212 
FOREST AND STREAM 
than two 'weeks we killed three elk, four mule, and one 
Virginia deer, besides Borne smaller game. The antlers 
attracted much attention and comment as we passed through 
the many towns which lay on our homeward route. And 
so terminates our hunt—our dreams were realized, and our 
hopes merged into full fruition. G. N, B. 
Bdphos,' Ottawa Co., Kansas, March■ 38f7q 1870. 
For Forest and Stream. 
A SNOW-SHOE TRAMP TO THE SAGUE¬ 
NAY REGION. 
T HE city of Quebec, founded by Champlain in the i 
year 1608, and the oldest town of importance on tlrfe 
continent of America, stands on a bold promontory at the 
-junction of the St. CharleB with the St. Lawrence. On 
the Quebec side of the river a splendid agricultural couu- 
try, settled two hundred years ago, and inhabited by a 
happy, contented, and comparatively prosperous people, 
stretches from east lowest as far as the eye can reach. 
This country is, however, only a fringe of settlement on 
the border of the forest. At a distance of tea miles lroui 
the St. Lawrence the Laurentiuu range of mountains, 
which stretches from Labrador to Lake Huron, appears to 
bar all settlement, and to indicate that the limit of agricul¬ 
tural development north of the river has been reached. 
The vast country which stretches north and west from 
the Luurentian mountains for five hundred miles to Hud¬ 
son’s Bay remained for many years an unknown territory, 
frequented only by the Indians and employees of the dif¬ 
ferent fur trading companies. By degrees the reports of 
the great fertility of the valley of Lake St. Johns, at tbe 
head of the Saguenay Biver, induced settlers to its shores, 
and notwithstanding the great distance from markets ami 
the difficulty of communication, the Lake St. Johns settle¬ 
ments have flourished and increased in size. 
lu 1868 tbe question of a railroad to Lake St. Johns from 
Quebec, to develop the back country, was agitated, and in 
3869 a company was organized, but the means at their dis¬ 
posal was insufficient to build an iron road, so it was de 
cided to lay wooden rails. The line was run a distance of 
twenty-six miles from Quebec, hut as rain, frost, or snow 
prevented them from running, in consequence of the wheels 
shipping, it was abandoned after a year’s trial. 'This year 
(1876) tbe company has been reorganized under the promise 
of a grant of $6,500 per mile by tlie Government, and there 
is every prospect of its being put through. (Vide pros¬ 
pectus St. Johns and Quebec liailroad.) 
When tbe road is opened for traffic it will become a fa¬ 
vorite route for sportsmen invalids and summer tourists, 
for tbe country abounds in game and all that tends to ren¬ 
der a summer in the wilderness enjoyable. 
With a view to the above facts, and to indulge my old 
taste for camp life and sporting, I determined to lake a 
irip through this section and commenced my preparations. 
I engaged an excellent guide from the village—one Bros 
Louis by name—secured the genial companionship of C. 
S. Wolff, Esq., P. M. at Valcartier, and procured a small 
tent and portable folding stove, besides the other necessa¬ 
ries of camp life. March 17th, ’76, we left Valcartier. 
The first stage of our journey we followed the old railroad 
track for about twelve miles, passingimmensepiles of cord 
wood and logs, which bad been cut and drawn to the 
track, but never taken away. At Lake Claire we took din¬ 
ner in tbe comfortable little shanty of Mr. Maxham, of 
Quebec, a genial gentleman and ardent sportsman. The 
shanty is built of logs, squared and dressed. The flooring, 
ceiling, table, and bunks are of band-sawed spruce, planed 
and jointed. There is a good stove in it, and many of the 
coratorts of civilized life. A more delightful spot could 
not have been chosen, combining, as it does, such capital 
shooting and fishing. The lake is celebrated for the size 
of its trout, frequently reaching ten pounds in weight. 
Caribou in early winter are numerous about the lake, aud 
afford good shooting to the man of endurance and pluck, 
who is good for an all day chase. The caribou is the most 
difficult of the deer tribe to stalk. It is only by tiring them 
through the deep snow that you can get within shooting 
range. 
At nightfall, hungry and tired, we reached the first house 
of the 8t. Raymond settlement, and were compelled to 
■wait outside until the inmates had finished’their chaplet, for 
it would have been a breach of politeness lor Protestants 
to have disturbed them in their devotions. I sat down 
upon my pack, smoked and listened to the tiresome repe¬ 
tition as each bead was told off. Admittance was at last 
granted us by the good man of the itouse poking out his 
bonnet rouged head, and in French inviting us to enter. My 
first demand was for milk, and I obtained, very luckily, a 
good bowl, aud polished it all off very much to the sur¬ 
prise ot the bonne femme, aud open eyed astonish meut of 
the young fry at the idea any one’s asking for milk when 
good tea was on the stove warming. 
Allhough pressed to remaiu there for the uight, we de¬ 
cided to push on to the village of St. Raymond, and made 
a bargain with our host to carry us and our traps there, a 
distance of eight miles, for the sum of one dollar. On 
our arrival there late, we found every respectable habitant 
had buried himself a foot or two deep under bis feather 
bed, and that all efforts to rouse him from his slumbers 
were unavailing. While running around one house 1 fell 
into a drain dug in the snow. I picned myself out just as 
Wolff turned the corner. I waited his near approach, and 
at the right moment 1 asked him if he saw a light in the 
upper windows. Innocently he looked up, and at the same 
moment disappeared with a grunt. 1 stood there shaking 
with laughter while he ruefully picked himself out, vow¬ 
ing vengeance against me for the trick 1 had played him. 
Our carter also tell into it, and sacre'd for an hour after¬ 
wards. When every resource had failed us apparently, 
our habitant driver, awakened by bis fall perhaps, inquired 
it we knew a Mr. Hervey, of Quebec, wbo was stopping 
somewhere in the village. Know him? of course we did, 
as who does not, and right away we trotted down the road 
again, and found that gentleman not retired yet, and de¬ 
lighted to see us. The bonne femme is directed by him to 
prepare us a good supper while we, seated around his wood 
fire, smoked and chatted over bush matters In general. 
Early in the morning we engaged a man to drive us fif¬ 
teen miles further up the Bras da Kurd of the 8t. Anns to 
Little Saguenay, the last settlement north of Quebec. Tbe 
day was one of the severest I have ever experienced in Can¬ 
ada, aud we suffered fearfully from the cold. Half a dozen 
times were we compelled to atop at some roadside house to 
thaw ourselves out. Whenever the wind lulled for a mo¬ 
ment, oi some sheltered place protected us, we would un¬ 
cover our heads to obtain a glimpse of tbe magnificent 
scenery about us. On both sides of the valley through 
Which we Were winding high precipitous mountains, bare 
to the summit, shut us in, while at intervals falls of water 
were visible tearing down from their lofty heights and stu¬ 
pendous icicles drooping from every overhanging ledge of 
rock. Two or three lumber shoots were pointed out to 
us, and many jagged and split logs attested the fearful race 
they had run from the top. 
Arriving at Delaney’s, whore we were to stop for the 
night before taking the bush, we were shocked to hear of 
the death of one of the family, and to find them in mourn¬ 
ing. There was no help for it; we must stay, and so made 
oursolves as comfortable as the circumstances would allow. 
During the evening the neighbors began dropping in for 
the wake, and by ten o’clock it was under full headway. 
Pipes and tobacco were handed rouud to the men, and re¬ 
freshments to the women. Railroad matters were brought 
up, and quite a warm discussion ensued as to whether a 
railroad was beneficial to the country or otherwise. Woiff, 
in tiie heat of an argument on the affirmative side of the 
question, leaned so far over on the back of tbe chair be was 
straddling that be fell forward into the empty coffin at his 
feet. A shout went up, and our friend was rescued from 
Ids untimely position, smiling as good naluredly us though 
nothinghad happened, and resumed the broken thread of his 
discourse. The scene was too much for my equanimity, 
so I retired to bed beside the corpse and slept soundly, 
despite the noise and confusion, until towards morning, 
when I was awakened by the monotonous chaplet which all 
were joining in. 
The cold had increased during the night, and we were 
remonstrated with about leaving, but we had decided that 
night to be in the bush. Crossing the river, wo followed 
it seven miles before a break in the chain of abrupt moun¬ 
tains admitted our striking to the westward. Half way 
up the mountain night overtook us. Scdeeting a good 
place near a little warm spring that we found open, the 
laboggin is unloaded, tent taken off, and while one tramped 
down the loose surface snow—for it would be impossible 
to dig down to tlie ground with the snow over seven feet 
deep—auother cut Tent poles, while the third chopped 
wood for the stove and broke balsam branches for our bed. 
The little stove was soon setup, and in half an hour we were 
comfortably housed for the night, and our damp clothes 
hanging to the ridge pole to dry. Etienne prepared us a 
royal supper, to which we did more than ample justice. 
A lighted canille enlivened the scene, and pencil in hand 
we traced out the day’s journey and made our comments 
upon the incidents of the day. Our little wood stove 
proved a perfect success, and during our eutiro stay in the 
bush we never suffered from cold in camp. Wood was 
plentiful, and we did not spare it. 
We struck camp early in the morning, and readied the 
height of bind in about two Hours, aud shortly afterwards 
struck the first of a chain of lakes, which we followed for 
the two succeeding days. It is the grandest lake country 1 
have ever visited. The portages are short between them, 
and with a canoe in summer it would be possible to navi¬ 
gate them for fifty or sixty miles iu either direction. Tiny 
abound iu trout of a very large size, so wo were told, for 
we bad had no opportunity of judging ourselves. Many 
of these lakes are extremely beautiful, doited over with 
islands and surrounded by gently sloping mountains. At 
Zac Cabane Aulomne wc saw two lakes not a stone’s 
throw from each other, that discharged their waters into 
two different rivers over fifty miles apart. On reaching 
the riviere Blanche we took dinner. Some balsam trees 
are cut and split and pul on the snow, and on this the fire 
is started. Tbe surface siioiv is scraped away ou tbe river, 
and enough water is collected for our lea. Broken branches 
made a comfortable dry seat, and we stretched ourselves 
out to enjoy the genial warmth of the fire, aud as a matter 
of course the accompanying pipe. 
The weather still continued very cold, with appearances 
of a storm. Leaving the riviere Blanche, we again struck 
to the westward. Ou Lake Breeches, just as wc started to 
cross it, we saw coming on to it from the opposite side a 
wild looking individual, who, ou closer inspection, proved 
to be our friend John Neilsoji, Esq., surveyor, whom we 
were to meet. He had been out six weeks hunting, trap¬ 
ping, and exploring in a semi-official capacity, aud at tlie 
time we met him he was on his way out, but changed his 
mind, and decided to go on with us and guide us safely 
through the maze of lakes as far as Zac Claire Batitscan. 
Shortly after three P. M. we went into camp at the loot of 
Lake Francois, a large sheet of water. 
It was about nine 1 J , M. when a violent gust of wind 
struck the tent and threatened to tear it. from its fasteu- 
, ings. Etienne was hurriedly sent out to doubly secure it. 
Gust after gust now struck it with a force sufficient to 
rend it to pieces, but it bravely stood tbe storm that raged 
through the night. The snow fell fast and thick, and 
banked up around us in great drifts. Later I fell into a 
sound sleep, and never woke, despite the elements at war 
; around us, until daybreak. Sixteen inches of snow Etienne 
a reported in the morning, but wo started nevertheless, but 
bad only a faint conception of the fearful suow-sboeing 
before us that day, or I doubt if wo would have left camp. 
Snow fell all that day, and in crossing the lakes we had 
first to take our bearings aud then start Indian file to pre¬ 
serve a straight line, lor it was impossible to distinguish 
any object fifty feet away. It was too stormy and cold 
in the middle of the day to stop for lunch, so we resolutely 
kept on, taking each our turn in breaking tlie road, for it 
would have been impossible for one man to have done it 
alone. Later in the aflernoon we reached Zac Claire Bos- 
tican, but out troubles had then only commenced. Mr. 
Neilson’s camp was on an island more than a mile distant 
from the shore, aud ours had been lelt behind at Lake 
Francois, so reach it we must. Mr. Neilson look tbe di¬ 
rection as nearly as he could judge, and trusting to our 
good luck we followed him. It seemed an interminable 
distance, facing the driving snow, aud 1 feared more than 
once we had passed it. Just as I began to despair we saw 
it loom up, during a slight cessation of the wind, directly 
in front of ns, showing how well we had preserved our 
course In the comfortable little tent of our friend we 
forgot all our misery of the day white enjoying bis hospi- 
tality, We were rather crowded, it is true; five of us in a 
lout intended only for three; but no matter we were not 
grumblers at such a lime. 
The storm lasted until the following, day, and thus our 
calculations for continuing on to the headwaters of the 
Bostican, Lake Edouard, were completely upset. Our only 
anxiety was, how should we get out. We made a slight 
attempt at fishing; but the great trouble was iu boring 
holes, and the wind forced us to give it up after taking | 
eleven lish. The remainder of tbe time was whiled away I 
in camp — yarning, smoking, and eating. 
The seventh day out we packed up to return, leaving be- 1 
bind us much of our provisions, which we feared to load 1 
ourselves with on account, of ihe walking. Just as we 1 
were leaving camp, two Indians came in with some mouse 1 
meat as a present to Mr. N’eilson, whom they kDew. Tiiuy I 
reported having killed three very fine moose a few miles 
from the lake shortly before, and were then ou the search I 
for two that escaped them at that time. They reported | 
very good success in their trapping and shooting during the 1 
winter. They bad fouud the snow-alioetug loo heavy, aud I 
were on their return to camp without having found any I 
trace of the missing moose. 
We obtained our first view of the lake the rnoniing we I 
left it, ami were much impressed with its beauty. It is I 
about twelve miles in circumference, with nneisluml iu the I 
centre, containing about sixty superficial acres, and well ■ 
timbered. A very extensive bruie on the west shore rather I 
mars the beauty of an otherwise lovely lake anil surround- I 
ings. Some idea of the number of Jakes in this region I 
may be formed when i add that in two days we crossed I 
thirteen, to say nothing of the many that surrounded us I 
on both sides. 
Out return to the first settlement was marked by no in- ■ 
ciileut worthy of particular note, unless I except the snow- I 
shoeing. I have never in my experience seen anything I 
like it. At every step we sank knee deep. A mile at lead- I 
ing was as much us one could do, and so we went ou for I 
three weary days, glad when night came to put up our tent I 
and rest our weary limbs. Our Indian on his last day out 1 
got mal de racquet, or snow shoe sickness—a contraction of I 
the sinews of the calf of the legs, brought on from the I 
weight of the snow shoes loaded with suow. From Little ■ 
Saguenay we were three days in completing our journey V 
by sleigh. The roads were blockaded every where, aud we I 
were frequently three or four hours going a mile or two, I 
having to get out and shovel out the road for the horsu ami I 
sleigh with our snow-shoes. In one swamp late orn: night ■ 
our horse got off the roud a dozen times, and us often were I 
we compelled to unharness him, upset the sleigh, and ac- I 
lually dig him out, and had the poor brute not been made I 
of good sluff, and assisted himself, we would have hi I, ■ 
him. We found it difficult' to obtain anything lit to eat ■ 
from tlie settlers. Hard times was the cry, and too stormy ■ 
to got down to Lite settlements. A railroad is sadly needed I 
to bring these poor people nearer u market for their pro- ■ 
Uuce, and 1 hope when I again visit this region 1 shall sue I 
them all prosperous, with u market at their doors iu shape I 
of a railroad, and strangers flocking in from all quarters ■ 
when the country is more ooniatable. 
G. M. Fatiiouild, Jr., 
Valcartier, Canada East, March Slot, 1876. 
For Forest and Stream. 
THE GAME OF MANITOBA. 
F OR the past three or four months I have purchased I 
your valuable paper from the principal newsdealer in ■ 
this out of the way place, and being myself a sportsman at ■ 
heart, I have been very much interested in its contents. ■ 
Such’ variety of subjects as well as the many incidental I 
hints to sporting men it contains, must necessarily give it ■ 
a charm in llm eye of the lover of bunting. 
Imagining, however, that your readers would like to ■ 
know some facts regarding this part of the "Great North- ■ 
west," I venture to intrude on your valuable space with a ■ 
brief description of tlie game, (and the facilities for hunt- ■ 
ing) with which this country abounds. I 
Winnipeg, tlie seat of Government, is a thriving town of ■ 
five years growth, numbering some 6,00b inhabitants, and I 
within three miles on any side of it, duriug the spring or ■ 
fall, the hunter may fill his game bag with prairie chicken | 
(pinnated grouse), partridge (ruffed do.), or the while hare, ■ 
not omitting duck, plover, wavy, (a small species of goose, ■ 
] don’t know the proper name) gray geese, and many other V 
water-fowl. The surrounding -country is, ou the west side ■ 
of the Red River, level prairie, occasionally broken by ■ 
small bluffs of poplar, aud every here and there a swamp ■ 
or muskey, all or wliicli-iu the spring are covered with ■ 
ducks. Following the course of the river to Lake winni- ■ 
pec, you come to one of the largest duck shooiiug grounds ■ 
in the country, perhaps in the world, viz.-, the mouth of ■ 
Red River; the amount or water-fowl is something wonder- ■ 
ful. The Indians here never use more Ilian i oz. of shot, ■ 
No. 2, but they slaughter the birds by creeping up to a ■ 
Hock in their canoes, and firing at a few yards. YVekave, 
however, here, many residents, American, Canadian, and ■ 
English, who are lovers of the gun and dog, and many a I 
boat load of ducks aud geesearrive in town, slaughtered,. ■ 
but neatly killed, and in a sportmau-like manner. 
As yet we have no sign of spring, except a light south- ■ 
erly breeze, and the advent of crows yesterday, but I think | 
the three feet of ice in the river is getting rotten and in a I 
week or so we may hear the welcome sound of geese dying I 
overhead in Ihe early morning. Iu the fall of the year the ■ 
prairies literally swarm with prairie chicken, and it is no I 
uncommon feat for a fair Shot to bag from sixty to 350 in ■ 
one day. One settler whose farm is on the outskirts of ■ 
the province, tells me that he never goes out, systematically f 
to shoot chicken, but kills them from the windows of his ■ 
house; they feed in great numbers around the farmyard. 1 
Until this last session of our local Parliament there lias I 
been no law for the preservation of game, and in consu- ■ 
queuee, chicken and duck were killed indiscriminately every ■ 
mouth of the year. To give some ides of the sport in J 
shooting wavies. I may say that a friend of mine and liia ■ 
companion set out last spring for the Pembina Mountains, ■ 
about seventy miles from here, where the birds have a I 
favorite feeding place, as there is plenty of gravel. He ns- ■ 
sured me that iu two days he and his friend bagged 251) ■ 
wavies and left a number besides for the half breeds who ■ 
were with them. Three or four carts were used to ■ 
bring the game home. This statement may seem exaggera- ■ 
ted, but 1 could, if necessary, give you names and date. 1 
For several years the existence of woodcock here bus been • 
a disputed point amoug our sportsmen; this doubt lias, I 
however, been satisfactorily removed by a gentlemen re- f 
siding in litis province, bringing in three brace which he ■ 
killed while hunting west of the city. 
Besides the birds 3 have mentioned, swans, cranes, gray | 
and white pelicans, Ac., are -very plentiful in the lakes 
and marshes, with which the county abounds. 3 be flesh | 
of tlio gray crane is very tine and iniuih esteemed, whereas i 
I understand that in the States it is considered unfit lot d 
