FORKST SPORTS. 223 



spoilsman, on the mountain, within a few miles of Montreal, 

 during a morning's walk from that populous city, in the pursuit 

 certainly, if not o^ rats and mice, of much smaller Deer than the 

 gigantic and wide-antlered Moose. 



My friend, Aleck B — , of the lower province, the best walker, 

 by the way, and one of the best shots it has been my fortune to 

 encounter on this side of the Atlantic, — in one day, if I mistake 

 not largely, killed seven of these glorious animals on the river St. 

 Maurice, in the rear of the pretty village of Three Rivers, all of 

 which he ran into upon snow-shoes, after a chase of, I think, 

 three days. 



As it is necessary to encamp out during these chases, often 

 for several nights in succession, and as it is very unadvisable to 

 discharge a gun at any small game during these excursions, for 

 fear of alarming the legitimate objects of pursuit, it is necessary 

 to carry not only ammunition, but food, drinkables, spare cloth- 

 ing, and blankets, for several days' consumption, and nights' 

 comfort. These are packed upon small light sledges, or tohog- 

 gins, as they are called, which are made of light wood by thB 

 Indians, and can be drawn along over the ci'usted surface of 

 the snow, loaded with a weight of 130 lbs. either of provision, 

 or of meat on the return march, by a single man on snow-shoes, 

 without diminishing his speed, which may be reckoned at five 

 or six miles the hour. 



The provisions usually carried by sportsmen on excursions 

 of this kind, consist of salt pork, mutton, sea biscuit, coffee, and 

 liquors, such as the taste of the party may suggest ; and on 

 these, with the aid of such condiments as sugar, salt, and pepper, 

 a party may subsi it, not unassisted by their good rifles, for many 

 days, not only comfortably, but luxuriously. 



The first thing to be done previous to starting, is to don the 

 snow-shoes, without which it is impossible to make any head- 

 way upon snow, and with which, when there is a stout crust, a 

 practised traveller upon them will run down a Moose, even if 

 alarmed, and at his speed, to a certainty, in a race of ten or 

 twelve hours' duration. 



