LIFE AND HABITS 29 



along the one near which I was watching. To do this, I 

 hung a white handkerchief in such a way that it would 

 blow freely directly over the path. Instead of causing alarm, 

 this simply aroused their curiosity and several herds, after 

 watching intently for some time, deliberately walked towards 

 it and actually passed it within a few feet on their southward 

 journey. Profiting by this experience, I have frequently 

 tried to attract them to where I was hiding by a similar 

 device, but it has never proved successful. As the hand- 

 kerchief failed to turn them from the lead, I took a tin and 

 hung it on a stick, with a large nail dangling, so that with 

 each gust of wind it would make a noise, but even this 

 did not deter the persistent creatures and they passed 

 it by just as they had passed the blowing handkerchief, 

 whereas if I had shown the top of my head at a distance of 

 two or three hundred yards, they would have rushed away 

 at full speed ; at least, that is what I have nearly always seen 

 them do. However keen of sight they may be, and it is a 

 much-disputed point whether their sight is keen, it is 

 rather to their sense of smell that they so frequently owe 

 their safety. Not only do they detect the presence of a man 

 a long distance away, but the trail he has left appears fresh 

 to them for many hours, if not washed away by rain or 

 destroyed by snow. They have also a deep-rooted objection 

 to passing over the place where one of their kind has been 

 killed. At one time I was on a lead near which a stag 

 had been shot ; the body, from which the horns had been 

 removed, was buried, so that the lead — an extremely good 

 one — should not be spoiled. But though I watched for 

 several days and many herds came along the path, they 

 always took alarm at the scent and turned back badly 

 frightened. The natives say that the ground is " poisoned " 

 by a carcase and that no Caribou will go near it. This 



