92 RECENT HUNTING TRIPS. 



the caribou had travelled so far to the soiith- 

 Avest that we should not be able to come up 

 with them. He told me that at this time of 

 year they were accustomed to resort to the 

 thick forests, in which it was very difficult to 

 find them, and that they would not frequent 

 the open country again until mid-winter. 



At that time the snow lies deep over the 

 whole island except on the exposed, wind-swept 

 "barrens." On these bleak wastes the caribou 

 congregate, to feed on the white moss with 

 which the ground is covered. In very hard 

 winters they are said to live entirely on another 

 kind of moss, which gi'ows plentifully on the 

 spruce firs. 



As the chances of success seemed so small, 

 and my absence from home had already been 

 somewhat more prolonged than I had anticipated, 

 I decided to rest satisfied with the experience 

 I had gained on this, my first essay at caribou 

 hunting, and to endeavour to turn it to account 

 the following year. I had taken out a license 

 which entitled me to shoot five caribou stags 

 and two does, and I had had ample opportunity 



