98 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 



lustily. During the day we encountered much ice, solid 

 fields of which extended out from the land, but we were 

 able to .get along without much obstruction. Several 

 white wolves were seen on the shore as we passed, and 

 at some places, where landings were made, numerous 

 little ermines were observed darting about among the 

 rocks. The formation of the coast was found to consist 

 largely of a remarkable looking ferruginous conglom- 

 erate, and despite the extremely barren and dreary aspect 

 of the country, a large variety of beautiful little flowers 

 were collected. 



At nightfall, after a long day's struggle with the 

 opposing elements, as we were hauling the canoes 

 ashore towards the shelter of some rocky cliffs, we were 

 suddenly set upon by a pack of huge grey wolves. A 

 great gaunt, hungry-looking brute with dilated eye- 

 balls led the attack. He was the largest wolf in the 

 pack and a daring brute, but for once, at least, he met 

 with a surprise, as he was promptly bored from end to 

 end with a slug from my brother's rifle. The leader of 

 the pack having been thus treated, the others fled, but 

 revenged themselves by howling at us all night long 

 from the surrounding hills. 



With the pack several little wolves had been noticed, 

 and when the old ones beat their retreat an effort was 

 made to capture some of them, but unsuccessfully, for 

 just as young partridges suddenly and mysteriously dis- 

 appear in the leafy woods when danger threatens, so 

 did these young wolves disappear among the rocks, and 

 though we searched carefully and must have been with- 

 in a few yards of them, w r e could not get sight of one. 



I have said the wolves here encountered were grey. 



