326 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S 



Island two years ago, told me, that tlie stags 

 mewed at this time of the year, but I gave no 

 credit to them for the reasons which I have men- 

 tioned; also, from seeing a three or four years-old 

 male deer with his horns on, in the month of May, 

 1772. I have also reason to believe, that neither 

 male nor female rein-deer ever burnish their first 

 horns, which appear at a year old; as I never saw 

 one which had done so. 



Friday, February 3, 1786. At ten this morning, 

 Mr. Collingham went over to the Capeland, and 

 took Tilsed, Crane, William, Alexander and Tom 

 with him; also two Newfoundland dogs and the 

 greyhound. He met with some deer in the vale 

 beyond Burnt Knap, and surrounded them; but 

 they escaped without anybody getting a shot at 

 them. The weather then proving bad, he called 

 the people away, joined Tilsed, and came home: 

 the others followed, and were not far behind when 

 he saw them last. Tliese two returned at four 

 o'clock; but as none of the other four, nor the 

 dogs are arrived, I am greatly alarmed for their 

 safety, as they must have lost themselves, and 

 there is no shelter on all that ground. Tilsed shot 

 a brace of ptarmigans near the house. 



Saturday, February 4, 1786. At half after nine 

 this morning, Mr. Collingham Avent off for Table 

 Hill, and Tilsed for Mount Martin, to look for our 

 lost people. At eleven o'clock, William and Tom 

 returned almost speechless; and so cold, as scarcely 

 to have any perceptible warmth about their bod- 

 ies; their clothes were barricaded with ice in such 



