MY RETURN FROM SCHOOL 31 



Here we had a good time. I found that Mr. Tetu 

 was a sport and a good shot, and the owner of a 

 fine cap gun of 8 bore, a close and hard hitter and 

 so heavy that I could not put it up to my shoul- 

 der. Mr. Tetu had some relative, a cousin, I be- 

 lieve, living there, from whom he got the loan of a 

 light gun for me, and together we went every day 

 at low tides, on the eastern reefs, and always 

 came back loaded with game, black duck, teal and 

 plovers, and on one day two fine geese, which Mr. 

 T. had brought down at an enormous range with 

 his big gun. The weather having cleared up, 

 with expectations of a fair wind, we left Escou- 

 mains, and after making about twenty-five miles 

 had to seek shelter at Laval- Islands. The sloop 

 was light and a poor sailer, and we could do little 

 or nothing with head winds. All things must 

 come to an end, however, and so did my trip 

 down, finally reaching Trinity Bay on the 14th 

 of June, six weeks from Three Rivers. The trad- 

 ing schooner that had left Quebec about the 20th 

 of May had long since pased down. They had 

 brought the news of my having left early in May, 

 so at home they had nearly given up all hopes of 

 ever seeing me, thinking that we had been 

 wrecked on the way ; consequently there was great 

 rejoicing on my safe return. 



My father's object in settling at Trinity Bay 

 was to continue in the fur trade on his own ac- 

 count, and to operate a couple of salmon net 



