NEAR MIDDLE RIDGE. 117 



and the canoe, and started up the lake under a down- 

 pour of heavy rain. Very soon the wind rose to such 

 strength as to render the crossing of Terra Nova Lake 

 in our deeply-laden craft a matter of question. At last 

 we decided to camp and spend the remainder of the day 

 in going through the list of our provisions and arranging 

 them in suitable packs. 



On the 16th, the wind having fallen, we proceeded 

 upon our way and slept that night at my old camping 

 place at Butt's Brook. When I last saw it, the year 

 before, this spot had been very beautiful, but I now 

 found to my disgust that a forest fire had devastated the 

 woods, while the underbrush had been reduced to black 

 sticks, which made it impossible to walk in any direc- 

 tion with pleasure, the more especially as the charcoal 

 stained one black from head to foot. The limit of this 

 fire was not reached until we came to Beaver Pond on 

 the high country. 



From Butt's Brook to Millais Lake it was necessary to 

 portage both canoes, for we had brought a second 

 collapsible canvas canoe with us. All over this country 

 where previously I had had such magnificent sport we 

 failed to see a single deer, until, on October 20th, as 

 Wynyard and I were crossing a barren to look at the 

 skeleton of my largest stag of the former season, a band 

 of seven does, escorted by one small stag, came into 

 view round a drogue. At once they got our wind and 

 dashed away. About four o'clock we reached Simon's 

 furthest camp, and, leaving the men to prepare for the 

 night, Wynyard and I walked out, thinking it might be 

 worth while to look at the carcases of the deer Simon 

 had killed, in case any of them might have received a 

 visit from a bear, for some few of these animals are to be 



