288 NEWFOUNDLAND 



not be taken. As it was, I threw my hat on to the stag's 

 back, where it rested a moment, to his complete conster- 

 nation. Sometimes I "tolled" travelling stags, and photo- 

 graphed them within a short distance ; but most of these 

 were failures, as they were generally taken in the early 

 morning. However, I got one or two successes, as well 

 as taking a fine stag within a few yards as he lay asleep. 

 If you have patience, are a skilled stalker, and are favoured 

 by a strong wind, you can do what you like with the stag, 

 provided he is alotie} 



We were now within two miles of Sylvester, and had 

 ascended a wooded hill and looked over when a lovely 

 scene burst upon our view. A deep valley, crowned with 

 heavy timber on each side, lay before us. At the base was 

 a huge marsh two miles in length, whilst beyond it, Sylvester, 

 in all its beauty, sprang directly out of the earth in one 

 great cone. The lower slopes were densely wooded, but 

 within 300 feet of the summit it was quite bare, and pre- 

 cipitous on the south side. The sun was setting and flooded 

 the whole landscape with gold, disclosing three large com- 

 panies of caribou, each governed by a master-stag. It was 

 a scene that I shall always remember ; one that the hunter 

 sees in his dreams but seldom experiences, and which will 

 live in the memory when my hunting days are past. 



Our prayers for a calm day to ascend Sylvester were 

 answered, and we were up before daybreak, on one of the 

 finest days I can remember. There was just a touch of 



' Speaking of the extraordinary tameness of single deer when carefully 

 approached, Cormack says (p. 32) : "A single deer on the plain, when there are no 

 others near to sound the alarm, may be approached and knocked down by a blow 

 on the head with an axe or tomahawk from a dexterous hunter. We happened to 

 see a solitary stag amusing himself by rubbing his antlers against a larch-tree on a 

 plain ; my Indian, treading lightly, approached him from behind, and struck him on 

 the head with his axe, but did not knock him down ; he of course galloped off." 



