IN TIMBER AND BRtLfiE. 219 



most of the caribou which had been killed in recent years 

 were obtained, and to strike out to the north-west of Snow 

 Lake, where I was informed the country became more open, 

 until forest merged into br&Ue (the district having been 

 devastated of forest by fire years before), especially in the 

 neighbourhood of the lake of that name. 



The end of October was approaching ; we had been 

 hunting and travelling for some little time without having 

 sighted a caribou of any kind. The weather had turned 

 cold, so cold that once or twice, when crossing one or other 

 of the little lakes, we had been glad enough to light a fire 

 upon the shores at which to warm ourselves. It was a 

 cold year, as is proved by the fact that two seasons later, 

 within no great distance of the same place, we were per- 

 secuted by black flies up to the I5th of the same month. 



On a dull day, with a persistent wind and little showers 

 of snow, we portaged across, and set our canoe upon the 

 waters of Lac Brulee. We had been informed that there 

 was a camp at some distance along the shore, but before 

 visiting this the whole party, which now consisted of two 

 French-Canadians, Ed and myself, paddled up to the head 

 of the lake, to see whether any caribou might be visible 

 there, or whether we could detect any sign of their recent 

 presence. As soon as we came in full view of the strip of 

 marsh at the lake-head, Ed, sitting in the bow of the canoe, 

 saw a couple of brown objects within a few feet of the 

 water's edge, and I made them out with the glass to be 

 caribou. The wind, fortunately, was in our favour, but 

 the clamorous rising of a number of black duck put the 

 deer on the qui vive. Both immediately ran off among the 

 dead trees. The canoe ceased moving, and watching the 

 deer through my glass, I saw them walk down out of the 

 undergrowth to the open strip by the water. At once we 

 noiselessly paddled the canoe in their direction, and when 

 we once more came in full sight of them, they were not 



