CHAP. xix. PERE AENAUD. 331 



yellow and spoiling. The spring herrings require less 

 care. They are almost always salted whole ; that is to 

 say, without opening them and taking out their entrails. 

 The produce of the spring fishing goes to Nova Scotia and 

 the United States, and from thence to the West Indies. 

 The Labrador herring comes to Canada, and is consumed 

 chiefly by the Irish and Scotch. 



Very early in the morning of the 12th I was 

 awakened by the cry of a loon quite near to my tent ; 

 I seized a gun and crept out. It was full daylight, 

 although the sun had not yet risen. The loons I saw 

 floating on the bay about half a mile away, but paddling 

 close in shore were two JSTasquapees in a birch-bark canoe 

 with a branch of a tree in the bow. They were cautiously 

 approaching the loons, and every now and then imitating 

 with wonderful fidelity the cry of that wild bird. As 

 soon as they were within 200 yards, the man in the 

 bow behind the branches prepared his gun, the other 

 paddled on towards the loons, calling to them and answer- 

 ing their cry. The loons came forward to wards the canoe, 

 but when within fifty yards one dived ; the Indian in- 

 stantly fired at another and killed it ; after securing their 

 prey they returned to shore, to give the birds time to 

 recover themselves before they again approached them. 



During the morning a number of squaws passed our 

 tents with loads of wood on their back, and bundles of 

 fresh sapin (spruce branches) ; they were making prepara- 

 tions for Sunday, collecting a little store of dry wood for 

 cooking purposes, and the sapin for relining their lodges. 



Pere Arnaud is very particular in making them per- 

 form their necessary preparations on Saturday in order to 



