, as its name would imply, but will take any bait of either fish or flesh. He requires a much stronger trap than the mink or marten, and is also far more cunning. The usual plan in building a line, is to make every tenth trap purposely strong, and heavily weighted for this animal; not only will the dead-fall of an ordinary sable trap be too light to kill him, but he will follow a line and tear down the traps from the top or behind, and so get at the bait, without any chance of being caught. A fisher trap must be built up and so secured with heavy logs that he cannot get at the bait with- out springing the dead-fall. A strong steel trap is the best method of taking him, set in the man- ner already mentioned. His track is of the same kind as the marten, but larger. The fisher is. 1?4 CHIPLOQUORGA.V in comparison with the mink and marten, a very scarce animal. The Canadian lynx (felis Canadensis) — called by the settlers the loupcervier — is common in all parts of Canada. In size it is between that of a fox and a wolf; its length about three feet, the tail only an inch long is furred and tipped with black; the ears are small and pointed, the feet large, and the colour of the skin a light grey. This animal frequents chiefly low swampy land and thick growth of spruce, where the American hare — the favourite food of the Ijnx — chiefly resorts. He never attacks a deer, but feeds on all small animals that come within his reach. He is easily caught in dead-falls or steel traps; the latter placed at the entrance of a house built for the purpose, and baited with a hare or piece of meat. The skin is worth two and a half dollars, and is used for making sleigh robes. The above-mentioned animals are those chiefly sought by the trappers, and to take them special means are adopted. In addition there are several other species of little or no value. The racoon (procyon lotor) is common in North America; its body is about two feet long OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 185 in pong and thick and stout; the colour is greyish white, streaked with darker shades. This animal is nocturnal and omniverous in its habits, and hibernates like the bear. It feeds on nuts, corn, small animals, and birds; is a good climber, and lives in trees. The skin does not fetch above a dollar. The skunk (miistela Americana) is often met with, the body eighteen inches long; in colour white, with a black streak down the middle. This animal is not sought after; its smell is abominable, and the fur almost worthless. The woodchuck or ground hog {arctomys monax) or Maryland marmot, is a small animal of the size of a hedgehog. It lives in boles, and the skin is sometimes used by Indians sVr small bags to hold tobacco. The American fox (cams Julvus) is generally of rather a lighter colour than the European species. Of these animals the black and silver grey have the most valuable fur that the country produces, and are exceedingly rare, especially the black fox. A man might spend his lifetime trapping and not take one. These valuable varieties do not balong to a separate breed, but 186 CHIPLOQUORGAN are merely a freak of nature and accidental. They are more numerous in the Island of Anticosti than any parts of North America. This island, I may mention, contains neither beaver nor deer of any kind. A silver grey fox is worth fifty dollars; a black fox, one hundred and fifty dollars. There are several kinds of squirrels in Canada, the grey squirrel (sciurus leucotu)^ the red, (a rufa) or red marmot, the ground, (a tridecion lineata) or Wood's marmot. The grey species is not found in the Maritime provinces, both the others are common, of which the ground squirrel is a hibernating animal. There are several kinds of snakes in the Maritime provinces of Canada, but all of a harmless nature. The rattle-snake only frequents the more western parts of Canada, and is found in great numbers in the prairies of the United States. The wolverine {gulo wolverine)^ often called the " Indian Devil," is very rarely met with in the Maritime provinces of Canada, but inhabits the more northern regions, formerly occupied by the Hudson Bay Company. In general appear- ance it resembles a bear, with a head something OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 187 lied in Ibits by Year- ling like a fisher. It is powerfully built, possesses great strength, and climbs with much agility. The prevailing colour is dark brown, the legs and feet are black, the fur is long and rather soft. These beasts follow lines of traps, tearing them down and taking out the baits and animals that may be caught. Indians have a sort of superstitious dread of these animals. I once heard at night on the Mirimichi waters a most hideous howling, and was told by Sebattis it was an Indian Devil. Having succeeded in catching your fur, the next consideration is to take care that your skins are not damaged but are properly stretched and dried. To insure this the animal should be skinned as soon as possible after it is caught, except in frosty weather, or the skin will become tainted, in which case it is spoilt beyond re- demption. Scrape off all the superfluous flesh and fat, and be careful not to cut the fibre of the hide. After the skin is stretched, the mode of "doing which I shall presently describe, let it dry in the shade, and in the event of rain bring it into your camp, and dry it by the warmth of the fire, but very gradually. Do not use salt or 188 ClIIPLOQUORGAN ; ■ ( preparation of any kind, but simply stretch and dry the skins as they are taken from the animals. This does not of course apply to the curing of heads for stuffing, which should be treated in the manner already mentioned. In drying skins it is needful that they should be stretched tight like a drum head. There are three kinds of stretchers used in curing fur-bear- ing animals — the bow stretcher, the board stretcher and the hoop stretcher. The bow stretcher is a common and clumsy way of treating a skin, and is generally confined to the musk rat or other fur of small value. It is merely a pliant stick bent in the form of an oxbow, and then shoved into the skin, the fur being inside, which is taken off the animal like a rabbit by cutting at the ve.nt, and then drawing the skin back over the body up to the nose. A shingle rounded off at the end is often used instead of the oxbow. The board stretcher, a much neater and more elaborate contrivance, is used for the more valuable furs, such as marten, mink, fisher and otters. The following is the mode in which it is manufactured: — Prepare a splint of cedar, spruce, or other soft wood, two feet three inches OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 189 long, three inches and a-half wide at one end, two inches and a-half at the other, and a quarter of an inch thick; fine it down with a crooked knife from the centre to the sides, almost to an edge, round and shave the small end about an inch up on the sides. Divide this splint through the centre with a knife or small saw. Lastly, prepare a wedge of the same length and thickness, one inch wide at the large end, and tapering to three-eights at the narrow. Remove the skin from the animal, by splitting down the hind feet to the vent; cut round the vent, and strip the skin from the tail with the fingers or a split stick —in the otter the tail requires to be split open — pull the skin off by drawing it over the body up to the nose. The skin is then drawn over the two splints — fur inside — the back one side, the belly the other, to its utmost length, and the wedge is driven in between the two halves, and the skin secured from slipping back by tacks or wooden pegs at the tail. A stretcher of the above dimensions is of the size for mink or sable ; for otter, fisher, or lynx, a larger would be required. The hoop-stretcher is always used for beaver, and is simply a hoop of hazel, or other pliant wood. i . 190 CHIPtOQUORGAN The beaver is skinned by cutting down the belly from the lower front teeth to the vent, but without slitting up the legs ; the hide should then be lashed all round to the hoop with string, or a substitute, and drawn perfectly tight. There is often a good deal of fat on a beaver; so care should be taken to scrape it off, for wherever fat is left the skin will not dry, and the fur will come out. In fine weather, four or five days will suffice to dry skins thoroughly, in which state they will keep for years, if not destroyed by moths. There is a great absence of wild flowers in North America compared to England, and of the kinds that are found but few have any smell. The most characteristic flower of the country is the may-flower, which has a delicious perfume, and springs up almost before the snow has dis- appeared. It is a dwarf plant, with the indivi- dual flowers somewhat of the shape of those of a lilac, but grooped together like the laurestinus. In the early spring, may-flower picnics are got up, as the plant is by no means gcuoral, and only grows in certain localities. Primroses and violets are not indigenous to North America. Ojv, LIt'E BY THE CAMP FIRE. 191 On the other hand, wild fruits — such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and cran- berries — are found in great profusion. Rasp, berries and strawberries always spring up spon- taneously wherever the land has been cleared, es- pecially if by fire. These berries are of excellent flavour, and are sold in the markets at a shilling a bucketful. They are in season as follows : — strawberries, early in July ; raspberries, in Au- gust; blueberries, in September ; cranberries, in October. Of the latter there are four kinds — the rock, the marsh, the high bush and the low bush, of which the rock is the best fruit. 192 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; i?i i CHAPTER XII. General description of Canada — The civilized red Indians — Singularity of dress — The Micmac and Milicite tribes — The Mohawk and Labrador Indians — Difference in building canoes— Indian super- stition — Improvidence of the natives— Peculiarities of their habits — The Indian and negro contrasted— Canadian settlers — Aspect, produce, resources, and manufactories of the various provinces. Having described the sporting capabilities of Canada, a few words upon the inhabitants, and a slight review of the country at the present time, may not be without some interest. The Indians, as the oldest possessors of the soil, are entitled to the first place. These people are fust dying out from consumption, and other diseases, brought on a good deal by frequent inter-marriages. The civilized Indian of the present day, as a rule, wear nothing national in the way of attire. They dress like other people, with the difference that their clothes are more ragged and dirty. They are very fond of wearing a black coat. I have OU, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 193 of da lime, ans, dto out gbt The [rule, ilhey thftt iThey have seen an Indian in the remains of what was once a frock coat with velvet collar. At Fredericton there was a sprinkling of officers' worn out shooting jackets to he seen, presents after a trip in the woods, and eagerly sought after; an Indian named Noel Lolah used to wear a coat of the loudest check. In the Maritime provinces of Canada there are two tribes of Indians, the Micmac and the Milicite. Of these the Micmac is by far the more numerous and powerful; in former days they drove the Milicites out of part of New Brunswick, The Micmacs originally belonged to Nova Scotia, from whence they have spread more or less over the neighbouring provinces, especially in the northern part of New Brunswick. The Micmac Indians of Nova Scotia are the best hunters to be found in the country, but they are not so neat in their work as the Milicites. Their canoes, paddles, &c., are larger and more clumsily manufactured; their squaws' fancy work is made with porcupine quills dyed, and worked in dif- ferent patterns on boxes, &c., made of birch bark. The Milicites inhabit parts of New Brunswick and the State of Maine, their headquarters being 194 CHIPLOQUORGAN on the St. John river. There is a great jealousy between the two tribes; the Milicites hating the Micmacs, and the Micmacs effecting to despise the Milicites. At the present time there are but few Indians of either tribe who are really good hunters, especially in New Brunswick, where the Micmacs do less hunting of the two, living chiefly by making baskets and butter tubs. This is more or less the trade of all of them, with the exception of the manufacture of mocassins, snow shoes, and canoes. Some of these men are excellent coopers, using only a crooked knife and an axe, with which they make tubs; these are beautifully fitted, quite water tight, and hooped with pieces of ground ash in lieu of iron. Their baskets are made of white ash, split very thin, and dyed different colour?. Old Sebattis was one of the few Indians who thoroughly knew his business as a hunter in all its branches. He was an excellent hand with an axe or crooked knife, and built a first-rate canoe. Nothing ever came amiss to him. In building a camp his equal was rarely to be met with, and he was one of the best polers in a canoe I ever saw. OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 195 ,sy ihe )ise but ood the iefly is is L the snow I are [6 and \G are ooped Their thin, IS who in all with kt-rate k. In Ibe met h in a The fancy articles manufactured by the Mili- cites are principally bead work, with which they embroider mocassins, belts, &c. The colours are well blended, and some of the patterns beautifully designed. In the Northern provinces of Canada there are Mohawks and other tribes; also some of the Milicites in the neighbourhood of Quebec. Few, if any of the Indians in these regions understand either the art of moose calling, or that of creeping without snow. From Quebec and Montreal comes the beautiful moose hair work, which is the most handsome and valuable of any of the fancy articles made by the Indians. The Labrador Indians make the most beautifully finished bark canoes of any of the Indian tribes. Tliey are rather smaller than those of the Milicites, which are low, long and narrow, with a straight bow, and capable of being carried on a man's back. A full sized Micmac canoe is much wider and higher, the nose is rounded, and two men are required to portage it. The ribs, frame and flooring of a birch canoe are of cedar, the cross bars, rock maple; and the bark covering is sewn with spruce roots; the ] I 196 CHTPLOQUORGAN seams being made water tight by a mixture of resin and grease laid over them. Good bark is now getting very scarce, and a canoe costs twelve dollars. The Milicite paddles are beautifully shaped, and of the most perfect symmetry. The Micmac more rounded in the blade, and not so well finished. The snow shoes of all tribes differ, the Micmac being round at the toes, the Milicite, as is the case with their paddles, more pointed. In Labrador the snow shoes used by the Esqui- maux are almost circular. It is curious to observe the same ideas and differences of shape pervading the whole para- phernalia of a tribe, from the mocassin to the snow shoe, and from the axe handle to the canoe. These Indians have their native doctors who pretend to be able to cur.e all kinds of diseases; they are. also exceedingly superstitious. At one time when travelling in the woods and camping at dusk, I sent the Indian to get some birch bark, of which there was none very near. He returned looking quite scared; on my asking him what was the matter, he replied, " Me no like to camp here, my father see Devil here once." On being further questioned, he related that his father. OK, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 197 Sin iOW ilve illy The t so ffer, cite, ited. squi- i and para- the anoe. i who eases; t one nping bark, urned what camp being father. when hunting some cariboo in a barren close by, saw a man in the dress of the old French settlers walking in snow shoes. After firing at the deer, his father returned to speak to the man he had seen, and following his tracks they suddenly came to an end ! Nor were there any back tracks ! " You laugh," said the Indian, " but my father see Devil sure enough and no mistake." However, camp there we did to the great disgust of the Indian, who hardly slept during the night, being doubtless in terror of seeing the same apparition as appeared to his father. All Indians are named after saints, Joe, Peter, and Noel being the most common appellations; a Dick or Bob is never heard of; they are also par- ticularly fond of money, but squander it as soon as earned. A man to whom you have perhaps paid forty dollars after a hunting trip, will come in a week and ask you to lend him a dollar. " Where is all the money I gave you, Peter?" **0h, money he all gone ! " is the usual answer, " Squaw he want so much buy ribbons." An Indian speaks of all things in the masculine gender. He probably never pays you back the doHar, so you have to take it out in mocassins or other things. mmmmmm 198 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; It is a bad plan to give presents to Indians, or pay them more than you bargain for, except in rare cases, as they are never satisfied and expect the next person who employs them to do the same. I do not think that gratitude is known amongst them; at the same time they are very hospitable to one another, or to a stranger that comes along. I have had a good meal before now in a red man's camp — at times too when it was most acceptable; as a rule they are perfectly honest. Indians never say " Sir " in the English sense, or prefix a " Mr. " or other title to your name, but simply call you by your surname. By the settlers they are generally addressed as " Brother," especially if the man is a stranger. The red men are naturally a polite race. I have seen an old Indian when I entered his wigwam receive me with the air of an emperor, and hand me a seat in the shape of a box or anything else available with the utmost politeness. There is nothing snobbish or uncouth about the genuine red man — quite the reverse; he is vastly superior to the African negro, and not to be even named with him, or to make use of an Ameri- canism, " The negro could not begin to compare Oft, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 199 ,or in )ect ime. [IgSt able ong. lan's able; iians )refix imply \ tbey cially je. I '.d his peror, lox or eness. ut the vastly )e even A.meri- )mpare with him." The red man has a great amount of self-respect, and unless drunk rarely makes a fool of himself; he is taciturn, but all observant. The negro, on the other hand, however much he is civilized, is an inordinately vain pompous fool. His laugh is quite enough to stamp his character without further inquiry; he will live on any garbage to enable him to buy Bruramagum jewel- lery and smart clothes. The Indian on the con- trary rather inclines to the other extreme, and his money all goes into his inside and not on to his back. A man of this kind, wearing the most disreputable old patched garments, lives far better than an English labourer. Almost all the Indians of the Maritime pro- vinces, and many of those in other parts of Canada, are of mixed blood, some of them being three parts white ; but a child reared in the wig- wams, though more white than Indian, always grows up an Indian in habits and speech. The only white women in the country who marry Indians are the French ; and this they do fre- quently. The French settlers are a lower order of people than either the British or Ger- mans. They arc bad colonists, and in many 200 CItlPLOatJORGAN parts of the country are as backward in their agriculture and farm implements as they were sixty years ago. The Germans, of whom there are many in Nova Scotia, are a plodding, money- saving, industrious race, — slow, but sure. The Irish vary ; some do well, others live as miser- ably as in their mud cabins in the Emerald Isle. English settlers do well, but are not so numerous as the other nationalities. The Scotch almost always thrive ; and, taken as a whole, are the best off. The Nashwauk valley, opposite Fre- dericton, is almost entirely peopled by Scotch- men, many of them the descendants of old sol- diers belonging to the 42nd, which corps, in for- mer times, was stationed several years in New Brunswick. The settlers of North America are a most hos- pitable and kind set of people. Some have very good farms, and are well off, especially in the neighbourhood of large towns, rivers or railways. Those living in the back settlements — as they are called — away from any river, main-road, or line of railway, are generally poor. There is not much actual money made by farming in this country ; but a man has always plenty to eat, ok, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 201 rays. |tbey or Is not this eat, and sells enough to buy clothes and other things "which he does not raise on his farm. The absence of a good market in many parts of the Maritime provinces, is a drawback, and a farmer has to take what he can get for his pro- duce, which consists chiefly of hay and oats. Wheat is hardly grown at all, the season being too short for its cultivation ; and, some years ago it got all blighted, and since then the people have not attempted to grow wheat in any quan- tity. In the western states of Canada, where the seasons are longer and the land more cleared, plenty of wheat is grown, and that part of the country altogether is more adapted for all kinds of farming. Oats have been exported to England from Prince Edward's Island, which is one of the best cultivated and most forward provinces in the way of agriculture. There are regular hedges there, but in all other parts of the country the snake fence almost entirely predominates. These fences are formed by placing cedar, or other poles, at an angle, their ends resting one over the other; their weight keeping the structure in its place. There are several ways of making a fence with 202 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; Ml 1^ poles, without the use of nails. A cedar snake fence will last many years ; there are some in the State of Maine said to be nearly one hundred years old. Now that the western extension line is open, connecting St. John with Bangor in the United States, and traversing in its route the valley of the St. John river, farmers are able to get a good price for their hay and other produce. A good deal of the former is compressed, and sent to a distant market. In old days, farmers got only from thirty to forty cents a bushel for their oats at Fredericton, and were glad to get even that. The houses of settlers never have any trees round them ; of course, in the first instance, the primeval forest has been cleared, but if a few young trees were afterwards planted round the dwellings, they would keep off the cold winds in winter, and add much to the warmth of the habi- tation, besides forming a pleasant shade in sum- mer. But the people have no idea of planting a tree, nor do they, as a rule, ever have gardens attached to their houses, although vegetables and fruit grow Well. OK, LIFE BY THE CAMP Jb'IRE. L>Oi Apple trees are an exception, and orchards are numerous, especially in the Anapolis valley, Nova Scotia, where cider is manufactured, but of poor quality, and it generally becomes sour in the hot weather from want of strength. Nova Scotia is more forward than New Brunswick in the way of settlements, and contains many capital farms, especially in the cider producing valley above-mentioned. The people there are of a sin- gularly rough and ready stamp, and can do any- thing from building a sled to a boat. The ship building trade of New Brunswick has much declined of late years, owing to the substi- tution of iron for wooden ships, particularly for those of large tonnage; a good many small vessels however are still built. With regard to manufactories. Nova Scotia, from its coal and iron, is destined to become the Staffordshire of the Dominion. There are plenty of minerals, such as iron, lead and copper, in dif- ferent parts of the country, but Nova Scotia is more rich in such products than any of the other provinces. Fair success is also met with in the gold fields of that province. There is a cotton factory at St. John, New Brunswick, and one 204 CHlPLOQUORGAN } ii has been talked about at Halifax, but nothing has come of it. The great drawback to the estab- lishment of manufactories is the scarcity of capital, and the want of energy with those who have it. Formerly, all manufactured articles either came from the States, or were imported from England, but excellent steam machinery is now manufactured both at St. John and Halifax. At Pictou there is an iron foundry that executes good work ; there is also a manufactory of pot- tery in the neighbourhood. In all large towns excellent sleighs are made, whilst axes and skates of the best quality are turned out in thousands. Coal, at Pictou, is two dollars per ton at the pit- mouth. The Cape Breton collieries have also a large yield. The coal lies near the surface, and the expense of raising it is comparatively light. The great drawback is the want of a sufficient market. In the country, wood is so clieap and plentiful that coal is rarely used. Vessels bring out steam coal from England, which comes as ballast, and consequently at a low freight. The American market is almost closed against Canada by the high protective duties, which have come in force since the abolition of the reciprocity OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 205 treaty. In addition to which, the Cape Breton coal, from the volumes of dense black smoke that it emits, is precluded from use in the men-of-war, and most of the coal u'^ed bv the mail steamers calling at Halifax is from the old country. Un- der all these circumstances, combined with the high rate of labour, the collieries barely pay at all. The railways are now making use of coal instead of wood, which helps a little; and the coal trade is certainly not retrograding, and ought in the future, together with the iron, to make Nova Scotia a rich province. 206 CHIPLOQUOBGAN ; CHAPTER XIII. Ciinadian rowdies — Defective state of the police — Immunities from crime — Popularity of the soldiers— Evil of withdrawing the British troops from the Dominion — Calamities in consequence to the matrimonial market — Concerning matrimonial tactics in Canada, and how they are conducted — The confederation scheme reviewed — Necessity for extended railway communication — Evils of the truck system — Hardships of the settlers — The Ashburton treaty. The lower population of the towns — " boy-hoys " is the local terra, answering to the " lambs " in certain manufacturing districts in England — are without exception the most, arrant and cowardly scoundrels in existence. These ruffians, who are very jealous of the military, go about in gangs, and often waylay and maltreat an unfortunate soldier who is alone, and may perhaps have spent a too convivial evening. They dare not attack a man unless he is at a great disadvantage. A sohlier of the 22nd was brutally murdered a few OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 207 years ago at Fredericton, and the murderer got off in the most disgraceful manner. The police are totally useless, and take parti- cular care to keep out of the way in case of a row. Last year at Halifax a lot of cabmen actually entered one of the principal hotels one evening, and assaulted two gentlemen staying there, who had refused to pay the exorbitant demands of one of the cab drivers during the day. There are heaps of lawyers and an enormous amount of litigation in the country. The laws are also favourable for swindlers, the common dodge being to make over your property to your brother or wife, get into debt as much as possible, and then bolt to the States. There Iiave lately been several serious defalcations among the cashiers of banks; the worst of it is, that in such a case, according to the law of the country, it is merely a breach of trust, and the thief — which undoubtedly he is — cannot be criminally pro- ceeded against. In a case of this sort at Halifax, the other day, where the cashier had made away with a large sum, the man was not put into gaol at all, as a medical man, who was a shareholder in the bank, attested that it would injure his 208 CniPLOQUORGAN health. This kind of thing smacks of general impunity to villains. Although, as I have stated, among these low ruffians, there is a jealousy of the military, it is entirely confined to that class. The country farmers are very fond of soldiers; and, when tra- velling, the fact of your being an officer in her Majesty's service, increases tenfold the hospitality that is accorded to every stranger. The trades people in the towns also fraternize with the mili- tary; and with regard to the merchants and others forming the society of the place, their hospitality and sociability are so well known, that it would be superfluous of me to treat of it. Nor is this trait in the character of the people across the water confined to British America. The Americans are on all occasions most hospi- table to Englishmen; and British officers, when travelling in the States, always receive the most unbounded kindness and civility, more especially from the officers of the American services. Dur- ing the southern war many British officers visited the northern armies, and the cordial reception they met with was most gratifying. Some officers ill my own regiment, under these circumstances, OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 209 were sent about in Government steamers, and on land horses were placed at their disposal. On one occasion the colonel of my regiment, when staying at a frontier town of the States, occupied at that time by an American force for the pur- pose of preventing a threatened Fenian raid, on calling for his hotel bill, was informed that it had been paid, having been included in the expenses attached to the route of the American troops, and charged against the United States government. Can the feelings of our own War Oflfice officials be imagined at such an item appearing in a claim for travelling expenses, to wit, "Feeding and lodging one American officer, &c." ! In the society of British North America people see more of each other than in other countries. The towns are isolated, and no one lives in the country in winter, which is the gay time, with the varied amusements of skating, sleighing and dancing. The British soldier, in fact, is the one visible connecting link between the colony and the mother country. This link has been now rudely snapped by the withdrawal of British troops from all parts of the Dominion, with the exception of Halifax. Tliis measure has given H n 210 CIIIPLOQUORGAN ; the most intense dissatisfaction to the colonists, and has created a soreness which will take years to heal. It has given rise to the feeling that England wishes to desert them, and many of the people in consequence talk of annexation. The Canadians naturally, from their intercourse with the United States, have adopted to a great extent the manners, customs, and form of speech of the Americans. The regiments stationed in North America leave behind hundrerls of discharged soldiers. Surely this leaven of English troops must be of some service to the country; added to which their militia could always get drill instructors from the regular army, and the officers were also attached to the different corps for the purposes of drill, &c. At the time of the Trent affair the British troops were entertained at most of the large towns. At St. John, New Brunswick, dinners were given to the men of every regiment that passed through. At that time the loyalty of the country was not to be questioned; but now it has received a severe blow. Two regiments stationed in Lower Canada, one at Quebec and another at Montreal, would have quite satisfied the colonists. But for OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 211 the sake of this thousand men, which, under the present establishment, is the number of two corps — about the number of Frenchmen the Prussians would polish off in a skirmish before breakfast — all this ill feeling and want of trust has been originated. As regards the expense, rations are much cheaper in Csinada than in England, and the barracks are provided in many instances by the colonial government. The withdrawal of troops from Upper and Lower Canada will cause an unprecedented fall in the matrimonial market of those " sections." The loss of so many bachelors in the shape of the offi- cers of the army will be severely felt. Canada has proved more fatal to celibacy than any other country where troops are stationed, including even England. Let not ray readers suppose that the frequent sacrifices at the altar of Hymen are due to the superior attractions and beauty of the Canadian ladies — not that I wish to detract from their charms— for the " Merry maids of England" still bear away the palm ! The reason is, the pro- pinquity and opportunity that is afforded where people are congregated in a small space, and where long absence from home often " makes the heart grow fonder," of some one else. 212 CniPI.OQUORGAN ; W I A young and not over wise man meets a lady at the skating rink, who rather takes his fancy; she seeing at once that an impression is made, meets him quite half way, often more so. Day by day, hand in hand, they glide round the icy circle; invitations to tea at divers houses follow, where curiously enough they always happen to meet. The mothers on these occasions appear to form a sort of secret mutual help society. The youth alluded to, becomes suddenly a pro- moter of sleighing parties, nnd dances; in one he of course drives the fair one, and at the other dances with her all night. In the end he is often secured, as tight as a sable in a dead-fall, unless he is suddenly ordered away, or goes on leave. Some commanding officers, when any officer of their regiment got severely wounded, sent him away on leave. My own respected Chief did not follow this plan, or some of us, who were deaf to the voice of the charmer, might have hovered near the bait, with the in- tention of eventually setting many dead-falls, and shooting sundry animals. As a general rule, the male members of a family are entirely ignored in all invitations on, LIFE By the camp fire. 213 y le, ay icy ow, . to jear lety. pro- lebe other tie is i-fall, es on I any inded, pected of us, armer, the in- ad-falls, rs of a itatlons given by the officers; this is an understood thing and quite acquiesced in by the ladies. But now a change has come over the spirit of the dream, and the hidies of Canada will have to be more civil to the native gentlemen of the country — those whom formerly they cut at the rink, asked not to the pic-nic, and threw over in the ball-room. It is sad to think that the citadel of Quebec, where, since the days of Wolf, the British sentry has paced his monotonous beat, will now know him no more, and the ancient gateway be handed over to the charge of perhaps, a solitary " peeler." With respect to the confederation of the pro- vinces of Upper and Lower Canada, New Bruns- wick and Nova Scotia, into what is now termed the Dominion of Canada, there is a good deal to be said on both sides. Nova Scotians are still averse to the new state of things, and par- ticulai'ly at the way in which the measure was smuggled through the Houses of Parliament, without an appeal to the country. Prince Ed- wards Island and Newfoundland still hold out, and refuse to join the Dominion. There was a decided opinion among the colonists in favoui' of 214 CIIIPLOQUORGAN confederation of the Maritime provinces, Lower and Upper Canada to form a separate confedera- tion. I am inclined to agree with such a course, which would have given general satisfaction, and paved the way for a further juncture of the whole country. The course that has been pur- sued is rather a case of trying to run before at- tempting to walkj at the same time it cannot be denied that the present state of things is better than if the provinces had remained in statu quo, Kailroads are now greatly required to open up the country. The Inter-Colonial line between Halifax and Quebec is progressing slowly. La- bour is scarce, and the lumberers who earn in reality about twenty-five cents a day in the woods, consider it injra dig, to handle the pick and shovel, and will not work on the lines, al- though the wages are from a dollar a day and upwards, and cash " at that." As soon as this line is finished it ought to increase the importance of Halifax as a sea port. The bad navigation of the St. Lawrence can be avoided, and the colo- nists will be independent in winter of the Ameri- can line from Portland, where heavy dues are paid by ships entering the port, and emigrants OR, LIfE BY THE CAMP FlRE. 215 charged a dollar a head for the privilege of land- ing. This tax is paid by the steam companies, but of course added to the fare. These lines have been talked about for years, but the cry always was, they can't pay, who ever expected they could pay as an immediate invest- ment ? Did any one suppose the Pacific Railroad would pay ? At the same time every man con- versant with America is aware that it will tend in future to increase immensely the prosperity and wealth of the country, and is one of the grandest undertakings ever carried out by the Americans. Where was a howling wilderness on the introduction of the " iron horse," becomes a line of thriving settlements — this especially ap- plies to the Dominion, where there are no hostile Indians to interfere with the settlers. The completion of the line to Quebec, which runs along the north shore of New Brunswick, crossing the Mirimichi, Nepisiguit and Resti- gou(die, will tend to cheapen provisions in those regions, which during the winter, are compara- tively isolated; the poor settlers will also be enabled to emancipate themselves from the thraldom of the truck system, which weighs on 216 CUIPLOQUORGAN ; ih UN them heavily. The same flour that could be bought in St. John for six dollars a barrel is there charged at about double the price. The people are paid by a *' do bill," as it is termed, on the store, and being kept carefully in the debt of their employer, who is also the storekeeper, are obliged either to submit to these exorbitant charges or accept the alternative, starvation. The most glaring robbery under the truck system in these out of the way places is in the lumber business. A man goes into the woods in November, and comes out in June; nor does he receive a penny in cash until then. If during the time he is in the woods, and after perhaps he has been working some months, he requires tobacco and clothes, or may be his wife at the settlements a barrel of flour, he is charged the full credit prices for these articles, though he is giving six months credit to his employer for his labour. The result is, that when the settling day arrives, he perhaps receives only a few dollars in cash, and has sometimes difficulty in getting it. I have often heard the lumberers complain of this state of things, and always told them that the remedy was in their own hands — they should OR, Lir*E BY THE CAMP FIRE. 217 combine together, and when the stream driving commenced, strike en masse for cash and ready money payments, or ready money prices, provided the sums did not exceed the wages they were entitled to. By this means they would have their employers on the hip, as on the water falling the lumber would be "hung up," and could not possibly be got down till the following spring. At Bathurst the chief agent of a large lumber- ing firm was a particularly hard man to deiil with, a Methodistical psalm-singing Scotchman, who attended meeting three times on Sunday, but whose treatment and language to his workmen the rest of the week was not angelic. A man with a large bell went round the village before day- light to awaken the workmen and prevent them being a moment late at the saw mill. Pleasant for the inhabitants ! I wonder no one ever varied the amusement by practising with the big drum or other noisy instrument under the agent's windows at a still earlier hour ! People have no conception how in an out of the way place of this kind the wretched settlers are completely under the thumb of the more wealthy storekeeper. Talk of the trodden down British m am' Si- ,■ 218 CHtPLOQUORGAN ; I workman, indeed ! and of the bloated aristocracy ! The British workman at any rate is paid in coin of the realm, and not in rancid pork, or clothes the principal ingredient of which is shoddy. It sometimes happens that men of straw — of course not established firms — after selling their lumber " skedaddle " to the States without paying the lumberers. I once met an Indian who had been treated in this fashion, and who related his story thus, " Me lumber all winter. Boss no pay, go off States, one pair of pants that all I got.'' ^t the present time but little money is made in the lumber trade, except by people of large capital. The poor settlers are obliged to buy their supplies at long credit prices, which are so high, that after the sale of the lumber, they are often in debt. Keciprocity with the States would be an im- mense advantage. The Americans are aware of this, and hold it over the Canadians in terrorem. This treaty was abolished at the time of the Southern war, and after the affair of the St. Alban's raiders, when thirty Confederates went over from Canada and robbed a bank in the Unitt:d States. The men were tried in Canada OK, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 219 and acquitted, but the money was eventually repaid by the Canadian government, who acted most honourably in the transaction. As much cannot be said of the Americans, who have twice winked at and allowed a Fenian raid to be made on Canada, when hundreds of Fenians had congregated on American territory with the avowed and well known purpose of crossing the border; not to mention the lionizing of the lately released Fenian convicts. What the upshot of the present fishery question will be, remains to be proved. The Americans considered themselves agrieved because former privileges were annulled consequent on their refusal to re-establish the reciprocity treaty, and they have also threatened to stop goods being forwarded in bond from Portland to Quebec; such being the case, the sooner the inter-colonial line is finished the better. 1 have no doubt that in any diplomatic business with the Americans we shall come out second best, as was so pre- eminently the case in the disgraceful Ashburton treaty, when in defining the boundary the Ame- ricans managed to extend the State of Maine into New Brunswick in the form of a wedge, J" 1(0 220 CUIPLOQUORGAN P ^ cutting off the heads of the St. John river, with permission for all lumber cut in the State of Maine to be driven to the sea free of duty. On the other hand lumber cut in New Brunswick pays an export duty. It has been said that Lord Ashburton — then Mr. Baring — erred in this matter from gross ignorance; however, never did public servant, entrusted with an important mission, fail more disgracefully in carrying it out to the interests of his country. Fortunate for him that he was not serving either the Russian or the French government; for instead of a peerage, he would probably have had his passage paid to Siberia, or found himself where Cayenne pepper was cheap; and most assuredly he would have merited his reward. It is astonishing — until very lately — how little was really known by the public of the American colonies, their wants, and the general capabilities of the country. At the time of tlie Trent aflfair, articles were written in the papers setting forth the immense difficulties of transporting troops from St. John to Quebec by land. One would have supposed that the route hiy thro»!gh the OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 221 frozen steeps of an uninhabited country; in fact it was merely a long and cold drive over a good road. As to conveyance, the sleighs and horses were easily procured in the country by the contractors for the job, who made a good thing of it. Large camps were easily knocked up at the different halting places, where fuel and food was provided. A ludicrous picture appeared at that time in the Illustrated London News, of " The Guards' march through Canada;" soldiers in snow shoes — which by the way were most unlike those _ articles — were depicted toiling over snowy moun- tains. An Indian dressed, a la Cooper's novels, with feathers and paint, appeared as guide. The reality was a line of large sleighs, drawn by two or more horses, in which the men were seated, well clad and smoking their pipes, as comfort- able as possible. The grand culminating point in the North American colonies will be arrived at when the Canadian Pacific line is built, whereby immense tracts of fertile country will !)e opened up. This cannot be expected to take place for seve- ral years. I' 222 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; CHAPTER XIV. Departure from America for Bermuda —Description of Bermuda — First impressions of St. George's— Sir Charles Napier's apt description — Barrack versus convict accommodation — Mortality among British soldiers in Bermuda — Frightful ravages of the yellow fever— Dis- graceful condition of the graves — Apathy of the home authorities for the comfort or lives of the soldiers — Instances of their neglect — The new fortifications — Lamentable condition of the island. In the spring of 1868 my regiment removed from New Brunswick to the Bermudas, that quarter co dreaded by all troops in North America. Early in the autumn of the same year I found myself one morning on board the West Indian mail, bound for those islands. Wistfully, as we steamed down the magnificent harbour of Halifax, I gazed at the forests, leaving behind the abode of the moose, the cariboo and the beaver, and heading for that of the centipede, cockroach and jigger.* Where, • Jigger — a minute insect that lays its eggs beneath the skin, gene- rally iu the feet ; and if not carefully eradicated, makes a bad sore. H I OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP TIRE. 223 instead of the soft, musical tone of the Indian, the oral nerves are continually jarred by tlie harsh, idiotic guflfaw of the negro; where the fresh smell of the American pine forests is ex- changed for that of the " bouquet d^Afrique; " where an invigorating, dry atmosphere is replaced by one hot, damp and depressing. The " Alpha," which was the name of our vessel, was a small and good sea boat, though the food and wines were of the worst quality, and the latter most exorbitant in price. This was in some measure compensated for by the captain, who was one of the best skippers I ever sailed with. On the fourth morning after leaving Halifax, we anchored in the harbour of St. George's, for- merly the chief military station in the Bermudas or Somer's Islands. A short description of the place may not be uninteresting to some of my readers, especially to those among them who are in the army, and whose unlucky star has des- tined them to be ordered to this pestilential spot. Bermuda consists of a bunch of rocks of coral formation, numbering over three hundred, and varying in size from a few yards square to fifteen miles long, by a mile and n half broad. The 224 CIIIPLOQUORGAN 111 larger islands are in the form of a horse shoe. The Bermudas are surrounded for the most part by a circle of coral reefs, extending some ten miles to sea. There is but one entrance to the harbours, and that is long, narrow, and very diffi- cult to navigate by day, and at night totally impracticable. The first view of the scenery, as you enter the harbour of St. George's, is pleasing to the eye, though deceptive as a panorama or stage scene. What in the distance appears to be boundless tracts of wooded country, on approach turn out to be merely narrow strips of coral rock, thinly covered with earth and scrub. The sea is beautifully clear, and of a bright green colour; the land undulating, but in general low, with stunted cedars growing to the water's edge. The bombastically-styled city of St. George's, in reality a moderate sized village, is situated in a hollow between two small hills, and consists, for the most part, of a collection of wretched houses jumbled together. The streets are ex- ceedingly narrow, dirty, and offensively odorife- rous; where — as Sir Charles Napier so aptly de- scribes it — " The smell of cedar is overpowered by that of rum." There are no drains, or other OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 225 sanitory arrangements in the place. The barracks are situated on a hill above the town ; the officers' quarters have long since been condemned, and, when I was last in them, leaked like sieves. A patching will take place, and in a few months they will probably— judging from former attempts — be as bad as ever. The other town in the Ber- mudas is Hamilton, situated on the largest island of the group, and distant eleven miles from St. George's. It is of more recent date, and superior to the last-named place in every respect, especially as regards buildings and site. At the back of Hamilton, about a mile distant, are the new hut barracks — a monument of War Office wisdom. (?) These huts were planned at home, and sent out from Woolwich in frame, their narrow eaves do not affi^rd shade from the sun, and are quite unadapted for a hot climate. Even the old tumble-down baracks of St. George's had good broad verandahs, though the windows had to be propped open with sticks for want of sashes. The hut barracks near Hamilton are placed be. tween the only two swamps to be found in the islands, and have proved in consequence more unhealthy than others, although they were sup- 15 226 CHIPLOQDORGAN posed to be model erections and the site the most salubrious to be found. There are barracks at two other places in Bermuda — the Dockyard and Boaz Island. The latter were originally built for convicts and not for British soldiers; it is not therefore a matter of surprise, that these barracks and quarters are the best in the whole station. Tn the Island of St. George's there is one thing that must forcibly attract the attention of a new comer, and that is the number of graves of British soldiers scattered about on all sides. Not only in the cemetery, where of course they are expected, but in the vicinity of hospitals and camps. Graves nameless, and with nothing save a mound to mark where lies the British soldier, dragged out of the hospital as soon as yellow fever had done its worst, and buried like a dog without a coffin — " unwept, unhonoured and un- sung " — in any place where the earth was easiest to dig. Graves of this description are found in places now overgrown with bushes. Asking the cause of some native, you are told that some building near was a military hospital at the time of yellow fever in such a year, and those who died were OR, LIFK BY THE CAMP FIRE. 227 buried there. Such is the result of numbers of men being left cooped up on these narrow rocks during an epidemic, to perish miserably, when forty-eight hours sail would take them out of an atmosphere reeking with death and black vomit, — the stains of which to this day are visible on the floors of all the officers* quarters at St. George's — to a latitude where that dread pesti- lence cannot exist ! ! Since the epidemic of 1864 orders have at last been issued that in the event of an outbreak of yellow fever the troops are to be immediately encamped at a distance from the towns; and in the event of more than three deaths, the whole gar- rison to be removed to Halifax. In 1866 there were three deaths among the artillery at St. George's, but on the troops being immediately re- moved to a distance and a cordon established round the infected locality, no further mischief ensued. At that time the military chest and the whole of the Government property at St. George's was handed over to the mayor of the town, who orga- nized a corps of black police to take charge of them; and this continued for two months. It 228 CniPLOQUORGAN ; 1 might be supposed that the mayor, who oxerted himself most indefatigably on this occasion, re- ceived some reward from the Home Government in the shape of a douceur, or at least an ample acknowledgment of his services. Far from it; the War Office merely sent him a very cold letter of thanks, which, considering what he had done for them, naturally disgusted that gen- tleman. During the epidemic of 1864, when the troops were encamped at the Ferry Point, three miles from St. George's, the guards were daily marched under a broiling sun into the town, then a hot- bed of yellow fever. The men did their duty, and returned to camp, in many instances to die of the disease they had contracted. The band and drums, who remained in camp, lost compara- tively few men. It was a pity that on foi'mer occasions the troops were not removed; these nameless mounds and terribly long lists of names in the cemeteries would not then tell their fatal tale. Besides the visitations of yellow fever, which on an average occur every seven years, typhoid is always hanging about. My regiment at one time had seventy cases of typhoid in hospital. OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 229 '6- nt pie it; ;old he gen- oops [niles •ched , hot- duty, to die hand ipara- [brnier these i names LF fatal which iyphoid at one [ospital. As shown by the " Army Medical Report," the mortality among the troops in these islands from I860 — 67, was greater than that of any station in the globe where white troops are quartered, with the exception of China. Much has been done since 1869 in the way of drainage at the St. George's barracks, and the officers' quarters have been enlarged, so as to ensure a draught through them. Formerly they had windows only on one side; and in hot wea- ther the officers, to avoid suffocation, slept in the passages. At the present time the troops are turned into navvies, and are employed on the fortifications, which, when finished, will make the islands a second Gibralter. Some of the newly constructed batteries have iron plates de- fending the embrasures; these plates are secured by bolts on the inside, the eff*ect of which on a shot striking, will be very much that of a mitraill- euse as regards the gunners behind. This glaring defect was noticed by a French naval officer a few months ago, whose ship hap- pened to touch at the island. He naively re- marked that be would prefer risking the ene- mv's shot outside, to the bolt's inside. Of 230 CHlPLOQUORGAN course the engineers are quite aware of the faulty construction of these plates; but Bermuda is a long way off, a place w^here worthless gun-boats are sent, to get them out of sight; where there are no prying eyes of newspaper correspondents likely to bring the matter before the public: so when these defects will be made good it is impos- sible to say. Now that the black troops have been removed from Jamaica, it would be a good plan to substi- tute a black for a white regiment at Bermuda, where the work on which the troops are employed, tends to ruin them as soldiers, and deteriorates them as men. The troops are worked all through the summer and in the heat of the day, principally at the different quarries, blasting and cutting stone. How the men can stand the heat and glare at all, I have often wondered. Whether it even pays to employ troops, in these days of reductions, at such labour, in such a climate, is a matter of doubt. Convicts are the right men for such work, and Bermuda is admir- ably adapted for a convict establishment, inas- much as it is difficult to escape from, and with everything calculated to make life miserable, OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 231 ilty s a 3ats dere ents r. so ipos- loved absti- nuda, loyed, orates rough pally utting it and )ps, in such a are the adrair- t, inas- id with serable. The former convict establishment was done away with, owing to the disgraceful amount of crime and insubordination among the prisoners; though why discipline should not be maintained at Ber- muda as well as Gibralter, I cannot understand. One cause of the amount of crime was, that in- stead of being in seperate cells, the prisoners were confined in large barrack rooms. The stories one hears from old warders regarding the iniquities that went on, are quite appalling. The white inhabitants of the islands are, for the most part, a pale, sickly race, without energy of either body or mind, and well adapted to exist in the wretched spot where first they saw the light. Many of them have never left the place, and there are people of advanced age who have never even left the one island on which they were born. As regards society, there is nothing worthy of the name. Amusements are nil, except boating, which is expensive and soon becomes monoton- ous. Of news, there is but one regular mail a month, which is looked forward to with eager- ness as the mail day approaches. Closely, on the appointed morning, is the signal station 232 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; watched, and as the well known and anxiously expected flag is run up, the cry goes forth " The mail ! the mail ! " At that moment our feelings must have been somewhat akin to those of the Ten Thousand, when they shouted, "eaXawa, There is now a steamer from New York at irregular intervals; but from her mail bags not being sealed and other unknown causes, the let- ters so frequently miscarry, that she is not to be depended on. The products of these islands are principally arrowroot, onions, potatoes, lemons and bananas. The soil is rich, and almost anything will flourish, either tropical or otherwise. Cotton, coffee, in- digo and tobacco grow wild; aloes have been also grown to advantage. Formerly the revenues of the island were chiefly paid in tobacco. At the present time Bermuda has met the fate of most places, inhabited by the free negro. The re- mains of good houses in the country testify to the prosperity of the place in old times, when the negro had to work, which he now takes particular care not to do, although wages are high. The result is that u lai'ge portion of tlie soil is uncul- oft, LitE BY THE CAMP FtRE. 233 tivated and allowed to run waste, from the want of labourers on the part of the white, and idleness on the part of the coloured population. This miserable place containing only about 8,000 inhabitants, has both an upper and lower house of paid members. The duty on some arti- cles is enormous; on wine it is twenty per cent. ad valorem^ and this is made purposely to affect the garrison, as the troops do not get any draw- back on their wines and liquor, which is the reverse in Canada and most other colonies. Meat is one shilling and three pence per pound, fowls one shilling per pound, with tho leathers; everything else is dear in proportion. Ice is often not to be had, so you are sometimes reduced to boiled liquor, with the thermometer at ninety degrees in the shade. No extra allowance is given to the troops; the postage is a shilling, and freights from England by mail enormous. In fact, the few merchants there are, live on the army and navy. A few years ago they even Jittempted to enforce duty on officers' chai'gers, when landed in the island. The climate is dump at all seasons and very hot in summer, especially at night wluii there is ^34 CHIPLOQUORGAN rarely any breeze, and even should there be any wind, it is damp, hot, sticky and not refreshing. All clothes must be hung out and aired when- ever a north wind — which is pretty dry — blows, or they will mildew and rot. On such occasions the officers* quarters present the ap- pearance of a vast old clothes establishment. Of noxious insects and reptiles there are not a few, some of the most loathsome character and winged in addition. Of this kind a species of " Norfolk Howard " is the most abominable; it is not uncommon to find such creatures in your soup. There is a beetle called a hardback, that penetrates everywhere, and will walk about with a full tumbler on its back. Flying cockroaches also swarm, and the white inhabitants have been nicknamed the " Cockroaches," as the natives of Gibralter are called the " Rock scorpions." Mus- quitoes of course infect the houses at all seasons of the year. There are a few small birds on the island, but none of the parrot tribe. The most common are the cardinal grosbeak {loxia car- dinnlis^) the blue bird {salvia stalls) and ground dove (coluinha passerina). The only thing in the shape of game, are a few quail, originally on, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 235 imported from the States, but rarely met with, and affording no sport. There are several kinds of sea fish at Bermuda, some beautifully marked^ The angel fish is a most lovely specimen and combines all the col- ours of the rainbow; it resembles in shape a bream with two long yellow and blue streamers. All the fish of the island are indifferent eating, and taste like a pike out of season. There is a species of locust that breaks the otherwise still nightby a jarring sound, as if half a dozen men were grinding razors. A curious fact in this place is, that the cocks crow at night from eleven to twelve. Tree coral is found here in all kinds of fantastic shapes, together with some pretty shells. There are no springs in the islands, and rain water is collected in large tanks. A brother ofl&cer, on his passage out, received some curious answers to his inquiries about the islands; an old skipper in reply to his questions, said, that Bermuda was " a very one boss place." On another occasion a Yankee informed him that if he owned Hades and Bermuda, ho would live in Hades and let Bermuda. 236 CHItLOQUORGAN CHAPTER XV. Prepare to leave Bermuda — Overhaul my hunting kit — Determination not to abandon old friends — Departure from Bermuda — Feelings of delight at leaving its gloomy shores— Arrival at Halifax — Revisit Fredericton— Sad change in the old familiar spot — Dis- charged soldiers — Re-engage Sebattis — Sail for St. John's, New- foundland. After spending many weary and monotonous months in Bermuda — that never sufficiently to be accursed spot — the arrival of two officers from England enabled me to take my turn of leave. Several days elapsed before the return of the mail steamer from St. Thomas on her way back to Halifax. I now determined to carry on* a long cherished scheme of an expedition to the interior of Newfoundland, to the shores of which on my passage out from England I had cast a longing eye. After the manner of Mr. Briggs T began to OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 237 ,n to get my shooting and fishing tackle in order, to sort feathers and other fly-making materials, to cast bullets and make cartridges for gun and rifle, also to overhaul my hunting kit. Thick socks, knickerbockers, blanket coat, &c. — which made me feel quite hot to look at — were brought to light, more or less damaged by damp and moths. Among other things was that identical old shoot- ing jacket which I wore on the occasion of the capture of a big salmon in the Metapedia. How instantaneously does the whole scene come before me ! How after an hour's play he was cleverly gaffed by Peter and deposited safely on the rocky bank ! That garment too has been present at the death of many a cariboo. I wore it also on that memorable occasion at Napadogan, when Sebattis called up that big moose, visions of whose death are conjured up as I gaze on it. Yes, I will keep that jacket though patched and faded, for in it lies an enchantment more powerful than any which resided in the crystal sphere of Cor- nelius Agrippa, when spiritual visions were dis- cernible. I remember the words of Ronald of the Mist, " Barter it neither for the rich garment, nor for the stone roof, nor for the covered board, L^r^^^ mmm 238 CIIIPLOQUORGAN ; nor for the couch of down;" nor will I hand it over to my servant who will sell it for the sura of eighteen pence, which is all he is likely to extract from the Israelite; I will keep it there- fore as a memorial of the past, and wear it yet once again on the hills of Newfoundland, where may it prove a talisman of success; and when it shall be unfit for me to wear it more, I will bestow it upon some worthy successor of the ancient red man, who shall carry it again into the depths of the forest and wear it on the hunting path by day, and at the camp fire by night, until it is torn up for gun rags. Having collected all my tackle and carefully packed my " pitsnargan " with all necessary re- quisites, on the 1st of August I steamed out of the harbour of St. George's, with very different sen- sations to those with which many months before J. had entered it. Now I was about to exchange a land of ennui and depression for one where there is all to please the eye and raise the spirits to the highest pitch. Now I shall exchange the warm dirty tank water for the cold spring brook bubbling beneath the tall fir and verdant birch, the hot damp atmosphere of Bermuda for the OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 239 fresh breezes of North America. Indeed one feels quite another being on passing the gulf stream. After forty-eight hours steaming, the climate h" otally changed, i'i«tead of wearing the thiunesi, ..ad lightest of clotftes, you are glad to put on a pea jacket, and vice versa. On my arrival at Halifax I set about the purchase of two canoes, but was only able to procure one small Micmac of a suitable size for " portaging." I then proceeded to New Brunswick, and paid a visit to Fredericton, where I looked up all my old friends at the Indian camp. My sudden appearance there caused rather a sensation. Poor Noel Lolah I was very sorry to find dying of consumption; he was a good hunter and a keen sportsman. Many a time had we hunted cariboo together, and many a pipe had we smoked by the camp fire. The barracks at Fredericton were still in the old spot alongside the noble river, but nowhere was to be seen the familiar British soldier. Grass was growing in what used to be the well- kept walk; what was once a smooth lawn, was now ragged and unkempt. A general appear- ance of dilapidation prevailed. There stood the ■JBg a 240 CHIPL0QU0RGA5I ; billiard-room built by my regiment; I looked through the broken windows, the ceiling was fast going to decay, and spiders had taken pos- session of the walls. There were the seats on which I had so often sat, where the merry laugh resounded — now all was still. In the barrack yard I recognized the identical old barrel for- merly the habitation of my faithful spaniel — Musquash. It gave me quite a fit of the blues to see the old place so silent and neglected. In the streets I was accosted by several dis- charged old soldiers, who, hearing of my arrival, had come out to see me, right glad to meet an officer of their regiment and shake him by the hand. Ye civilians who talk so fluently about army reform and advocate changes, the adoption of which would be the destruction of the " regi* mental system," how little ye know of the bond between the officer and the old soldier, or of the affection of both for the old corps ! I was able to purchase a good canoe at Fredericton, with which I returned to St. John, and the next day made my way to the camp of old Sebattis, whose whereabouts I had some diffi- culty in finding. On approaching his wigwam 0&, LIFE BY THE CAMP FlRE. 241 ■the at ohn, ip of diffi- wam I gave a loud and well-known hulloa, which Sebattis recognised, and coming out, with sur- prise depicted on his countenance, exclaimed, " Dashwood, by heavens ! " I at once engaged him to accompany me to Newfoundland, and directed him to join me the same evening at my hotel. I also told him to get some rock maple for paddles and axe handles, as I had been in- formed that there was none to be had in New- foundland. In due time Sebu^tis made his ap- pearance with a lot of rock maple, and we left the same evening for Halifax. There I hired another Indian named Stephen, and having got all my supplies, embarked next morning with two canoes and my two men on board the New- foundland mail. On leaving the harbour we passed close to the Bermudian mail, which like ourselves was outward bound. I waved my hat to my friend the Captain, accompanied by a triumphant shout. I was in the right ship this voyage at any rate. Speed on, oh Alpha, to yonder pestilential rocks, this time without my company I 16 -^Bssa 242 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; CHAPTER XVI. First discovery of Newfoundland — Welsh legend— The fate of the abo- rigines — Their habits and customs- Mode of burial — Their mys- terious extinction — The settlers in Newfoundland— Their poverty and extraordinary ignorance — Their bigotry and hospitality — Government abuses — Concerning some peculiar habits of the settlers — The fisheries and farming — Mineral wealth of the country. In the History of Wales it is written that in the year 1170, Madoc, son of Owen Gwyneth, " prepared certain ships with men and munitions and sought adventures by seas; sailing west and leaving the coast of Ireland, so far north, that he came unto a land unknown, where he saw many strange things." It is supposed by some that Newfoundland, by others that the West Indies, was the unknown land discovered by Madoc. It is stated in Campbell's Lives of the Admi- OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 243 Admi- rals, that the first authentic discovery of that Island, was made in the year 1497, by John Cabbot, a Venetian, who settled at Bristol, and was granted a patent by the King of England to discover unknown lands and conquer and settle them. The island was called by Cabbot Baccaloa, the Indian word meaning fish, from the abundance of fish upon that coast. The aborigines of the country were the Boe- othic or Ked Indians, so called from their habit of painting their skins with ochre. A mystery hangs over the fate of these people, who for many years have been extinct on the island. All attempts to civilize them failed. They committed depredations on the property of the early settlers whenever an opportunity offered, stealing more especially knives and axes or any- thing iron. The settlers, on the other hand, shot them down like dogs whenever they were seen. The Red Indians lived, for the most part, on the flesh of the cariboo. These animals they killed in large numbers every autumn, during their annual migration, the following being the means adopted: — Strong fences were built by 244 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; the Indians, sometimes miles in length, so situ- ated as to oblige the deer to cross the lakes at particular points. While swimming across they were easily overtaken in canoes and speared. The flesh was then dried, the skins manufactured into clothes and mocassins, sewn with thread made of the back sinews of the animals. M'Cormack, one of the first travellers who pene- trated into the interior of the country, relates many interesting facts regarding the habits and customs of these people. The same writer men- tions that their dwellings, although conical and the frame made of poles covered with skins or bark similar to an ordinary Indian wigwam, had each a circular cavity dug in the earth and lined with moss or boughs. From this peculiarity it has been conjectured that the natives slept in a sitting position. But I think the most reason- able hypothesis is, that the cavity was formed for the sake of warmth. The spear heads and axes of these people were made of flint and their cooking utensils of birch bark. Regarding their burial places, M'Cormack relates that they were constructed according to the rank of the persons entombed. OB, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIBE. 245 by it in a The body was wrapped in birch bark and with the property of the deceased, placed on a scaffold about four feet high. Sometimes the body was bent, folded in birch bark and enclosed in a sort of strong box made of square posts. The most common mode of burial, howev r, was that of placing the body in a wrapper of birch bark and covering it with a pile of stones. In 1810 Sir Thomas Duckworth published n proclamation for the protection of the Red In- dians, and soon afterwards Lieutenan:: ii ichan of the Royal Navy, was sent to the river of Ex- ploits, with orders to winter there, and if pos- sible to effect a communication with the natives. The expedition under this officer proceeded up the river Exploits in the winter, and after many difficulties, he met with a camp of Indians near Red Indian pond. Having made them presents and otherwise conciliated ther*;, two of the In- dians were induced to return with the party to the settlement, a couple of mariners having vo- lunteered to remain as hostages. During the re- turn of the expedition to the coast, the two In- dians got frightened, and effected their escape. Lieutenant Buchan returned at once to the In- 246 CHIPLOQUORGAN J dian camp, and there found his mariners had been murdered and the natives had decamped for parts unknown. In 1817 a woman was captured by some trap- pers, but she died in the course of a year. No- thing more was seen or heard of these people until 1823, when a party were seen near JNctre Dame Bay, by some trappers, who shot a man and took a woman prisoner. This female was taken to St. John's, where she lived several years. In the year 1827 M'Cormack undertook an expedition in search of the Red Indians; but after wandering about the interior of tlie island for some time, and finding many old encamp- ments, he returned without success. It is gene- rally supposed that the remains of this peculiar people must have passed over to Labrador, some- where about the year 1825, though at the pre- sent time there is no tribe of Indians on the mainland, who from their appearance or habits might be supposed to be their desceiidants. The island of Newfoundland is the least set- tled of any of the Maritime provinces of Canada. With the exception of the neighbourhood of St. John's and Harbour Grace, there is scarcely OE, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 247 a road in any part of the country. The sole means of communication is by sea, and that only during the summer months. At that season the traffic is carried on by coasting schooners, with the exception of one steamer, which makes two or three trips during the year. In winter all the bays are frozen or rendered unnavigable by float- ing ice. The population, which is thinly scat- tered all along the coast, live almost entirely by fishing, principally the cod fisheries, and are for the most part, an exceedingly poor and improvi- dent people. They do not take to farming, and if the fisheries turn out bad, many of the people are nearly starved during the winter. The truck system is universal in this country, and the fisherman, after paying all expenses of outfit and provisions for the season, has but little left in cash. Many of the inhabitants of the more remote bays have never left the neighbourhood in which they were born; the ignorance of some of these people is hardly to be credited. A short time since on the discovery of a mine on the east coast of the island, some horses and cows were trans- ported thither; a horse happening to stray away 248 CHIPLOQUORGAN was shot by a settler as an unknown wild animal. In the course of skinning the beast the man discovered its iron shoes ; this appeared to him such an extraordinary occurrence that he attri- buted it to a supernatural agency — as ignorant people are liable to do things they do not under- stand — and departed quickly from the spot, leav- ing the horse where he had killed it. The people at this remote place, on first seeing a cow, exclaimed, " Here comes an animal with powder horns growing on its head !" They had used cow horns for that purpose all their lives, without knowing their origin. In another instance two men had a dispute over a cow, as to whether it was not a horse. These people, it must be borne in mind, are all free and independent electors. Most of the inhabitants of Newfoundland are Catholics, and at St. John's religious feeling runs high. It would be difficult to get a Roman Catholic jury to convict a Catholic of any crime against a Frutestant. A notable instance of this, and a most atrocious failure of justice, occurred some few years ago, when a Catholic jury refused to convict a Catholic of the murder of a Protestant, though the evidence was as clear as the sun at noon day. OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 249 cs, olic The Newfoundlanders are most abominable wreckers. A ship getting ashore on the island is very likely to be gutted by the surrounding inhabitants, unless there is sufficient force to repel them. If caught, they are often treated with leniency by the laws of the land. But, though lawless, the people of the country are most hospitable. The poorest man would readily give you of his best to eat, and be insulted if you offered payment. Until lately there were many glaring government abuses in force, amongst which was a grant of money voted annually to be spent in meal and molasses for the relief of the poor. This money was handed over to the diffe- rent members of Parliament to be distributed in their districts. The only member of the govern- ment who had not a share, was awarded the con- tract to supply the meal and molasses. There is a story of one honourable (?) member who paid off his bad debts in a certain district with pau- per rations. Those people in his debt, entitled to relief, received none, their debts being cancelled instead. Another monstrous abuse was the money voted for roads, which likewise was handed over to M 250 CIIIPLOQUORGAN the members for distribution among various settlers; no account was kept of the expenditure of this money. A settler in one of the bays, to whom money bad been given to lay out on roads, being asked as to the roads he had built, pointed to one from his own door to the sea with a wharf at the end of it; on being remonstrated with, the man replied that the road was public, and anyone might make use of it. These abuses have been abolished by the government now in office. The system of coinage in Newfoundland is most puzzling, the currency shilling is here slightly different in value to that of the Dominion currency — value, tenpence. Even in the Domi- nion the value of the dollar varies in different provinces. In Nova Scotia the dollar is worth four shillings sterlings in New Brunswick four shillings and twopence. In the latter province a sovereign in gold is worth three pence over the twenty shillings. In Nova Scotia no such premium is allowed. In reality, currency money is of no use to the country, as all the banks, public offices and large mercantile houses use the American system of dollars and cents, which is far more simple and easy to calculate. /■ OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 251 The Newfoundlanders have so far refused to join the new Dominion. I think that they are just as well out of it, as they have nothing to gain by the extension of railways on the main land. At the same time it is ridiculous that they have not free trade with other parts of British North America. The Canadians are inclined to put the screw on the non-Confedera- ting colonies in the shape of heavy duties on their produce, in order to compel them to join the Confederation. As has before been mentioned a Maritime Confederation would have been the best course to have commenced with. The troops have now been entirely removed from Newfoundland. As the roughs of St. John's, who congregate there at the end of the fishing season, are a most lawless set, I should not be surprised to hear any day that they had looted the town. They attempted to do so once, but were kept in order by the troops, who were compelled to fire on the rioters. The settlers of Newfoundland, in common with all others of North America, are most fastidious as regards the portions of an animal tliey will eat. No one will touch either the heart or other m»^. 252 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; part of the insides of an animal; pigs* and lambs* fry are thrown away, and sweetbreads and giblets are cast aside. There was a fine at St. John, New Brunswick, for bringing geese to market with the giblets in them. Pigs' feet, lambs' head, and ox tails are also discarded— a useless waste of good food. Happening to see an Irish settler one day throwing away an ox tail, I remarked, " You are leaving one of the best parts of the beast." He looked up with a ftice, as much as to say " Don't gammon me," and replied, " Ah, it would take a mighty deal of sauce before a man could eat that." I told the idiot he deserved to starve until he had eaten it, and that many an Englishman, I for one, would be glad of it. Not that you can convince these people of their wasteful folly; they are much too obstinate. The tail of an ox is often thrown in with the hide, which is sold by weight. One great drawback to the prosperity of New- foundland and to the settlement of the country, is that in accordance with the treaty of Utrecht, the French have practically the exclusive right of the sea fisheries to the north of Cape John, the best half of the island. The Newfound- / OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 253 landers therefore are compelled to make a voyage of three or four hundred miles to Labrador. The French shore, as it is called, is hardly inhabited at all. The French, not being allowed to build permanent dwellings or settle, return to France after the fishing season, leaving their boats and stages for drying fish in charge of some few New. foundlanders. There have been several fracas lately between the French and the colonial fisher- men. Large fortunes are made by St. John's merchants in the fishery trade. The cod fish are salted and dried, the best quality being sent to Spain and Portugal, the next best to the West Indies, and the worst to England. The common seal {phoca vitullina) is very plentiful on the coasts of Newfoundland early in the year. The seal fishery, which for the short time it lasts is more valuable than the cod, commences about the 1st of March, and formerly was carried on by means of sailing vessels, generally large schooners. These often get wind- bound and enclosed in the ice, where they are sometimes shut up many weeks, and return to port without tuking a seal. At the present time the most successful ventures are made by steamers j jggutfUT'- 1 / 254 CHIPLOQUORGAN J several of which leave St. John's every year carrying a large number of men, who receive a portion of the profits at the end of the voyage, a man sometimes earning as much as twenty or thirty pounds as his share. In the first trip of the season, the young seals, or pups, as they are termed, are almost exclu^ sively taken. During the first stages of the growth of the pups it is necessary that they should pass long periods of repose out of the water. They are thus met with in vast quan- tities on the floating fields of ice, a small floating piece of which is called a pan. On falling in with a number of young seals, the men distri- bute themselves over the ice and kill them by a blow on the nose, with a kind of wooden club carried for the purpose. They are then skinned, the fat removed and the carcasses thrown away. In the second trip made by the sealers later in the spring, the old seals are killed. These are too wary to be approached and knocked on the head, so have to be shot, for which purpose the Newfoundlanders use long and heavy guns, made before the year one — if it were possible, — into which they cram an enormous charge of OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. ^56 the worst of powder, with slugs or buck e ot. It almost knocks a man down to fire off one of these engines, and his arms are black and blue after a day's sealing. The sealers are atrocious marksmen, and a good shot, with a handy rifle, could kill twice as many seals as one of the natives. They despise a fowling piece of ordinary size. A settler who once inspected my twelve-bo^e gun, remarked, " I guess it won't kill anything bigger than a mouse," My charge of powder they Jso laughed at, as ridiculously small; four or five fingers, in- cluding shot, in a large bore, being considered a proper charge. A large seal skin at St. John's fetches about a dollar. I can fancy a lady reader exclaiming, " Oh, what a place to get sealskin jackets! " But these are the hair seals; the fur species, which are made into jackets, inhabit the South Seas, as many of my renders are doubtless aware. The climate of Newfoundland is ill-adapted for farming, owing to the coldness and especially the shortness of the summer. There is an immense fall of snow every winter, and though the cold at that season is not so intense as in Canada, ^5Q CHIPLOQUORGAN J the weather is more boisterous and unpleasant. In summer, the temperature is lower than on the mainland, and everything is, at least, a fort- night later. I remarked this particularly in the different berries, of which there are great quan- tities everywhere. Raspberries, here, are at their height at a time when they would have been all over in Canada; the same with strawberries and blueberries. There are no settlements away from the coast, except near St. John's and Har- bour Grace, and very little attempt at farming anywhere. The richness of the country, exclusive of the fisheries, consists in its minerals, which are just commencing to be opened up. There are two valuable copper mines now worked on the east coast, where nickel is also found, and there are many others, no doubt, to be discovered in the country. I noticed several indications of copper at different places; traces of lead and silver have been met with, besides iron in many localities. There is coal in the vicinity of Grand Pond, but at too great a distance from the sea to pay for working. OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 257 CHAPTER XVII. Arrive at St. John's, Newfoundland — Start with a brother officer on a hunting expedition — A respectable Indian— Salmon fishing in Newfoundland — ^Difficulties and mishaps encountered daring our expedition — Annoyance from the mosquitoes — Appearance of the country — Singular absence of hard wood — Animals not found in the island — Magnificence of the lake scenery — Destruction and ultimate extinction of the cariboo — A hint for the Newfoundland Govenunent — Old red Indian remains — Little red Indian pond. east are the jper have ties, but for I ARRIVED at St. John's, Newfoundland, with my men and canoes, three days subsequent to my departure from Halifax. Meeting there an ar- tillery officer named Bowen, who was on the point of setting out on a hunting expedition, we arranged to join our forces, and an excellent com- panion he proved. Having hired a schooner we embarked with all our paraphernalia, and after three days sail were dropped at the entrance of a large bay, some three hundred miles along the east coast, which all the way was exceedingly 17 258 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; bold and rocky, the water in many places being deep enough close to land to float a good sized ves- sel. Lighthouses are very scarce in these regions, and some of the schooners returning from the Labrador fisheries are wrecked every year. The water is too deep at any distance from the land to take soundings, which adds very much to the danger of navigation, especially in the fogs which are so prevalent during the summer months. Leaving our schooner, we managed through the kindness of a gentleman of the name of Gill, who was connected with some mines, to procure a whale boat; into this we packed our traps and set sail, towing our two canoes, in which were seated Sebattis and Stephen, the latter in a great fright, as the sea was rather rough. After two days coasting we arrived at the head of the bay. On our way thither we met Mr. M'Kay, the chief owner of a copper mine on the coast, who was returning in his yacht from a fishing expedition. This gentleman most kindly lent us a light skiff he had with him, and offered us every assistance in his power. We camped near the mouth of a river that flowed into the head of the bay There were but nree families OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 259 of Indians in the whole neighbourhood, from one of which we hired a man of the name of Joe, who proved a capital hunter and well understood all the secrets of wood-craft, but a more scheming, avaricious rascal I never met with among the camps of the red skins. His exorbitant demands were caused to a certain extent by a party of English with more money than discretion, who some years ago had hired this man, paying the most ridiculous prices for everything, and throw- ing their money about in all directions. As I have before stated an Indian invariably expects every man to pay him and give him as much as another person has done before, and no matter how much he may have been overpaid, he is never really satisfied or thankful for anything. We eventually made a bargain with Joe, promising him one of my canoes, on which he had set his heart, if we had good sport. In one respect he differed from any other Indian I ever knew — in that he hoarded up his money like the veriest Jew, was well off, and owned a good house and barn. His go-to-meeting clothes were of a high order of respectability, and he wore a silver watch and chain. It was surprising to 260 CIIIPLOQUORGAN ; see the Indians in such an out-of-the-way place so well oflP. This is accounted for mainly hy the fact that the fire-water of the pale faces is scarce, and difficult to procure in these regions. Fur is plentiful, whilst hunters are few, and those there are thoroughly understand the business of trap- ping, and follow it up persistently. All the Indians in Newfoundland are of the Micraac tribe, and came originally from C'ape Breton. The entire number is very limited indeed, and the majority of them do not follow up hunting, but live by fishing. I killed a few small salmon and any number of sea trout in the river, at the mouth of which we were camped. The latter abound in all the streams of the island, but the former, though found in many of the rivers, are but small in size, rarely weighing above six or seven pounds. I was told by a gentleman who had been years on a government survey of the island, and a good sportsman to boot — that he had never killed a ?almon in any part of the country weighing over seven pounds. The practice pursued by the settlers of barring the rivers with nets considera- bly spoils the chance of sport. In some rivers OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 261 a led ing the of Newfoundland the salmon do not rise well to a fly. In one stream where tliere were plenty of peal, they would not take at all, although I tried on several occasions with all kinds of flies. There are brown trout in the rivers, of the same species as in other parts of North America, but not so numerous, and in the lakes I never caught or saw a trout that weighed more than a few ounces. This was the result of many trials in different parts of the island. In the course of a few days Sebattis having manufactured some excellent paddles and axe handles out of the rock maple I had brought from New Brunswick, we set out on our journey up the river, Sebattis and myself in the Milicite canoe, Stephen in the small Micmac, Bowen and Joe occupying the skiff. For the first few days the ascent was not difficult, as the river though rapid in places was not difficult to pole, and the water was sufficiently deep. On the fourth evening we arrived at a chain of lakes and camped at the outlet; there I caught some nice brown trout of about a pound to a pound and a half in weight. The next day our troubles began, for the river divided and became of course much *i 262 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; narrower. We commenced the ascent of the left hand branch, and as it came on to rain before we had gone far, we camped in the hopes of a rise of water; but the fall of rain proving but slight, we were disappointed. On ourdepar- ture the next morning the river had only risen one inch, and was so low and the bottom so studded with rocks that we had to wade and tow our canoes carefully along, lifting them over some places. ' In other parts of the river we were obliged to dig channels in the gravel with our paddles ; for birch bark will not stand dragging on stones, a canoe being easily cut through by the sharp point of a rock. The mosquitoes and black flies were here more vcnemous in their bites, and ferocious in their attacks than any I had met with in America. Joe informed me that early in the summer the Indians were obliged to have a slow fire placed in the bows of their canoes when on the rivers to keep off the flies. They are more especially aggravating to a man poling a canoe, as he can- not well knock them ofl", both his hands being occupied. On one occasion I was so bitten whilst getting up a nasty rapid that I jumped out of Iff iced aiy of m OR, LIFE BY THE JAMP FIRE. 263 the canoe; I had no tar and lard, as I thought it would not be necessary so late in the year, as would have been the case in New Brunswick. We continued our course up stream for three days, our progress, from the increasing shallow- ness of the water, becoming slower and more laborious as we advanced. On the morning of the fourth day it came on to rain heavily, but we pushed on, and at the bottom of a very steep rapid, Stephen lost his balance and fell backwards into the water, upsetting the canoe at the same time. My first intimation of his mishap — I was in the bow — was being pitched headlong into the river. On rising to the surface my first thought was tlie guns, the flour ! I swam to the lanoe which had partially righted and got it ashore. Nothing fortunately had fallen out, as the baggage was securely packed and covered with waterproof The wet had only penetrated the flour about the eighth of an inch, so not much harm was done. Our companions who had witnessed our upset greeted us with roars of laughter; Stephen was not much accus- tomed to canoes, and could not pole the right hand side, which is usual. This made it doubly 264 ClIIPLOQUORGAN ; li hard work for the man in the how, particularly as regarded keeping the canoe straight. Towards evening we began to look out for a place to camp in, which having found, we landed our canoes; and turning them bottom upwards, placed all our baggage underneath, as it was still raining in torrents; we then pitched our half-tent and made a big fire. Very tired we all were before this was done, and Stephen began to grumble at the hard work and shewed signs of "caving in," but he only got laughed at by us all. A few bottles of whiskey we had intended to have brought, had been accidentally left be- hind; for on an occasion of this kind a glass of grog is acceptable. However, we changed our wet things and soon made ourselves thoroughly comfortable, for the water had not penetrated the gunner's bags, wherein were packed spare clothes. I was obliged to take off the locks of my gun and rifle and clean them before turning in, as th wet had penetrated them. The next morning ilie vsuter had risen a foot, this enabled us to re « h by eveniii;^ the portage to the chain of hikes, whicli were to form the basis of our hunting operations. OK, LIFE BY THE CAMP FlUE. 26 5 The country through which we had passed, subsequent to our departure from the salt water, was different in its forest growth from Canada. The trees here were smaller and much more scrubby, and the scarcity of hard wood was most conspicuous. The few hard wood trees observ- able were small, whilst the absence of many well known species was remarkable. The following trees, common to most parts of North America, are not found in Newfoundland: — the rock maple, cedar, beech, ground ash, moose wood, deer wood and white wood. Yellow and black birch also were not to be seen, though Joe told me there were some few on the western shores of the island. I noticed several shrubs that did not grow in Canada, but could not find out their proper names, Joe only knowing them by their Indian appellations. The want of the rock maple in Newfoundland is severely felt. It is one of the most useful woods that grows in the forests; the grain is close, and it is exceedingly tough and well adapted for all the uses to which oak and ash are put in England. There are not any oiiks in Newfouudlund, and but few in the Maritime Jl^.- 266 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; provinces of Canada. I had, therefore, cause to be thankful for the information that induced me to bring rock maple from New Brunswick. The hard wood that grows in the island is princi- pally white birch and a few small white maples. The trees of the former kind are not big enough to furnish bark for a canoe, hence Joe's anxiety to get one of those I had imported. J?oplars are common, but this tree is useless as timber, and for fire wood is the worst that can be found. The animals that do not inhabit Newfoundland, and which are common to many parts of North America, are: — the moose, red deer, fisher, mink, lynx, ground hog, porcupine, and racoon. Frogs and snakes do not exist. Of birds, neither the wood duck, Canada grouse, ruffled grouse, wil- low grouse, or woodcock are found. The cari- boo is the only species of deer inhabiting the is- land. It differs somewhat from the animal of the mainland in size and colour, being larger and of a lighter shade. Sometimes the old stags and does are quite white and once I saw a doe of a beautiful cream colour. The horns also are larger and generally curled forwards. The pecu- liarity of shape is attributable to the openness of OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 267 the country. Cariboo inhabiting thick woods generally have their antlers straighter than those living in more open ground. The superior size is, no doubt, due to the quality and abundance of the food in the shape of white moss, which is more general and of greater luxuriance than anywhere in Canada. The deer migrate annu- ally, moving south in the autumn and return- ing north in the spring. But to continue — It took us several days to portage our canoes and other gear, to the upper- most of the chain of lakes, previously mentioned. These extend for fifty miles, and are the head waters of a large river flowing into the sea on the west coast. On the shore of the uppermost lake we built a double bark camp and in it stored all our provisions. We had some difficulty in get- ting sufficient bark for the purpose and were obliged to go a long distance to procure it, some of the bark was obtained from the vicinity of a lake twenty miles below our camp. The scenery here was very beautiful and far more wild than in any part of North America I had ever seen. The lakes lay for the most part between high hills, which descended with a steep slope ^ 2f)S CTIIPLOQUORGAN ; to the water's edge and were covered with pri- meval forest. In the distance could be seen high mountains, with tops devoid of woods, rising up from among the forests, in which were conspicu- ous some splend.d pines towering above all the other trees. One mountain was of a peculiar sugar-loaf shape, and flat at the top. This, Joe informed me, was a look-out place of the old Red Indians. On asking him if he had ever seen a Red Indian, he replied in the negative; but that his father had seen their tracks, though never the men themselves; and, added he, "Red Indian wild as a deer, he run when he hear gun. )) W'j had seen several signs of cariboo on our way ^ip the river, and a few tracks were visible on the shores of the lake. Bowen and myself now determined to separate. One of us proceed- ing to u lake, some thirty miles below which, acc(^rding to Joe's account, was the most likely neighbourhood for sport. I, however, had sus- picions he was deceiving us; so we drew lots, and it fell to myself to go thither. The follow- ing morning I accordingly left with Joe and Stephen, taking two canoes. Having paddled OR, LIFE BY THE OAMP FIRE. 209 through a series of long lakes, connected by short streams, towards sundown we reached a large lake or " pond," as they are termed by the natives, fifteen miles long and five broad. Hitherto the shores of the lakes had been more or less rocky, and be woods grew almost to the water's edge ' t in this "pond" the beach, which extended ut sixty yards from the water to the forest, was tbrmed of the finest white sand. In vain I swept the shores with my glasses for the sight of a deer ; a few loons, sailing about and uttering their peculiar weird- like cry, were the only living creatures in sight. We crossed the lake and took up our quarters in an old Indian wigwam, built by hunters. There was something exceedingly fascinating in such a canoe journey as we had made that day, far away from civilization or the abode of man, where the view varied at every turn, inde- pendent of the sport which at any moment might be met with in the shape of deer. The panora- mic effects of such a voyage are very beautiful, the changes are not too rapid to mar the com- pleteness of each picture, and the succession of scenic elements falls harmoniously and softly •4 I i ,%. ^ oOc. r^^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 11.25 i^yi 12.5 ■tt l&i |2.2 l»f BA ■■■ 2.0 ■II I FhotogFaphic Sciences CorpQration ^ ^ ^\ ^<\ ^^ V ^Q 99 Wnx MAIN ITMIT WItSTM.N.Y. MSM (7I*)I71-4S03 o^ 270 CHIPLOQUORGAN on eye and mind, allowing them quietly to im- bibe the beauty, the blending of light and shade, of pristine nature and her scenes. In this neighbourhood the land was low, — - large wet barrens, interspersed with lakes and patches of woods, extending for miles on both sides the stream. We hunted here far and near for eight days and saw but one solitary cariboo, at which I did not get a shot. Joe informed me that formerly there were many deer in this vicinity. But of late years the cariboo have de- creased most lamentably in Newfoundland, from the slaughter that takes place in winter by the settlers, at the southermost end of the island, and I fear in a few years these animals will be almost extinct. Numbers also have been killed by the employes on the Atlantic telegraph line. In the spring when returning to the north, and when the does are heavy with young, they are intercepted in certain places at rivers and lakes chased in skiffs and canoes and killed by scores, both with the gun, axe and spear. The slaughter that takes place in the winter is the most destructive. At that season the deer congregate in large herds of fifty to a bun- OR, LIFE BY THE CAiMP FIRE. 271 dred. Such a herd being discovered in a plain, an army of pot hunters, armed Avith sealing guns, issue forth and surround the deer. The herd being fired at, rush towards one side of the plain, where they are met by a murderous dis- charge of slugs or buck shot, fired indiscrimi- nately into their midst. The same reception meets them on every side, they get confused and know not whither to fly; by this means they are almost exterminated, and of those that es- cape, many are wounded. We afterwards killed several deer with buck shot in them. I do not believe at the present time, there is one animal for fifty there were ten years ago. I began to get rather disheartened at my want of success; we were also badly in want of meat, and had it not been for some beavers we had trapped and some shell drake flappers I had shot, we should have been on very short com- mons indeed. I had heard so much about the number of deer and wild fowl that I had brought a limited supply of pork. With the exception of some shell drakes, we had seen but one black duck and a diver. The latter I shot, after creeping several hundred yards, but it proved 18 • I J^I WI 272 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; SO tough and strong as to be almost uneatable. So much for the swarms of wild fowl of which we had been told ! There were not any grouse on the low lands, nor could I succeed in killing trout in the lakes. We made an expedition one day to Grand pond, ten miles distant, where there were large barrens, but they proved devoid of cariboo. This lake is the largest in the island and forms a magnificent expanse of water, fifty miles long, with an island in it of twenty miles in length. Traces of coal were visible near the shores of this lake. I now determined to return to the uppermost lake, and on reaching our head quar- ters I was glad to find my friend Bowen had shot a fat barren doe, which was most accept- able. The deer here, also, were scarce. The next day I shot a young stag as it landed from the lake, and we caught a fawn swimming by paddling up to, and then lassoing him. He was a jolly little fello\v d I should have much liked to have brought him home, as he would have easily been tamed, but he escaped during the night. He ought properly to have been confined in a pen, constructed by driving stakes OR, LIFE BY TFE CAMP FIR P. 273 into the ground and lashing others to them at right angles; he was only tied up, so he managed to slip out of the rope. How I wished that there were moose in New- foundland ! What a place it would be to call on the lakes bj our camp. As the moose are now becoming so scarce on the mainland, it would be an excellent plan and one worthy of the consideration of the Newfoundland Govern- ment, to turn up moose in the island. They would not migrate like the cariboo, but remain in the depths of the forest, far out of the reach of the settlers living on the coast. In a few years they would become numerous, and there is plenty of good feeding ground in the woody parts of the island. We now came to the conclusion that our best plan was to try the high lands, which were dis- tant about twenty miles. Taking a quantity of dried venison, and enough provisions of other kinds to last a fortnight, we lugged them, together with a canoe, to a lake six miles from our camp. This lake was five miles across, and is called Little Red Indian pond. Having crossed it in two trips, we camped on the opposite shore. •«hlL.. 274 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; In setting a line of traps in the woods near the margin of this lake, we came across several traces of the old Eed Indians. The places where their camps stood were clearly to be dis- tinguished, as was also the circular cavity dug in the earth round the fire place, as described by M'Corraack. Close to the former site of one old camp was a large pine, which had evidently in former years, been chopped by stone axe or other blunt instrument. I also picked up a flint spear head. Leaving our canoe at Red Indian pond, we set out with the remainder of our lug- gage to the hills, distant ten miles. A very hard and tedious day we had; our loads were heavy, and the way which was steep, lay in some places through thick woods. At length near sundown we got to the end of our journey and camped in a small patch of woods. This part of the country was more or less open for miles, undulating and studded here and there with scrubby spruce and tamarac, and in some places, with large granite boulders. The higher ridges were dry and in many spots carpeted with a luxuriant growth of white moss. In the lower lands there were marshes, lakes and OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 275 brooks. Several kinds of cranberries were plen- tiful everywhere. Flocks of wild geese soared over head, and packs of the Newfoundland grouse were frequently met with in the open places. These birds, misnamed ptarmigan by the settlers, are apparently the same species as the Norwe- gian grouse. In summer the tips of the wings only are white, and with the fall they become gradually whiter, until in mid -winter the whole bird is the colour of snow. These grouse were exceedingly tame and did not afford any sport. It was with difficulty that I could get them up, as when followed and even stoned, they did nothing but run among the scrub. The weather now became wet and bois- terous, and getting drenched one night, from the leaking of our half-tent, we all set to work the next day to build a double camp in the island of woods, before mentioned. This was a some- what difficult matter from the want of bark, or trees favourable for splints. Notwithstanding, we managed to get the latter out of some firs, though with much labour, as the grain was knotty and hard to cleave. At the end of five days' hunting, I succeeded, after a long stalk and ^76 CIIIPLOQUORGAN a shot at a hundred and fifty yards, in shooting a good stag, with fair, though not large horns. This made up for the bad luck of the previous day, when I missed fire at a stag, eventually wounding and losing him. The stag I shot was in excellent condition, and the fat on his haunches more than two inches in thickness. We roasted a haunch on the following Sunday and it took us nearly all day before it was cooked; but of all the venison I ever tasted in my life, that was the most excellent. Though there were more deer in the hills than in the low lands, their number was small, and some days we never even saw one. Very different would have been the case fifteen years ago, before they had been destroyed to such an extent. Our general plan of hunting was as follows: We set out at daylight in opposite directions, with an Indian each;- carrying a small kettle, dried meat, bread, &c. After hunting until near nine o'clock, I always stopped and had breakfast, which lasted me through the day. We tried the plan of a very early breakfast be- fore starting, but at that hour one cannot eat much, and after four hours walk a second meal Oft, LIFE BY tHE CAMP FIRE. 277 is wanted. In case I got hungry in the middle of the day, a bit of dried venison and a pipe suf- ficed. Dried venison can be eaten without fur- ther cooking, though it is an improvement to warm it up; with a piece in your pocket and a pipe and tobacco, you can defy hunger from morning to evening. In this manner we tra- versed daily some thirty miles, reaching camp frequently after dark, when we talked over the events of the day, and deter nined on the course to be pursued on the morrow. We shot wild geese on several occasions, but their flesh was tough. The cranberries, of which we collected large quantities, were excellent. The black flies still continued most troublesome on a sunny day, though it was now October, and in Canada they would have been des^ long ago. I began to wonder if they ever died even at Christmas. 278 CHll'LOQl ORGAN / CHAPTER XVHI. Cariboo hunting — Shoot a magnificent stag with very large horns — Exciting chase after a large cariboo — Miss our companions — A good supper and a miserable night— A visit from Bruin — Return to headquarters — Beauties of the autumn scenery— Incidents on our journey home — Genuine hospitality — Arrival at the mines — Depart for England — Cross the Atlantic in a brig laden with copper ore— Man overboard— Arrive at Swansea. Not to weary my readers with a monotonous account of our doings from day to day, I will merely give an account of one good day's sport, which at the time was especially welcome, as 1 had not pulled a trigger for a week. Finding the deer scarce in the vicinity of our camp, we agreed to try some country lying the other side a high ridge, distant nearly twenty miles. We started at daylight in different directions, arrang- ing to meet towards sunset at a certain island of woods, according to Joe's account half a mile -je- Ok, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 279 from the opposite side of the ridge, and near to a large rocky crag which formed a conspicuous land mark. Stephen was to meet us there with provisions, and whoever first reached the spot was to make a smoke as a signal. I had not gone a mile from camp when Sebattis, who ac- companied me, called my attention to an object about two miles off, which on looking through my glasses, I at once saw was a cariboo, and of so white a color that I knew he was almost sure to be an old stag. In a short time we arrived at the spot where we had seen the animal, and followed his tracks a little distance. On rounding a clump of bushes the beast came in sight; there he was, a magnificent old white stag, with beau- tiful horns reaching far back over his withers. He was leisurely moving along, stopping here and there for a moment to crop the white moss, and looking round intently, evidently in search of does. Dodging behind the stunted spruce, I followed him quietly and carefully. After a stalk of half a mile 1 got within one hundred yards of the animal, and as he halted to feed, fired. Unfortunately just as I pulled the trigger he made a forward movement, and the ball struck 280 CHIPLOQUORGAN * rather furtLer back than was intended. On feeling the shot he gave a tremendous bound, and galloped off. I followed at a run. keeping out of sight as much as possible. When he stopped, which he did aft6r a few hundred yards, I gave him another barrel. This took effect but low, and he again galloped off, and as he disap- peared over a slight rise I gave him a final shot. An awful apprehension now seized me that he would escape, together with a sort of sinking sensation at the thought that I had missed the biggest cariboo I had ever seen, the great grand- father of all the deer in the neighbourhood — and oh, those horns ! — breathlessly I ascended the summit of the hill, anxiously T cast my eyes ahead, expecting to see the deer careering over the plain, but to my surprise he was nowhere in sight. Turning to the Indian, I exclaimed, " Where is he ? " " There, he dying," answered Sebattis, pointing to a rock fifty yards to our right, where the noble animal lay breathing his last gasp. Oh, what a relief, what a moment of delight never to be forgotten! At last I had accomplished that for which I had toiled for weeks, thought of by day and dreamt of by night. OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 281 I had killed a cariboo with very large horns. Ou inspecting the beast he proved to be a stag of more than ordinary size, his height was four feet ten inches at the fore shoulder, his length from nose to tail seven feet five inches, weight about five cwt. His antlers were exceedingly fine, and of a very handsome and unusual growth. He was of great age, and nearly white; his head and neck perfectly so. Joe told me afterwards that he had rarely seen so old or big a stag, " That proper big stag," he called it. The skin was quite soft and furry. My first shot I found hud finished him; it took him slantingly, cutting through his lungs. I skinned the head of the cariboo, and returning to our camp for Stephen, who had not left, I sent him back for the skin and meat. Sebattis and I taking the provisions in addition to our blankets, set oflf for the ren- dezvous agreed upon. After a walk of twelve miles we saw a herd of deer four hundred yards from us; thirty does stood in a heap with a large stag following them. A hundred yards behind him two smaller stags were engaged in fighting, butting each other and interlocking their horns. The master stag kept 282 CUIPLOQtJOtlGAN looking round as if to see that they both kept at a respectful distance from his harem. We managed to gain a slight ridge unperceived where I lay- down behind a bush. The herd was now ap- proaching, the does in front, and I feared at one time thoy would come right on to me, but they turned aside and passed within a hundred yards. Presently I saw the master stag walking along with a slow and stately gait. Presenting the muzzle of my rifle over the bush I fired, away scampered the does in all directions. I heeded them not, but followed the big stag who was rushing madly away. Loading as I ran, I stopped and fired another shot as the animal was crossing a shallow stream. The ball struck him on the spine, and he fell head over heels into the water, turning a complete somersault. With a shout of triumph I rushed up and plunged my hunting knife into his throat. He was a full grown stag with very handsome horns, and was ne.irly as large as the one I hud shot in the morning, though not so old, or of so white a color. My first shot had struck him in the neck, and severed a large vein from which the blood poured in torrents, so he could not have run much OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 283 further. As the day was drawing to a close, we only gutted the deer, pocketed the kidneys and set oiF at our best pace for the big crag at the top of the ridge. On reaching this spot I looked in vain for the island of woods described by Joe. or any smoke that might indicate the presence of our com- panions. For miles nothing was to be seen but granite boulders, scrub and marshes. Here was a dilemma ! The sun was setting, and neither Bowen nor Joe had any provisions. We struggled on some distance in the dark among rocks and bushes at the risk of breaking our necks, and at last considered it useless to go any further. A strong wind was blowing from the direction where we expected to meet our companions, so firing signals was of no use. Coming across a large granite boulder we decided upon passing the night there. I collected some sticks and made a fire on the top of the rock as a signal, but it was unanswered. To add to our miseries it came on to rain, fire wood was exceedingly scarce, and the night was so dark that we had difiiculty in collecting sufficient fuel to cook our supper, which was by no means a bad one; the bill of 284 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; fare consisting of cariboo kidneys and grouse, with bread and tea as usual. We spent a cold, miserable night at this spot, and wished for the break of day long before it ap- peared. At the earliest dawn we made a good tire and breakfasted off grouse and venison. A thick fog now came on, and we could hardly see fifty yards. Owing to this we were a long time poking about before finding the cariboo I had killed the previous evening. Having skinned him, we set out for home, Sebattis carrying the skin, some meat, &c., and I the head, horns and our blankets, a very awkward and heavy load to carry fourteen miles — our distance from home. It was dark before we reached our camp — in one place getting into some burnt scrub, our progress was slow, and aggravating. The last half mile we were lighted by an exceedingly bright and beautiful aurora borealis; not a red lurid glare, as generally seen in England, but beautiful pencilled rays of bright silver light darting tremulously over the sky, now faint, and then bursting out suddenly into wondrous beauty. On reaching camp very tired, and ghid to deposit our loads at the door of our habitation, OR, LIFE BY THE CAMP FIRE. 285 we found Bowen and Joe had arrived a short time before, half starved, having had nothing to eat since the previous morning, nor had they seen a living thing the whole time they were out. Joe had made a mistake as to the locality where we were to have met, hence the cause of our missing our companions. On further com- paring notes we discovered that they had passed, during the fog, within a few hundred yards of the spot where Sebattis and myself were enjoying our breakfast. For several days subsequent to this stroke of luck I did not fall in with any cariboo. Bowen was more fortunate, and on one occasion killed a magnificent stag with larger horns than I ever saw, either before or since, though he was not so old or fine an animal as the big one I had bagged. According to Joe, the horns of Bowen's stag were the largest he had ever seen in his life, they measured three feet nine inches across. On one occasion when out on a cruise of a couple of days, we found on our return to camp that bruin had called on us and had eaten most of the meat that was hanging up to dry, besides tearing one of our deer skins all to pieces. 286 CHIPLOQUORGAN' The climate now began to set in very cold, especially with an east-wind, and we were obliged to improvise mits out of old stockings. We spent altogether nearly a month in the hills hunting the surrounding country far and near, with but middling success, though we succeeded in shooting a few good stags. The heads of the largest we skinned for stuffing, preserving them in the manner before described in these pages. On the return to our head quarter camp by the lake, it took us several days to transport thither all our gear, skins, horns, &c. The horns es- pecially were a most troublesome addition to our loads, as they caught continually in the trees and bushes, impeding our progress, which, with eighty pounds on your back, is at all times suf- ficiently slow. Stephen and myself in crossing Bed Indian pond in a canoe heavily laden, got caught in a squall and were nearly swamped. We had to run before it and paddle with all our might to prevent being pooped, as I may call it. At last after very hard work we got all our tackle to headquarters. On our arrival there we found one of a party OR, LIFE BY TlFj CAMP FIRE. 287 of four officers from Halifax, who were hunting the country forty miles from us. These gen- tlemen had met with bad luck, having only killed two deer between them in a month. They were also short of provisions, but luckily we had some to spare, including a lot of dried meat. We afterwards sent up half a barrel of flour and a canoe to one of them, directing him to our camp in the hills, whither he proceeded with an Indian and met with some sport. We had dried a large quantity of venison, which the Indians carefully packed to take home for their winter use. The autumn tints were now in all their glory, and the scenery of the lakes presented quite a different aspect from that we had so much ad- mired on our arrival, if anything it was more beautiful. The trees in Newfoundland do not turn so suddenly as in other parts of North America, where, as I have before mentioned, three sharp frosts will change the colour of the whole foliage. The cause of this is, that the winter comes on much more gradually in Newfoundland. Up to the beginning of October we had only had two frosts at night, and those not severe, though the 1» 288 ClIIPLOQUORGAN ; days were cold, the wind biting, and tlio weather boisterous. There is nothing in the climate of Newfoundland approaching to what is called the Indian summer — ^-namely, frosty nights and beau- tiful warm days late in the autumn. Our sable line round Red Indian pond proved a failure, likewise some traps we set near another lake. There were not any beavers in this locality, but I saw plenty of houses in the river neai Grand pond, though " their numerous dome-like habitations" did not "stud the gliding water," as stated by the author of a late sporting work in the Far West. According to his description, beavers in the latitudes of which he speaks must be quite different in their habits to those in other parts of the world. This at the same time appears strange, to say the least of it. Having portaged to the river which we had ascended on our way up, we found the water high, and were able to run down without any difficulty. On arriving at the lakes where tiie river was joined by another branch, we halted for a couple of days and hunted in the neighbourhood with the hope of getting a deer to take down fresh to the sea, but we did not see cariboo at this place. On Or, life by the camp fire. 289 reaching the coast we put up at Joe's house, a very swell habitation for an Indian, having a decent carpeted parlour, with several prints hung upon the walls. The difficulty now was how to gtit back to St. John's, for we were miles out of the track of coasting vessels. Ascertaining that schooners were in the habit of calling at a copper mine on the coast, we determined to make our way thither, so having stowed all our things into a large boat belonging to Joe, we set sail with a fair wind. Putting into a small harbour on our way, we went to a public-house to get some- thing to eat. The landlady soon got us a meal ready, and the master a bottle of rum. On tendering payment it was refused, both for the food and liquor. We were strangers, they said, and had come a long journey, so would not take anything, not that they had any idea who we were. Bidding these hospitable people good bye, we set sail and arrived in a couple of days at the mines. Here we met with the most unbounded hospitality and kindness from Mr. McKay, the owner, whom we had before met in his yacht, and from Mr. Gill the chief agent. We put up at Mr. McKay's house, where we were regaled in ^90 CBl^LOQUOftGAN ; regal stjle with '34 port and other delicacies — rather a change in our fare. Eight hundred men were here employed, and occupied rows of neat wooden houses. The sur- rounding country was uninhabited, except by a few fishermen on the coast. Some of the work- men were Cornishmen, imported for the purpose, but the Newfoundlanders make good miners. The best ore is worth £18 per ton, and is excavated from the side of a hill by driving in galleries. Nickel is also found in considerable quantities, and its value is £70 per ton. The galleries were within one hundred yards of the sea, so there was no expensive land carriage, but merely a tramway down to the wharf, along- side which the vessels were able to lie. We here anxiously awaited the arrival of a schooner to get on to St. John's, Bowen to join his corps stationed there, and I en route to England, via Halifax. After waiting for more than a fortnight without any vessel making its appearance, I determined to embark on board a brig then loading with copper ore and bound for Swansea. Bidding good bye to Bowen, old Sebattis, and all my kind friends at the Mines, I left for that OU, LIFE BY THE CAMP FlRE. 291 port. 1 had never before tried the experiment of crossing the Atlantic in winter in a brig of two hundred and ninety tons burden, carrying a cargo of five hundred and ten tons of copper ore, and I may safely say, that I shall never do so again. Two days after leaving the land, we met with a severe gale and were obliged to lay to for thirty hours. Our vessel was too much by the stern, and the decks were swept continually by seas coming over the waist. I began to think a berth in the Inman mail would be a desirable change, though after the sad affair of the City of Boston, I might have been worse offl Our fare was not of the best, merely merchant sailor's rations, not that I minded that, but the vessel was so deep that her decks were never dry, even in a heavy swell the sea came rolling over, which was unpleasant. On the sixth day of our voy- age the second mate fell overboard and we were unable to recover him, the only two boats being lashed amidships, neither were there any davits by which to lower them, nor any life buoys in the ship. We tried to launch a boat over the side, but she was stove in the attempt. This 292 CHIPLOQUORGAN ; was another instance of the loss of life due to the rapacious greed of ship owners; for with a life buoy and proper tackle the man might have been recovered. It is high time that legislation stepped in to defend seamen from being ex- posed to such needless perils, for the want of an outlay of a few pounds. The loss of this poor fellow threw a gloom over us all. The captain, a Welshman, was in a great state, as he was a native of the same village to which the mate belonged. After a voyage of seventeen days we anchored off Swansea, where I was glad to g(}t ashore. My horns, skins and other hunting paraphernalia created considerable astonishment ut the different railways, and also on my arrival at the station a few miles from my home — the end of my journey. Although the shooting I had met with in Newfoundland did not come up to my expecta- tions, from my being fifteen years too late; nor should I be tempted to repeat the visit to that island, as I consider that the expense and waste of time, consequent on the difficulties of locomo- tion, are not commensurate with the sport to be obtained; at the same time I do not regret hav- t?i =»fp on, LIFK BV THE CAMl' FIHE. 293 ing made the trip. There is always a charm in visiting new fields of operations, of which there are but imperfect accounts, moreover from their being unknown, one is apt to imagine they contain better facilities for sport, than places of which there is a more accurate knowledge. As far as I can learn one of the best localities at the present time for cariboo, is the region at the heads of the rivers falling into the St. Law- rence, on the coast of the Labrador, where there are high lands and large barrens extending for miles; nor have the deer in that part of the country been killed down to any extent. I hope some day to build my camp in those lati- tudes, beneath the towering pine, and the spread- ing maple; yet again to place the chiploquorgan in the accustomed spot; and as the shades of coming night steal over the forests— whilst the tire burns brightly and the pipe draws freely — dis- course of the present, plan for the future, or meditate on the past. FINIS.