THE INDIANS 203 



The hunting-place of the Etiennes is at Temiscamie, on the 

 very head of Rupert River above Mistassini. Their route 

 follows Peribonka River for nearly three hundred miles. 



From Lake St. John the Indians hunt the large rivers 

 northward to the height of land, and to some extent beyond. 

 The great evergreen regions of the East Main are the best 

 hunting-grounds now; there, in the " black growth" forests, 

 the martens are dark and rich, fetching prices of SI 5 to 

 $30; but the journey is long, and not many hunters from 

 the south go so far. Wherever burnt districts have come 

 up to birch and aspen, fur values are lower. In such dis- 

 tricts there may be plenty of martens, but by an interesting 

 observance of the laws of protective colouration, the fur 

 tends to match the general light aspect of the country 

 and is pale and less valuable. 



The hunting-lands are held by individual hunters, and 

 are passed down from one generation to another by customs 

 of inheritance similar to our own. The hunting naturally 

 descends upon some man of active age; if a daughter is 

 married, the young husband may succeed to the lands. 

 Surviving parents, or even more distant relatives, have, 

 by common right, their place in the lodge. In fact, all 

 must be taken care of in some way, in one lodge or another ; 

 about the hunters group the dependent ones, widows and 

 orphans and incapacitated ; none is denied his right. 



Infringements upon each other's hunting-grounds are 

 probably no more frequent than the cutting of timber on 

 another's land in civilization. The restraint of Indians 

 in such matters is far beyond that of more advanced races. 

 In passing across another's ground, which may take some 

 days, the traveller has the right to take enough game for 



