308 Sport and Life. 



many sandy beaches hemmed in on all sides by red cedars and 

 pines of great growth, cached their canoes, and proceeded to climb 

 the mountains on foot. Often away for a month at a time, they 

 scrambled about the singularly rugged cliffs and peaks that rise from 

 the lake (which is only 1750 feet over the Pacific) to a height of 

 goooft. Their large game consisted of the woodland caribou, deer, 

 bear, and the Rocky Mountain "goat" (Haplocerus montanus], the 

 two former keeping on lower levels, while the latter are only found 

 above the timber. The chase was of an arduous nature, but those 

 of the tribe who devoted themselves more exclusively to goat- 

 hunting were all uncommonly good mountaineers, and carried 

 their 6olb. or jolb. loads all day with surprising ease. Their 

 hardiness was simply surprising, and when starting on their 

 winter hunt, with which they generally combined some 

 trapping of the more valuable fur animals, they only took one 

 blanket with them, their sole garment being made of dressed 

 buckskins. 



The Lower Kootenays fish as much as they hunt, and I was 

 surprised what big hauls they managed to make with their very 

 rude contrivances ; for only a few of the bucks possessed a spoon 

 troll, which, next to a Winchester repeater, represented the 

 Flatbow's earthly ambition. 



Kootenay lake was then full of the finest fish, five different 

 species of the trout family inhabiting it. It was a common feat to 

 catch 3olb. or 4olb. of the so-called land-locked salmon in an hour 

 with one spoon troll out ; at least, we often exceeded that bag as 

 we rowed from point to point, bent more on business than pleasure, 

 and doing our fishing merely for the pot. They run up to about 

 25lb., though Indians say that there are very much larger ones in 

 the lake ; but even a 2olb. fish will drag a Kootenay brave, seated 

 in his frail bark canoe, after him for long distances a fate which 

 even befel one of our party, an experienced salmon fisher, who was 

 dragged for more than half an hour, the boat he was in being quite 

 a massive craft of inch planks nailed together, and hence not very 

 easy to move. 



