92 HUNTING CAMPS. 



on account of the current, but rowed about three miles up 

 the brook before we made our camp and pitched a floored 

 tent on the bank. This tent, though heavy to carry on a 

 journey, is very useful as a base camp for which purpose 

 it was taken as it is made in one piece, and, except in the 

 case of flood, nothing can get wet inside it. During the day 

 we had seen little life, only an eagle and two red-throated 

 divers. 



On the morning of the 23rd, having done much in the 

 way of preparation overnight, we were able to break camp 

 fairly early, and, having drawn the boat and canoes from 

 the water, we shouldered our packs, containing bedding, 

 tent, flour, tea and sugar for a week, and " took the country/' 

 My intention was to push on to Doctor's Pond, where I 

 meant to remain and hunt with Jack Wells, while the other 

 men travelled back to our base for more provisions. 



We began at once to enter upon the barrens and marshes 

 characteristic of the interior. Nowadays parties are yearly 

 pushing further into newer hunting-grounds. But in the 

 pre-railway days Sir William Kennedy with the rifle and 

 Judge Prowse (famous as the historian of Newfoundland) 

 with the shot-gun were the pioneers of Newfoundland sport. 



Our first objective was a spot called Sir William White- 

 way's Drogue. The way to it led us continually upwards 

 through patches of woodland and across small marshes. 

 Two or three times we came on tracks of good stags, and 

 quite a score of smaller animals must have passed along 

 one of the deer-trails at no very distant date. Some three 

 miles of packing brought us to our destination. 



While the midday meal was preparing Jack Wells went 

 off with the telescope to the edge of the wood, where he 

 climbed a tree in order to overlook a large yellow marsh 

 which stretched ahead of us. This marsh was dotted with 

 drogues of various sizes, some being in thick clumps, some 

 scanty and half -transparent. By the time I followed Jack 



