EARLY LIFE 19 



easy to approach the large flocks that were sitting 

 either on the rocks or in the water. Even with 

 the small loads that we were forced to use in such 

 small bores we frequently got twenty or more 

 birds in one shot. There were always a lot of 

 spare guns at the Post, and as they were all sin- 

 gle barrelled flint locks, we would take out three 

 or four each, re-loading as fast as we could in 

 the moments between shots. Whenever one of the 

 guns got too dirty to use, which we generally 

 found out by the ramrod beginning to stick in the 

 barrel, it would be laid aside until we had the 

 whole lot dirty. Then we would boil a large ket- 

 tle full of fresh water, clean up the whole outfit 

 and begin over again. Half a boat load full of 

 birds was about the usual quantity we brought 

 in. This would be about four to five hundred 

 birds, eiders, scooters, puffins, murres, gulls, &c. 

 Nothing of all this mass of birds was ever lost. 

 What would not be used at the Post was given 

 away to the Indians ; the feathers being returned 

 to the Agent to pay for the ammunition. Peter 

 and I used such an awful quantity that I do not 

 think the H. B. Co. ever made much money from 

 the proceeds of our shooting. 



In the proper season there was also some fine 

 salmon and trout fishing in the Mingan river, 

 but my father and his visitors, or officers from 

 the men-of-war on the station were about the only 

 ones who could indulge in salmon fishing. I was 



