THE INDIANS 203 
The hunting-place of the Btiennes 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 $15 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 
