304 WINTER. 



When Winter lays his hand on the land, the feathered 

 game, with one exception, fly from his icy touch to warmer 

 shores. The bear, hid away in his den, fares sumptuously 

 (it is said) on his paws. The only game left worthy the 

 sportsman's notice are the cariboo and the moose. (The 

 reindeer and elk of Europe are, if not identical, as like the 

 cariboo and moose as any two beasts on one side of the 

 Atlantic can be to any two at the other side.) Hunting 

 these animals successfully is not such an easy matter as 

 might be desired. The sportsman cannot breakfast com- 

 fortably at home and return to dinner to talk of this moose 

 and that cariboo that have fallen to his unerring rifle. 

 No ! He has to seek for them far away in the depths of 

 the howling, snow-covered wilderness ; he has to make a 

 regular business of it, to tear himself from the bosom of his 

 family for a fortnight, to undergo a certain amount of 

 hardship, devour a certain amount of nastiness, and after 

 all, if fate be unkind, he is liable to return empty-handed 

 and be chaffed by his friends. But, on the other hand, 

 should his luck be in, his powder straight, and his hunt 

 successful, the difficulties he has encountered have but 

 added to his enjoyment. 



In these excursions sportsmen usually go in pairs, and 

 their first step is to secure the services of two good Indian 

 hunters. The Indians of Canada belong to the Iroquois 

 or " six nations." The best hunters are the Micmacs and 

 Milicetes (branches of the six nations) ; the former live on 

 the sea-coast in Lower Canada, New Brunswick, Nova 

 Scotia, and Prince Edward Island ; the latter live inland on 

 the St. John river. The Montaignais and Squappies of 

 the north shore of the St, Lawrence are also good hunters. 



