MINK CAPTURES LARGE EEL 87 



branch now under construction to Hudson Bay. 

 I made particular note of the position of Frog 

 Portage, which was difficult to discern until you 

 are almost upon it — as, indeed, are all Indian 

 trails — and I cut a large blaze on a solitary tree 

 which stood on a bare point on the east shore 

 after resuming our journey, so that I would be 

 warned when I approached it on my return and 

 might be sure of finding it, for it was by the above 

 route that I intended to return to civilisation at 

 some distant date in the future. 



There were some Crees camped at Frog Por- 

 tage : four teepees containing one deaf old man 

 and a number of women and children. With the 

 exception of the old man the male inhabitants 

 were away " freighting " stores north from 

 Pelican Narrows for the Hudson Bay Company. 

 I photographed the gipsy -like dwellings, after I 

 had overcome the old man with a gift of tobacco, 

 to the seeming consternation of the female in- 

 mates, who in their acute shyness reminded me 

 somewhat of alarmed sheep. 



Leaving Frog Portage behind we continued 

 onward in a more north-east direction than hither- 

 to, until approaching darkness bid us camp. 



To-day I saw a Mink swimming rapidly ashore 

 with prey in its mouth. With my shot-gun I 

 fired near to the animal as it landed, and it 

 dropped what it carried, which proved to be an 

 eel fifteen inches long, showing by deep-sunk 

 teeth-marks that the strong, squirming thing had 

 been held in vice-like grip across the head to 

 subdue it and prevent its escaping. To-day, too, 

 I again saw a Porcupine swimming in the water. 



