OPEN-GROUND HUNTING 289 



frost, and as the sun rose I was out on a point of rock 

 surveying the herds of deer far below our camp, and watch- 

 ing the golden light steal up the green and slate slopes of 

 the mountain. We made an early start, as it was two miles 

 to the base of the mountain. Whilst travelling I had already 

 spied and rejected the three master-stags we had seen the 

 night before. Whilst crossing the great marsh I saw two 

 stags fighting on the side of Sylvester, but they retired 

 into the wood, and we lost sight of them. 



Near the north end of the marsh, and just at the base 

 of the mountain, were situated the most remarkable deer 

 trails I have seen in Newfoundland. These roads all 

 debouched from one main road as wide and deep as a 

 Devonshire lane. This path, we found, came right over 

 the eastern shoulder of Mount Sylvester, and was the main 

 "fall" trail which is trodden by tens of thousands of hurry- 

 ing feet every November. W. Cormack, who was the first 

 man to discover Sylvester, which he named after his faith- 

 ful Indian follower, bore testimony to the abundance of 

 deer trails at this point, and doubtless there is little altera- 

 tion since the days when he wrote (1822). The path led 

 upwards over the mountain for several hundred feet, and 

 then branched to the left, where the side of the hill was 

 cut into shallow chasms about 30 feet deep, in which grew 

 spruces and vars. The ascent now became steep, and for 

 the last 400 feet the mountain was bare, or covered with 

 small Alpine flora. Near the top we visited the little black 

 cave where the "spirit" of the mountain dwelt, and each 

 of us deposited our offering in the shape of coins and 

 cartridges. 



Steve's wish was grossly material, and went no farther 

 than a suit of new clothes ; I naturally desired a fifty-pointer ; 



