THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURAL! . 





for twenty-one miles, reaching the beat little 

 village of Shawinigan, a strictly temperate 

 locality, there being only one boarding bouse, 

 quite neat and clean, and where the traveller 

 can sit to a very good Substantial meal. 

 After an hour's delay the driver is again at the 

 door, having ihen eighteen miles more to 

 travel, through a very pretty forest, where one 

 can kill partridges from his seat; this party, 

 having bagged six for his share. Then the 

 driver points out Dufresne ; ii is the name ol 

 a well-to-do farmer, who is most obliging, and 

 where the old ones open the flask to salute 

 him and his wife. His home is situated on h 

 high coteau looking towards a large lake. 

 Then ten more miles to the club house, pass- 

 ing through large open land very good for 

 culture. Then the six miles portage, made 

 at the expense of the club, a splendid 

 wide road through the thickest fore t, where 

 partridges are occasionally seen, having again 

 bagged several, and, at last, the club house is 

 seen through the trees at a distance. <»n 

 reaching the door, the men immediately hoist 

 the flag, and a general salutation ol con- 

 tentment issued; a substantial meal was 

 served, and, among bther things, partridge 

 which had been killed with stones [he day 

 before. During the evening the tents, camp 

 kettles or cuisine, blankets, drinkables and eat- 

 ables, the last articles being composed of bone 

 less pork, flour, rice, pea and other substances, 

 all prepared, with cheese, biscuit, and mar 

 malnde, carrying also a baker and a portable 

 stove tor the tent. This last item being a 

 most comfortable piece ol furniture in tober; 

 all were packed up and divided as evenly as 

 possible, to be carried easily over the several 

 portages to be made. We left the club for 

 Matarvine river, going through lake Wapiza- 

 gonke, paddling seven miles in one hour and 

 forty minutes, against the wind, and through 

 a creek into lake and isles, a couple ol miles 

 long ; then, a portage of several ai penis, where 

 partridges were killed right and kit; remarking 

 also the imprints ol bears, it was decided on 

 the spot to send two bear traps to be placed on 

 this portage when we returned ; then another 

 portage of several arpents into another lake; 

 then the grand portage of two miles to lake 

 Antiagamack, remarkable lor its forests, huge 

 rocks and its natural echo This lake is 

 famous for its pike, dore and ducks, but at 

 this lime ol the year, when the water is still 

 low, the fishing is not so good, hut much 

 better for ducks, which were plentiful, the 



Black Ducks specially being in qua 



of ver;. large size ; Ihen, on through the 



Serpentine river, ten feel wide and - 



long, leading to the Matarvine river ; parti 



were hot on each Bide from the boal i 



went along. The Matarvine, al its entran 



about three arpentfl wide ; land on t 



being level and good ; hard WO _ out 



freely; it is astonishing to see no settlers I 

 the laud being so much better than in the 



vicinity of Shawinigan and St. Mathieu, and 



not very far from the J'ile^ Railway. The 

 Matarvine al this point run- five or six miles 

 long to the Castor Xoir, very pier resque lor 

 its islands and sand banks, the water 

 smooth and clear; trolling is much enjoyed all 

 along. Some place- dore are caught abund- 

 antly; then, the pike are of eighteen and 

 twenty pound- weight. Slill-lislnng at the 

 Castor Noir is quite a curiosity, dore 



just as quick as one pleases, and ol la . 

 Se\ eral litt le lake, can be found a 

 on the north side ol the river, full ol trout; 

 one of these contain pike. The tenl 

 pitched on the north side of the river, on an 

 ele\ ation and quite close to another tenl 

 cupied by an indian and his wife, who were 

 there several days. The indian was away 

 shooting; the wife was quietly knitting, her 

 dog beside her; she spoke French fluently 

 and was glad to see us. tn front of their tenl 

 could be seen some fish being smoked and 

 quite a lot ol partridges, well preserved. The 

 indian was quite a novelty and a good com- 

 panion. During the evening he was questioned 

 on his fishing, shooting and trapping expedition, 

 lie had travelled ver\ tar norm, near Moiiti- 

 chire and the Manavoine; had shot many 

 caribou and moose; trapped many beaver 

 and otter, and had tired a; a bear quite recently, 

 face-to-face, at ten feet distant, lie told also 

 ol seeing the day before, live caribou together 

 within an arpent, and was preparing to - 

 when his partridge dog started after ; 

 running halt an hour before coming back. 

 lie stated that caribou were plentiful, their 

 footprints were seen near the 



lakes and ponds, and sometimes in the 

 portages. Though this trip had been _ 

 up to shoot large game, not one was seen, hut 

 as a consolation, many traces quite fresh were 

 found everywhere The party left, enchanted 

 with the scenery, promising lo return again. 

 The weather was not very clear, being windy 

 at limes, still the air was bracing and cool 

 helping to keep one's spirits in good condition. 



