142 A BRUSH WITH A CARIBOU 



post. It was a marvellous sight to see the sagacity of the horses 

 in negotiating difficult bits of river. Towpath there was none. The 

 intelligent brutes at times were compelled to clamber like goats over 

 steep slippery masses of rock ; at others they would actually have 

 to swim across stream to find a good channel, towing the vessel all 

 the while. Soon we turned up the Upsalwich River, a tributary of 

 the Restigouche, and parted company with our merry friends, all 

 except a party of three who canoed some distance alongside. They 

 were going to explore some timber limits on the Nepisiquit river. 

 We were now obliged to force the canoe up a strong river current 

 by means of ' poling'. As this is the method by which long and 

 toilsome journeys are performed up mountain rivers, it is worth 

 describing. The men, furnished with long iron-shod poles, pick 

 up the bottom simultaneously and force the canoe along through the 

 strongest water. Sometimes they ascend impossible looking rapids, 

 gaining inch by inch when the ' stern ' man has to hold hard, while 

 with a swift short stroke the man at the bow impels the shivering 

 craft forward. The untiring energy displayed commands admiration 

 as hour after hour the monotonous click of the pole on the river 

 bed marks the slow advance. With a heavily laden canoe twelve 

 to fifteen miles a day cannot often be exceeded. When the hunting 

 country is reached, the iron shoes should be removed, as the click 

 is sure to frighten away any big game that might be loitering in the 

 neighbourhood, and it is surprising how the river draws to its banks 

 animal life of every description from the surrounding wild lands 

 if not frightened by needless noise. 



At the end of the fifth day we had got to our destination, and 

 proceeded to build our camp oh a knoll commanding an extensive 

 prospect of a long quiet reach of the Nepisiquit River. We made 

 luxurious beds of the tender fragrant tips of spruce branches. A 

 huge fireplace was constructed, and various sized kettles hung from 

 wooden pothooks across the crackling flames. A rough table was 

 also knocked up, and even a sideboard with shelves. This pantry 

 was immediately invaded by little striped squirrels or ' chipmunks ', 

 who scuttled out of their holes, stole a morsel of bread or bacon, 

 and then scuttled madly back again. Slate coloured ' whiskey 

 jacks ' or Canada jays, with fearless bravado, perched on the break- 

 fast potatoes cooling by the pot, and with saucy scolding notes 

 helped themselves on the table itself. We rather delighted in their 

 bold confiding behaviour. 



Big drab herons came fishing among arrowy schools of darting 

 troutlets, and at evening time there was a constant plunging of belted 

 kingfishers after their prey. Musk rats plashed about the pool and 

 peered at us with fearless bright eyes. Once we saw the brown 



