226 WILD LIFE AND THE CAMERA 



packed. In less than ten days from the time we 

 had settled on the trip we started by train to North 

 Sydney. From there, after a night's journey by 

 boat to Port-aux-Basques, a few hours by train 

 brought us to the place where the guide was to 

 meet us. We found our men waiting for us. 

 They quickly emptied our trunks, putting all our 

 possessions into waterproof canvas bags, with which 

 they loaded their dories, and we started, skirting 

 the coast and reaching our destination — the mouth 

 of the river — the following noon. 



Our enthusiasm was somewhat damped by the 

 accounts we received of the fishing. Owing to the 

 protracted drought the rivers were unusually low, 

 and the water absolutely clear. Consequently but 

 few fish had gone up, and those that had were not 

 in a mood for rising. There had been no large 

 catches in any of the rivers, and very few big fish 

 had been taken. Nor were there any indications 

 of approaching rain. 



For nearly a week we wasted our time, as I now 

 think, about the mouth of the river, near which 

 there were three fairly good pools. Everyone told 

 us no fish were coming in, but from later observa- 

 tion I believe a few salmon entered the river every 

 night. On account of the lateness of the season 

 they did not loiter at the lower pools, but moved 

 up stream as best they could to the upper pools. 

 Most of the fish, however, were waiting in the salt 

 water for the rise of the river, as was proved by 

 the numbers that were caught in the nets which 

 lined the coast near its mouth. These nets 

 play havoc with the fishing, especially during 



