FOREST AND STREAM. 



183 



water, which is apt to produce a delicious drowsiness per- 

 haps not unlike that we once felt so often when rocked to 

 sleep in the cradle of our infancy. 



Tims I always lookbaol ipou the many canoe rides 1 

 have as the most perfect •-ujr.yin.Mu-. and the present one 

 formed, of course, no exception .!i da] promises to be 

 perfect. The thick mist, which had obscured at daybreak 

 land and water, soon litis before the dissolving rays of the 

 sun which often rises here in the Arctic zone with a bril- 

 ffljncy not surpassed hy that of happier climes. Soon the 

 whole landscape, the swift, glittering river with its denselv 

 fooGdcd banks, rising hrre and therein steep vertical cliffs, 



unfolds it.-,eic to view, and reveals all of Uie-pttCUliaritieB 

 which characterize the northern wilderness. TJlBgUologii al 

 Matures of the St. .Tohns probably differ but little from those 

 of the Moisio described by Prof. Hind id his above alluded 

 exploration of Labrador." There is a low range of g. 



fountains, u spur of the heights of hind, skirting tin 

 length of the coast from Uir Al.oisic to the Natashajla 



ing oft in a gentle slope of a few miles toward flic li 

 the Gulf. For several miles up stream we rind a a 

 evenly gteatifled glacial deposits of gravel and sand n 

 li, a -,:iit clay, filled with remain* of fresh 



Vhole 



, fall- 



■rhid 



which 



up these deposi 



at its mouth th 

 becomes carrot 



nv-, ! njWl 



hundreds yan 



H tt ■ 



where even th< 



attest silently 

 porlation. "Th 

 river bed occii] 

 Slowly moving 



Along tie- pi 

 Vegetation OS U 

 zone. We not 

 attains here a h 

 eral a thickly 

 the closea 



shells, 

 tlignei 



indicate a recent rising of the land. 



Is disappear, I. he broad valley which 



B terminal funnel of a huge glacial gorge 



ved in, and Ike compressed current of the 



i- between high granitic walls often blita lev.' 



s apart. Huge boulders torn fre.ni their 



ied SOfnetimes into the middle of the river. 



impel nous current is unable to dislodge them, 

 but eloquently, their former agents of t.raus- 



■v arc no longer in operation, and a narrow 

 lies the center of the valley filled by a huge 



B covered by it, flourishes such 

 he southern belt of the Arctic 

 •onsist chiefly of spruce which 

 thirty feet, and form in gen- 

 rablc growth, on account of 

 y of -which in their decay have 

 tumbled down right and left, between a network of 'rotten 

 trunks, branches and roots, not unlike that of a windfall. 

 Wherever the soil favors, particularly along the river banks, 

 there are occasional small thickets oi' maple and alder with 

 a, sprinkling of birch and mountain ash. The latter are now 

 in full bloom, and their white cymes overtopping those of 

 lower bushes of osier, relieve to some I x t ■ • 1 1 1 the wilderness 

 of its rather sombre and monotonous aspect . 



There are quite a number of pretty ftowei's just now in 

 full bloom corresponding in lime of their development with 

 our early .tunc, but 1 notice that many species bloom here 

 simultaneously, which are sepaiated with us by wider inter- 

 vals of time. The wild strawberry, marsh marigold, spring 

 anemone, dwarf laurel, bloom side by side of the blue bells; 

 epilobium.erige.ron and beach peas. All of them must, accom- 

 modate themselves in order to product ripened seed to a 

 short summer, and they create thereby the pli 



short summer, and they create thereby the pleasing aspect 

 of a flowery carpet, which, however, only lasts a. few weeks, 

 the happy honeymoon of the Arctic zoue. 



But, never a rose without its 

 vet a northern wilderness, no 



bright. Mowers, without its -re, 

 This manifests itself here in 

 veution of the mosquito, black 

 each tribe is legion-, they are 

 hloodthirstv black fly has eon 

 witii the setting sun, the exen 

 quito breaks upon the stillness 

 martyrdom: man and. beast all 

 pests. No matter how SUCCC 

 uga.inst, these two insiduous 

 still in reserve, and sure to ce 

 traveler in these woods has fcal 

 cautions. Mosquito netting t 

 market, is the only effectual si 

 sheeting which, nulwithslaudi 

 I d ri h 'he delicious c « 

 eveu in July and August. Tl 

 Mi ii-n.ii;, ' which in virtue ol 

 scopie size and hot poisonous 

 meat. A combination of 

 strong Ivy admixture of tit 

 out smarting, proved t 

 meat against mosquito 

 remedy, which h 



thorus, and never was there 

 matter how embellished by 

 i drawback, 



a threefold way by the inter- 

 tly and sandfly: The name of 

 everywhere, and when the 



; tanj edj tralto of the mob- 



of the night and adds to the 

 ce Suffer from these dreadful 

 isfully you may battle even 



highly effective iu ki 

 scent, the inv 

 allay the seve 

 •y. afteo the origin! 



By being properly 

 a netting of Due gau 

 band rroin the rim n 

 ance to both black rb 

 hovered often like th 



Thecal at m n, m 

 motion, suffered ten- 

 and punctured with 

 could be induce I to 

 withstanding the sw 

 stream very rapidly, 

 and only rea 



Where 1 attempted ii 

 to g?t . veu a i-mdc 

 cidedlv encouraging 



obvious. No: 



latt. 



nc this sumnie 



and black die 



sen published a 



■ping off by its i 

 but. it had 



ed 



s the only 



I countless i 



g. is the 111 

 ' oil and . 

 as the skin 



idllv 



Iter still, light 



. causes tin dis- 



anedy against, 

 st dreaded tor- 



No 



of the st ii 



tvhi 



o.j i .i 1 1 I ei 

 ml mosquito 



dd bii 

 wMoh 



pn 



-ok trout, hut 

 h inui 

 istabi 



l.s sometimes' for 

 d. 



ally protected 'ri- 

 ms of an elastic 



successful deft- 

 duringdaylime, 

 cad. 



ii, ; : contflially-in 

 i t n swollen 

 I ore they 

 paratious. Not- 

 ■. they poled up 

 nr miles an hour, 

 small tributary, 

 ■rout, bur tailed 



nhabited by fin 



collect, on this 

 Where they remain until beg 

 gradually make their ascent 

 was thus in Julv and early i 

 ing at tic- mouth of the St. 

 migratory swarms had not y 

 sized trout are occasionally 

 the falls, while the angler i 

 summer his 3j near ihc nios 

 below them. ' The absence t 



that along Lite shows. ,N' 

 jc-- ,: save that of the Dcca* 

 ra, which build their net 

 the banks of clav. or the wit 

 Bl we notice tt few whitc-b 

 thioated sparrows. The fo: 

 hanks like the sand-martin 

 here. As we advance the 



Then 



out fish 



. A fits 



dmon po 



n dec)) holes alo 



creased by depth and in velocity, foams along, forming 

 series after series of white-crested rapids. From time to 

 time we see on these the harbor seal, making its way for the 

 salmon pools, their favorite grounds. Since these' animals 

 cannot -uceesslully swim against the rapid current, they 

 facilitate their progress by a" series of leaps, which, by then 

 quick succession, attest, to their marvellous muscular 

 powers. 



The abnormally dry summer which prevailed last year 

 upon the north shore "was terminated by one of the most ex- 

 tensive and destructive forest tires which have ever been 

 known upon these coasts. Tor hundreds of miles inland 

 and tdose to the seashores this great conflagration raged all 

 August, and all but exterminated not only' the wild animals 

 upon which the Indians depend for fur and meat, but, also 

 several of the small fishing settlements scattered at intervals 

 along the seashore. Near by, pretty Mingan escaped un- 

 banned, to judge from its seaward view, but only a few 

 hundred yards back of the. dark green belt of low spruce 

 trees which fringe, the shores, the havoc wrought by ibis 

 jrres di i 'station is painfully manifest by the burned and 

 charred stumps of the trees! the only remnants of tt once 



luxurious fares! growth. 



The. mouth of the St. Johns is hut fourteen miles west of 

 that, the Mingan and (lie houses about it barely escaped 

 destruction. The path forest, tires take, runs, 'however, 

 rarely in a straight, line. While some parts of the forest are 

 entirely swept away, others perhaps not a half a mile on 

 cither side of the fiery highway remain all standing, and I 

 Felt surprised to see often, far miles not a single vestige of 

 the conflagration, which f had been assured irfltdc ;i. clean 

 sweep. Near the great falls, however, which are but a mill 

 or so above the encampment of Messrs. Garland and Bland, 

 the fire had raged in all its full fury, and seemed to havi 

 culminated. As far as the eye could reach, nothing but a 

 sightless charred wilderness remained. So quick was the. 

 advance of the Homes tied, the party then fishing there bad 

 a very narrow escape and lost nearly al) of their camping 

 materials and provisions. Mr. Bland related to me. that the. 

 tent above his head was lifted bodily off the ground by a 

 vortex of conflicting aerial currents, and carried up with 

 the glowing atmosphere above, where it was consumed 

 He only owed his own safety to the canoes. Which were 

 moored within a few yards of the tent, and conveyed with- 

 out a moment's delay the anglers and their men beyond the. 

 limits of ilange. 



It may be here perhaps of some interest to those interested 

 in salmon fishing, and the ways and means employed to 

 carry on this sport, to learn how much comfort may be 

 enjoyed when propel' arrangements are made. Camping 

 out, 'so often accompanied by personal inconveniences, 

 becomes by their intervention an enjoyable luxury. We 

 have visited in former veins several of these fishermen's 

 camps on the Kestigouehe. Nipisighuit, York, Dartmouth 

 and Cast apediae rivers, but never approached in point of 

 completeness and practical conveniences that erected for 

 several years past near the falls of the St. Johns by Messrs. 

 Garland and Bland. Both of these gentlemen arc what is 

 termed off-hand old stagers, and they have succeeded by 

 their vast experience, extending over manv years in nearly 

 all parts of the world, to reach the culmination of ideal 

 comfort in the wilderness. The site of their present camp 

 is within fifty yards of the river, and alongside a, little ice 

 cold brook "which furnishes in the hottest time of the 

 day a refreshing drink. All trees and bushes near by which 

 Serve Eor convenient lurking places of noxious insects arc 

 completely removed, leaving them a large airy space of an 

 ■ or more, on which there arc three Tents, a floored com- 

 pactly built; frame: house tor cooking purposes and shelter 

 of their men, and a little dining-house. The latter is sur- 

 rounded on all sides with wire gauze in place of boards, and 

 is thus a perfectly mosquito-proof retreat, where the sports- 

 man can enjoy his meals and a quiet pipe with as much 

 comfort, as in any well titled out, silting room. Comfortable 

 canvas stretchers and other like contrivances complete, the 

 furniture, all designed for solid comfort, not 



Their help is the best obtainable at Gaspf 

 were shipped to the St. Johns. The force av 

 of four oanoemen. along With Ben, the cook, 

 under careful and critical training for a, a 

 until lie has remodeled and improved upon h 

 wood notions ami now turns out from time to time as good 

 dishes from the smoky depths of his workshops as could be 

 expected in a well-served restaurant, Nor docs the vista of 

 a beautiful river, (dear as crystal and often well stocked 

 with large salmon undisturbed by anyone, not. eveu the 

 sing Indian, impair the digestive processes. Fishing used 



when 

 lablc 

 ho h 

 nber ( 

 form 



:Onsis 



IS bet 



f yea 



srbae 



y 



.s 



to hi 



alien t. but a fe 



Tt 



ado 



i fly 



Maurice, both of Lc 

 Fishing on these i 



th has, how 

 point of number and 

 had been taken from 

 S of August, This 

 ion of Natashquan, 



ig fourteen pounds, 



Messrs. Do \ere and 



"■-,1 by beginning of June, when 

 v, belles down gradually and be- 

 tter end of July. Morning and 

 night are considered here, as elsewhere, as the best, hours 

 for sport. Thesilvei doctor, golden pheasant and Jock Scot 

 are the favorite flies, the latter in particular is considered as 

 the most, taking. The casting is made from the shore, which 

 has general ly wide, open gravel beaches, or from canoes, 

 which, when handled by two skillful men, are often prefer- 

 able. The rish captured are turned over to the men, who 

 either salt, or smoke them. 



We soou feel at, home in company with aentle.meii, who 

 are virtual true- sportsmen in the fullest sense of the word. 

 The older of the twain, Mr. Garland, may claim the atten- 

 tion of the reader by a passing notice. In point of his com- 

 pact mold and massive, physique he fain reminds us of the 

 old Norman type personified in a Warwick or rather the 

 powerfully built Goths so graphically portrayed in Kings- 

 h v'- ' ' il vpatia. " Though near sixl y years of age he is still 

 more active and vigorous than many men half of his age, 

 s to bid defiance to the encroachments of time in 

 iihvsi.-al health. H 



which 

 apids, the 



lifts 



vie 



rid form deep gorges, through which the riv 



virtue, of al: 



might fill Volumes if written down, since bis travels 

 tended tor many years OVl I Sorat "fthe most, famous hunt- 

 ing grounds upon our glpbe, <bte of the very fir,-.! while 

 men who stood at the brink of the great fulls of the Zambesi, 

 be has hunted these remote grounds from its mouth to near 

 its sources for the lion, elephant, hippopotamus and rhino- 

 ceros, not to speak of the countless species of antelopes, 

 gazelles and other ruminants for which South Africa, is 

 famed. There is not a, corner ol our own Western Territories, 

 from west, of the Mississippi to the shores of the I'aeiric, 



where the crack of his rifle has not been beard, and his ad- 

 ventures in our own continent alone could fill volumes. 

 Added to these stupendous journeys arc several years of res- 

 idence in South America, when in pursuit of the guanaco 

 he crossed, several limes, the snow-crowned Andean ranges. 

 and thus rounded off his practical experiences concerning 

 all of the notable game in our western hemisphere. Slot 

 withstanding all of these achievements, well calculated to 

 instil a, due allowance of pardonable vanity, the bearing of 

 this prince of sportsmen remains vet as simple and unaf- 

 fected as that of a child, east with the mold of ail great, na- 

 tures wherever and in whatever profession we chance to 

 meet them. May he enjoy for many long years, to come a, well- 

 earned, happy, ripe age, the personification of typical manly 

 sentiments, kind in ail of Ids impulses, and of a east such as 

 we are wont to often picture ideally hut rarely, if ever, 

 realize. 



There is one, member of the company whom I almost for- 

 got to mention, though His history and daily life are not at 

 all devoid of interest. It is Jumbo the beaver, a ptvi.tly little 

 pet six months of age. as tame ass dog and ahuost aa af- 

 fectionate to his human master as a little cliild. His mother 

 was trapped by Indians, who captured the WX weeks old 



eration. Jiinilio has learned since to come quickly when 

 called by anyone belonging to the camp, although he mani- 

 fests a, decided preference for Fred. Beatty. who has taken 

 him under his especial care and protection, lie wanders 

 about without having any restraint put upon his movements, 

 and fakes regularly his morning and evening bath in the 

 near-by river, after which he makes a careful toilet, dries 

 himself as near as he can, and retires for his night's rest un- 

 der a blanket in any one of the tents, unless be is. put into 

 his box. He has at command a variety of sounds expressive 

 of his feelings, some of which resemble those a petted child 

 is prone to utter. Though by nature amicably and peace- 

 fully inclined, he is occasionally aroused fo Ills of anger, 

 in which, he uses his forepaws and deals blows right and left; 

 With about as much dexterity as a. child could employ. 

 Though his teeth arc well developed, lie has never yet shown 

 any inclination to bite. 



The development of its transmitted instincts, which ought 

 to manifest themselves by a natural tendency to construct, 

 dams and like Structures is slow, and he is 'not in the least 

 concerned about the arrangement or accumulation of any 

 loose sticks or branches. The last and only one of his feat's 

 in this line, is recorded of him when he was finally taken to 

 Gaspe, where he was busy in digging a large and deep hole 

 at the banks of a, little creek near flic house, where he lived 

 on good terms with a large dog. 1 am assured, however, 

 by old hunters, that, the beaver in a state of nature does not 

 attain to the. full development of his constructive faculties 

 until the fourth year, and Jumbo, though in splendid con- 

 dition and as rounded as an Ohio pig, is only one-third 

 grown and baldly as large as a woodchuck. A series of 

 observations mad.'' upon his further achievements and de- 

 velopment, would be of unquestionable value and shed much 

 light upon what has hi en asserted and surmised in respect, to 

 the habits of this most intelligent creature. 



tl is here worthy of note that many animals' taken from 

 this wilderness domesticate very rapidly. A. full grown 

 hairy woodpecker (P<W/.v villosus) became last year an inmate 

 of the cam]), and grew more bold and familiar than 

 any tame domesticated bird. If would fly off to p arts un- 

 known during the day, hut: returned invariably before night, 

 and had the habit to light in the most unconcerned manner 

 upon the head of shoulder of any man who happened to be 

 near. There is uow a. tame young raven at the Southwest 

 Point lighthouse on Anticotsla. which prefers the buildings 

 about the tower fo the near by woolIs. It flies off for long 

 distances along the beach, but. makes frequent calls, par- 

 ticularly when it notices any open window, where it may 

 have an Opportunity to indulge: in its incurable thievery and 

 hiding propensities. 



Our stay al the falls of lie: Si. .inhns is, however, brief, as 

 fishing is 'growing poor. The encampment, is broken up 

 for Ibis season, and all moveable materials are transferred 

 to six canoes, which are loaded to their utmost, capacity ami 

 carry rapidly their cargoes to the mouth of Ihc river, where 

 the general headquarters are fixed. Within gunshot of the 

 house lies our neat small schooner, a, metamorphosed quon- 

 dam fishing boat, like Ca-.hei- which is used for excursions 

 along the coast, when time threatens to grow dull. As there 

 are yet a few weeks fo pass, everything" is put in readiness 

 and a force of four men selected as the needed complement 

 for the three boats which are hoisted on board. Our destin- 

 ation is a short excursion to the near by Mingan Islands. 

 They stretch for about ninety miles at a short distance from 

 the north shore, which they fringe like a disjointed neek- 

 e is far as Natashquan, Cnlikc the rocks on the. main 

 shore they arc formed of limestone, evenly steatified and 

 closely resembling by texture and fossil remains those of 

 .Inlicosti Island, which is separated from them by a strait 

 of about, twenty miles in width. There is no doubt" but that 

 they were once united with the' former, which formed the 

 southern shores of the mainland, of which ilwtis _once an 

 mlcgral portion . L. 



t,iiiui[ul ]§ijiiQttJ. 



THE MASSASAUGA'S BITE. 



CAN it be thirty-seven years ago this vety September, 

 since Charlev Vance did the Write) ■><■■• induced to 

 leave Western New York with its grand old forests and 

 abundance of sport; for the rather new and decidedly ua 

 healthy regions of Southern Michigan? Tbmpus f<10t 



Every gray-haired lover of rod and gun can call to mind 

 localities which he has been induced to seek by some slight, 

 hint from one in whom he had faith, and who had been 

 there, in our ease it. was •flarl Meyers," a young giant, 

 a crack shot, and a full pattern of a. man every way. Barf 

 had done Southern Michigan pretty thoroughly for four 

 mouths, with a twelve pound Iveutueky rifle and his knap- 

 sack for his only companions, He expressed the opinion 

 that nowhere mi earth could a pleasantei country and greater 

 abuud8tt.ee of 8sh autl game lie found than in the region he 

 had prospected. 



He particularly endorsed tin.' country lying north of Hud- 

 son. I,i nav.ee county, and he thought Devil Lake about the 

 finest spot lie had ever struck for a camp. Bass, pickerel, 

 grouse, deer, turkeys, quail, squirrels, rabbits, too plenty. A 

 man was tempted to shoot beyond reason. His story was 

 told late in October; it turned us. All through the winter 

 we talked it, up iu our little cosy room, and organized our 



