136 THE LABRADOR PENINSULA. CHAF. xn. 



branches burned, they muttered some words that were 

 considered as a charm, which would enable them to kill 

 porcupine during the next hunt. The Ojibways of Lake 

 Superior have a similar superstition at the present time. 

 If the wood of a hut fire makes a noise like an escape of 

 air, some one must get up and point to the fire, making a 

 similar noise, or one of the inmates of the lodge will 

 die. 



The Indians frequenting the Moisie, as well as those .of 

 Mingan and Labrador, on leaving the sea-coast in the 

 fall of the year, observe still an ancient custom of pre- 

 serving the antlers of a doe out of the first slaughter 

 of deer which they may encounter on their march inland. 

 Before they return to the coast in the spring, they place 

 the antlers on a lake, where they sink to the bottom 

 when the ice breaks up, and they are thus not gnawed 

 by any carnivorous animal. This custom is said to arise 

 from the regard entertained by the Montagnais for the 

 caribou, on which their sustenance so largely depends. 



' What does Michel say, Louis ? ' I asked, observing the 

 Nasquapee pointing to the range of hills and mountains 

 through which we had passed, and then to the com- 

 paratively level country before us. 



* Michel says we have got through the bad country ; 

 there are no more high mountains like these the 

 portages are short and low- -lakes many, but the rivers 

 shallow and swift.' 



Passing through Trout Lake we arrived at the mouth of 

 a small stream flowing in a northerly direction. There 

 we caught abundance of trout. While the men were 

 portaging to a lake into which the streamlet issued, we 



