The Labrador Peninsula 



in.) oc- 

 nd and 

 aboard 

 ding to 

 on the 

 amilton 

 Strait 

 ing the 



Rich.) 



Labra- 



■vals to 



favora- 



;casions 



ihey leave it alone, having a great respect and 

 fear for its ferocity and size. While descend- 

 ing the south branch of the Koksoak River in 

 fl894 we saw tracks along the banks which my 



fndians said were much larger than those of 

 ny black bear they had ever seen ; unfortu- 

 • ftately we did not get sight of the animal. 



The black bear {Urstis amcricanus, Pallas) 

 is found everywhere in the wooded country, 

 and a few are killed in the semi-barrens as far 

 north as latitude 56 degrees. During August 

 and September bears are commonly met with 

 in the valleys of any of the southern rivers 

 where there are extensive burnt areas covered 

 ^ith blueberries, on which the bears feed and 

 grow fat. I have followed several of these 

 Streams, and have never failed to see several 

 bears. Assured sport may be obtained on a 

 trip up any of the rivers emptying into the St. 

 Lawrence, but probably the best place for 

 bear hunting is in the valley of the Hamilton 

 River, below the Grand Falls. The food con- 

 ditions are perfect, and, as the upper part of 

 ^e valley is not hunted by the Indians, the 



jars are very plentiful, and a good bag would 



idoubtedly be made there in the early 



itumn. 



P 



33 



