io8 III the Canadian Forests v 



across his chest, with even the scalp lock trailing 

 behind him. 



' We have not far to go for game, such as it is. 

 Any quantity of big gray lake-trout are to be caught 

 by spinning a spoon round the rocks, and "Jim" is 

 for ever barking at partridges. These said partridges 

 (in reality ruffed grouse) on being disturbed take to 

 the trees, and wait there patiently till somebody 

 comes and shoots them. This is called stupidity, 

 but may, I think, be put down to an instinct of 

 self-preservation, which tells them that their best 

 chance of escaping observation is to remain perfectly 

 quiet and motionless ; their sober grays and browns 

 help them in this, as they wonderfully assimilate 

 with the colour of the trees and the mosses pendant 

 therefrom. There is, of course, no sport in shooting 

 them ; indeed the gun is almost a superfluity, and 

 a long stick, or even a stone, would be enough to 

 get a bag with. The Mackenzie River is a fine, 

 brawling stream, very hard to fish, and with nothing 

 but very small dark-coloured fish in it at this time 

 of year. The water is intensely cold, and a dark 

 brown colour, not at all a good looking state of 

 things for the searcher after trout. We spent a 

 few days there, hoping in vain for better sport, and 

 at last struck our camp, and on a beautiful day 

 started in a boat for the Carp River, known to the 

 Indians by the somewhat difficultly pronounceable 

 name of the " Kakahsakateewayagounac," "the-nearly- 

 flowing-over-into-Lake-Superior-River. W^e had not 



