122 



RECREA TION. 



sheep skins, put them out of the reach of 

 varmints and retired, happy and well sat- 

 isfied with our day's work. 



We had also secured a number of small 

 mammal skins and we now set to work to 

 prepare our stuff to be taken out of the 

 mountains. When we reached Telegraph 

 Creek my pack was found to weigh just 

 98 pounds, not including hunting coat or 

 gun. Such is the pleasure of collecting 

 natural history specimens in remote moun- 

 tainous districts. 



A few days will be spent here, among the 

 Thaltans, collecting such history as I may, 

 concerning the tribe; learning of their 

 traditions; getting measurements of a num- 

 ber of them; photographing a few typical 

 faces, and securing all possible information 

 concerning fur bearing and game animals 

 within their territory, etc. 



We will then go to the head of Dease 

 lake, 70 miles farther, and from there we 



go about 15 miles into the hills, for wood- 

 land caribou. 



Leaving the lake October 1st we shall 

 go down Dease river, through the country 

 of the Kaskas, and from the mouth of 

 Dease (its confluence with the Liard) we 

 go down the Liard about 100 miles, where 

 we expect to make headquarters for the 

 winter. We shall then be about 600 miles 

 from the coast. 



Below this point, on the Liard, there is 

 a series of very bad rapids, around which 

 portages are made, in summer, by canoe- 

 men. One of these rapids is 7 miles.long 

 and means a great deal of labor, where 

 there is much luggage. We expect to 

 avoid all of this by using the frozen river, 

 in winter, for a roadway, and will sleigh 

 our baggage about 90 miles before the 

 river breaks up. From the point thus 

 reached we will have good canoeing all the 

 way to the Mackenzie. 



AT ROUND LAKE, IN THE ADIRONDACKS. 



SEAVER A. MILLER. 



Dr. J. C. Russell, Fred. F. Sorvell, Fred. 

 J. Balch and A. Clark went to Round lake, 

 in the autumn of '96, for a deer hunt. Our 

 camp was at the foot of Ampersand moun- 

 tain, about 10 miles from the village of 

 Saranac. It was the time of the full moon, 

 and the Doctor, being of a romantic turn of 

 mind, suggested making the trip by moon- 

 light. 



Accordingly at 7 o'clock, on the evening 

 of October 2d, we launched our skiffs. The 

 night was perfect. We were all in excellent 

 spirits, and almost before we were aware 

 of it we found ourselves in the centre of 

 Lower Saranac. After resting and re- 

 freshing ourselves we continued the jour- 

 ney, passing through Cluster bay, sur- 

 rounded by its numerous green islands; 

 past " the bluff," through " the narrows," 

 where the projecting shores vainly en- 

 deavor to meet, and thence to the head of 

 the lake and into the Saranac river, which 

 is the outlet of Round or Middle Saranac 

 lake — our destination. 



The distance from middle to lower lakes, 

 is about 3 miles, and is made by following 

 up the winding river, in which are heavy 

 falls. At one side of these falls is a pas- 

 sage way of planks, where passers to and 

 fro may walk and tow their boats. 



The Doctor and I had little difficulty in 

 urging our craft through, and we soon 

 passed the narrow outlet and were sailing 

 on the calm, placid waters of Round lake. 

 Tn 15 minutes more we were at our camp. 

 The work of unloading our boats, prepar- 



ing fuel, etc. was soon accomplished, and 

 before 10 o'clock the camp was in order, 

 the fire roaring and the kettle singing a 

 mepry song. Then each man hung his Win- 

 chester or Marlin, and his double barrel 

 shot gun, in the rack, and revolvers and 

 cartridge belts were arranged. After sup- 

 per comfortable beds of balsam boughs 

 were made, and with plenty of blankets, an 

 abundance of provisions, and everything 

 needful for perfect enjoyment, we sat 

 around the blazing camp fire and arranged 

 for the morrow's hunt. 



It was decided that Balch should watch 

 the South Creek territory, that the Doctor 

 should be stationed on the sand beach, mid- 

 way between Turtle point and the Amper- 

 sand trail, and that Sorvell and I were to 

 keep our eyes open that no deer crossed 

 the river. He chose to watch at the hay- 

 stack, on the shore of the river, and I was 

 to be stationed at a leaning cedar tree, a 

 short distance below. 



There is something remarkable about 

 that haystack. It seems to have perpetual 

 life. I have been there every fall, for 

 years, and no matter how demolished it be- 

 came, by our continual climbing on it, it 

 always stood as erect and looked as fresh 

 as ever, when I came to watch at it the fol- 

 lowing season. It also seems to have a 

 special attraction for deer; for I have never 

 hunted in its vicinity when at least one deer 

 was not shot by the man stationed at the 

 stack. 



At 7 o'clock, we were all at our stations, 



