98 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 
lustily. During the day we encountered much ice, solid 
fields of which extended out from the land, but we were 
able to get along without much obstruction. Several 
white wolves were seen on the shore as we passed, and 
at some places, where landings were made, numerous 
little ermines were observed darting about among the 
rocks. The formation of the coast was found to consist 
largely of a remarkable looking ferruginous conglom- 
erate,and despite the extremely barren and dreary aspect 
of the country, a large variety of beautiful little flowers 
were collected. 
At nightfall, after a long day’s struggle with the 
opposing elements, as we were hauling the canoes— 
ashore towards the shelter of some rocky cliffs, we were 
suddenly set upon by a pack of huge grey wolves. A 
great gaunt, hungry-looking brute with dilated eye- 
balls led the attack. He was the largest wolf in the 
pack and a daring brute, but for once, at least, he met 
with a surprise, as he was promptly bored from end to 
end with a slug from my brother’s rifle. The leader of 
the pack having been thus treated, the others fled, but 
revenged themselves by howling at us all night long 
from the surrounding hills. 
With the pack several little wolves had been noticed, 
and when the old ones beat their retreat an effort was 
made to capture some of them, but unsuccessfully, for 
just as young partridges suddenly and mysteriously dis- 
appear in the leafy woods when danger threatens, so 
did these young wolves disappear among the rocks, and 
though we searched carefully and must have been with- 
in a few yards of them, we could not get sight of one. 
I have said the wolves here encountered were grey. 
