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208 FORKST LIFE IX ACADIE. 





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animal of con.sideral)le importance. It is a very common 

 arti(;le of food, and its quills are extensively employed by 

 the squaws in ornamentation. Stained most brilliantly 

 by dyes either obtained from the woods or purchased in 

 the settlements, they are worked in fanciful patterns into 

 1;^ the birch-bark ware (baskets, screens, or trays), which 



form their staple of trade with the whites. 



All the holes, hollow trees, and rocky precipices in the 

 neighbourhood of an encampment are continually explored 

 by Indian boys in search of a porcupine's den. 

 . ,;, The Indians commonly possess little cur dogs, which 



f greatly assist them in discovering the animal's retreat ; 



V they will even draw them forth from their holes without 



^,. injury to themselves — a feat only to be accomplished by 



'- , ixettinir hold of them underneath. 



1 It is a curious fact that the settler's dogs in general 



evince a strong desire to hunt porcupine, notwithstanding 



the Avoeful plight, about the head and forelegs, in which 



they come out of the encounter, and the long period of 



; inflammation to which they are thereby subjected. The 



Indian's porcupine -dog, however, goes to work in a far 



: more business-like manner — seldom giving his master 



, I occasion to extract a single quill. "The Old Hunter" 



■ i tells me as follows : — " I once knew an instance of an 



I Indian's dog, quite blind, that was particularly <77'ea< on 



'v|. 2wrcupines, so much so, that if they treed, the little 



' ,' animal would sit down beneath, occasionally barking, to 



f inform its master where lodged the ' fretful ' one. Another 



'i i dog belonging to an Indian I knew, was not to be beaten 



when once on porcupine. If the animal was in den, in 



"'. he went and, if possible, would haul it out by the tail. 



, If not strong enough, the Indian would fasten his hand- 



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,- II 



