138 EEV. GEO. PATTEESOJST ON THE BEOTIIIKS 



year, and returned with their canoes laden with their flesh and eggs. This is confirmed 

 by the fact of their implements having been found there in recent times.' 



" Their bows," he says, "are of sycomore, which being scarce in this country, and 

 the only wood it produces that is fit for this use, it thence becomes valuable. The sticks 

 are not selected with any such nicety, some of them«beiug knotty and of a A-ery rude ap- 

 pearance, but under this simple rustic guise they carry very great perfection, and to those 

 who examine them with due attention, admirable skill is shown in their construction. 

 Except in the grasp the inside of them is cut flat, biit so obliquely and with so much art. 

 that the string will vibrate in a direction coinciding with the thicker edge of the bow. 

 They are full five and a half feet long. The arrow is made of well seasoned pine, slender, 

 light and perfectly straight, and about three feet long." Its head was made at this time 

 of nails or other pieces of iron filched from the whites. It was let into a cleft on the top 

 of the shaft and secured there by a thread of deer sinew. The stock was about three ft et 

 long. It was feathered with the pinions of the goose or the eagle. It is uncertain what 

 wood he refers to as the sycamore, as that tree does not grow on the island, nor does the 

 maple, except a dwarf species. Though he speaks of the roughness of their bows, one in 

 the public museum is extremely well made. The string is a very fine piece of twisted 

 deer skin. Mr. G-eorge Cartwright says : " They are excellent archers, as many of our 

 fishermen haA'e too fatally experienced." 



Mr. 0. gives an interesting account of their mode of life at that time. "With the first 

 frost and snow the deer commenced to traxel southward, collecting together in large 

 droves. If the frost «outinued they travelled on night and day withoi^t stopping to eat, 

 more than snatching some browse or moss as they passed. In this event the Indians at 

 their deer fences would in a very few days kill enough to supply themselves with veni- 

 son the whole winter. If there came a thaw the deer lingered to feed, resuming progress 

 when the frost returned. In this case the supply was longer in being collected, but was 

 not less certain and abundant. Thus supplied they spent their winter on the banks of 

 the Exploits or the Eed Indian Lake, which is an expansion of that river, and Cartwright 

 supposed that they made at least the first part of it a season of merriment. 



In spring the deer begin their migration northward, but they are then in miserable 

 condition, and travel slowly in small bauds and staying to feed to recover flesh and strength. 

 In spring therefore food became scarce, and the Beothiks moved down to the sea coast, 

 and spent the summer among the islands and bays near the mouth of the Eiver Exj^loits, 

 extending from Cape Freels to Cape John. They had formerly gone much further, but 

 with their reduced numbers they were now confined to that region. Between these 

 bounds there were hundreds of islands, abounding in sea-fowl, ptarmigan," hares and 

 other game, besides their waters containing seals iu great abundance. On the largest of 

 these isles were deer, foxes, bears and otters. Besides hunting all these, they used to kill 

 considerable quantities of salmon in the rivers. But the English, be says, have only left 

 them possession of Charles's and another brook. During the ogg season they were sup- 

 posed to feed luxuriously, and by no means to want after the young have taken wing, ibr 



' Here the Great Auk wa.s found in abundance. Recent examination lias shown that the natives in visiting 

 the island had used its flesh for fuel. 



" We have used the name generally employed, but the bird referred to is properly the willow grouse [Larjopua 

 albus). 



