MOUNT CORMACK REGION 207 



birds of this species in a shallow of the river at its northern 

 end, and, thinking that one might come up near the boats 

 as they broke back for the lake, I took McGaw's gun in my 

 hand. I had no sooner done so, than a large female almost 

 sprang into Joe's canoe, and he, striking at it with the paddle, 

 drove it to wing, when I easily shot it as it flew by. The 

 specimen proved a beautiful one in full summer plumage, 

 and was the largest I have seen. I think the American 

 form of the great northern diver is larger than the European 

 bird, of which I have shot many. Even where it is not 

 hunted, it is always the same strong and cunning creature, 

 and seldom gives man a chance of killing it. 



Half a mile up a stiff bit of river brought us to a fine 

 steady, which eventually led into Shoal Pond, where we 

 camped for the night on a wooded island. 



During the evening I had a long talk with Joe, who held 

 out no prospect of seeing good stags after we should pass 

 Pipestone Lake and Mount Cormack, which we hoped to 

 reach in two days. Moreover, he said the country was 

 barren and desolate to Noel Paul's Brook, and that we 

 should reach civilisation too soon if we pursued that route. 

 Moreover, the main features of this country had been mapped 

 out by Howley, so we determined only to visit Mount 

 Cormack, about whose geographical position I was doubtful, 

 and from thence to return to Shoal Pond, where we were 

 now camped, and afterwards to strike east over the unknown 

 country towards Burnt Hill. Thence we could easily reach 

 my old hunting-grounds on the Gander, and might expect to 

 get some fine heads before passing down stream to Glenwood. 



Accordingly we " cached " the greater part of our stores 

 under a birch-bark " tilt," and proceeded on the following 

 morning with such impedimenta as would last us for a week. 



