206 LABRADOR 



Another rendering from a native source carries the meaning 

 of its being a nasty, disagreeable-looking fish, which is cer- 

 tainly accurate. The flesh flakes quite like cod, and is 

 rather good. Its habitat extends at least as far south as 

 the Connecticut Lakes of New Hampshire. 



The list of important fishes includes the ouandniche, or 

 " land-locked salmon," found rather widely over the south- 

 eastern quarter of the country, the red and white suckers, 

 and the pike-perch, or wall-eyed pike ; the range of the latter 

 extends as far as the eastern heads of the Maniquagan, 

 where a round lake nine miles across is known as okauinipi, 

 "pike perch water." As kau means rough, the name 

 of the fish would seem to come from the perch like rough- 

 ness of its scales. 



Last and least of the common southwestern fishes is the 

 river-chub, or dace, which in the cold streams is good 

 throughout the summer. It should be skinned rather than 

 scaled. Its native name is uitush " stone-carrier, " from 

 its well-known habit of piling up pebbles in the shallows. 



The wooden spear is used for all kinds of large fish at 

 times, especially for the salmon. To fish with a torch and 

 spear is waswdno, hence Waswanipi lake, south of Hud- 

 son Bay, and possibly Ashwanipi, the large lake north of 

 the Moisie on Hamilton Water. 



According to John Bastian, a young Scotch-Montagnais 

 of Pointe Bleue, who was hunting there between Mistinik 

 and Kaniapishkau, that region has practically no rabbits 

 or beaver, there being little food for them, although 

 it is a good district for martens. Other subsistence failing, 

 John and his companion were thrown wholly upon fish, 

 caught with difficulty and boiled without salt, for two or 



