2i6 BIG GAME SHOOTIXG IN ALASKA chap. 



quoted, and not forget to omit small items such as curfews, 

 ploughmen, and sheep-folds, which do not exist largely in 

 Alaska ; then, I say, you will have an exact reproduction of 

 my own feelings at the time, and also the actual state of 

 affairs. By this I mean that the solemn stillness was there in 

 its most approved style, and the only thing to break it was 

 the occasional hooting of the large eagle-owls, and the more 

 regular, but less poetic, snoring of my natives in the tent near 

 by my seat. 



It is surprising how few noises one hears in the woods 

 on the Kenai Peninsula. Poison and traps have wrought 

 havoc with the wolves and such like noisy denizens of the 

 forest by night. Occasionally the clashing of horns echoes 

 through the trees, coming from the scene of some deadly 

 strife between two lords of the forest ; and now and again is 

 heard the swish of wings overhead, accompanied by the 

 familiar call of wild geese and ducks, as they travel down 

 from the Arctic regions, making their way to the warmer 

 coasts of California as winter approaches. However, although 

 this kind of thing is very charming, it was not exactly what I 

 had travelled some 9000 miles to hear, and my temper 

 was getting a little short when we had worked hard until 

 September 20 and only seen one moose with a decent head. 

 Small bulls and cows we could see, but the big bulls seemed 

 to be scarce. The country in which we then were was really 

 the headquarters and favourite hunting-ground of the cele- 

 brated Andrew Berg, who is undoubtedly the best moose- 

 hunter in that part of Alaska. He and his brother had built 

 several small cabins and huts, for use when hunting there, in 

 different parts of the forest. Pitka was of opinion that Berg 

 had pretty well thinned out the big heads in that district 

 during the past few seasons, I felt certain that there were 



