>lb^ime Caribou 



3 WAS trapping one winter near "Shetaga- 

 mau," a large lake at the head of the Tota- 

 nustuk River. My brother Firmin was my 

 "pard" that year. There were several families 

 of Indians in the vicinity, and though we had 

 seen some of their signs, we had not met them. 

 About the end of January we received a visit 

 from two of them old Pierre Uapistan " The 

 Marten ' ' and one of the Ashinis. We spread 

 out a good meal for them, and after supper the 

 old man explained that he was getting up a cari- 

 bou battue. They knew where there was a large 

 herd, and he was then getting together all the 

 men available in the neighborhood for a big 

 hunt. Would we join ? A fair share would be 

 distributed to us, whether we killed any or not. 

 If we were willing to go, a young man would 

 come for us when ready. I agreed to go with my 

 brother. Some ten days later the youngster 

 came as promised and we accompanied him back 

 to their permanent camp, about twenty miles 

 north-east of our's. I believe I was then the only 

 person on the coast who owned a rifle, a Ken- 

 tucky Ballard, which I had taken with me, and 

 one box of fifty cartridges. My brother had a 

 Hudson's Bay 24 bore flint lock, that had been 



