Oct. 33, 1897.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
bog meantime, slowly settling beneath me until I was 
half-knee deep in water, I moved on without pandering 
further to my curiosity. 
How deer manage to cross these bogs with their sharp 
honfs is a raysteryj yet they do, for the bogs are all striped 
and checked by their trails running in every direction. 
We were constantly getting into thick tangles of bushes, 
through which it was almost impossible to move, but we 
worried along somehow. Rice River seemed to be as de- 
void of ducks as the lake, for we saw none until near noon, 
when we finally discovered a flock of mallards in a bend 
of the river. 
There was a large flock of them extending round the 
bend from our point of observation, and how much further 
we knew not. Making a detour, we crept out on to them 
with one wing of the flock on our right and the other on 
our left. The undergrowth on the point was very dense, 
and as we moved stealthily along we could see nothing, 
though we could hear the ducks quacking and splashing 
the water. At length I caught the glimmer of water 
ahead and the faint outline of ducks swimming about 
in it. 
Halting, I told my companions to proceed, and vt'hen 
they got ready to give the signal, as I was going to shoot 
from where I was. The baggageman, working down on 
the left, Boon announced his readiness for the fray, while 
George turned his battery to the right and began to adjust 
it. At this I drew head at the glimmer of water ahead 
and wa,ited the signal. When it came I fired both barrels 
in rapid succession, and then there was a scrambling 
for the open to see the effect of the shots. When I got to 
the point there were six mallards struggling in the water, 
while a seventh was just disappearing in the grass on the 
opposite shore. It chanced that in their death struggles 
the ducks worked apart, three to the right and three to 
the left, until some 12 or 15ft. divided them. At this junc- 
ture George and the baggageman came up from opposite 
directions, and seeing the situation, shouted with one ac- 
cord, "I got three!" 
This left me without any, yet I was not greatly grieved. 
As we stood on the margin of the river, beneath the over- 
hanging trees, a small flock returned and hovered over the 
dead ones. True to the hunter's instinct, at the whistle of 
wings my gun flew to my shoulder, and selecting two birds, 
I "let go." My two companions did the same, with the 
result of each of them getting a bird, while I got "nary a 
feather." When it came to a division of the spoils they 
elected to take three ducks, leaving me the other two. 
This I declined to do, saying as I had killed no ducks I 
would carry no duck. Thus it was when we resumed our 
journey, they two were heavily laden, while I tripped away 
light as a maiden's dream of love. 
The^est of the trip to Kimberly was one dreary monot- 
ony of stumbling over logs and bogs, and tearing through 
bramble thickets, relieved in one place by my running 
into a bunch of jacksnipe and frightening my companions 
into thinking I was crazy by rushing wildly about and 
shooting at nothing, as they thought. And later, after I 
had explained to them what I was shooting at by doubling 
up three twisters in succession, and causing grave doubts 
to enter their minds as to whether I was thoroughly de- 
ceived by the duck episode or not. 
Half a mile from Kimberly we came in sight of the 
first farmhouse, which promised us great joy in the way 
of fresh milk and bread, an' ham 'n' eggs; but we were 
disappointed on arriving there to find the folks "not at 
home." 
In Kimberly the same state of affairs prevailed, and we 
were compelled to wait at the station till the train came 
along and took us to Aitkin to a late supper. 
Soon after returning to Lamers the northern flight of 
ducks set in, and I had some good shooting on the little 
rice lake. Though sixteen mallards was my largest bag, I 
am satisfied there were days when I might have bagged a 
hundred had occasion demanded it. 
The month of October was put in waiting for the open- 
ing of the deer season, though I found it very pleasurable 
suspense loafing about the lakes and woods, taking an oc- 
casional nip at the ducks and another at the fish; yet when 
Nov. 1 did roll around I was all excitement. 
E. P. Jaques. 
[to be concltjded]. 
A HUNT NOT GENERALLY CHRON- 
ICLED. 
It was this summer— 1897— there'd 
Nothing stale about this tale, 
Its moral only old, 
Repeated here because we fear 
The lesson has grown cold. 
For weeks we had talked and planned about this hunt- 
some of us for a year. Last fall our guide found a new 
pond (there are several in ttie Adirondacks yet) whose shores 
and vicinity promised abundant game— deer sure and possi- 
bly bear. This gem of the wilderness was to be our "pre- 
serve." It was deep in the woods, yet easily accessible 
from our accustomed camp. Why should we not have 
fun? We did— but not exactlv as anticipated. Great prepa- 
rations were made. "Duflie" and ammunition in quaadty, 
five rifles and three shotguns for four men and a guide. 
Then we packed intg a one-horse lumber wagon, took a 
photo of the outfit, to insure a memento of the trip, and 
started A few miles and we left the stage road for an old 
Adirondack lumber road. Everybody knows what that 
means— we walked. "Tree across the road ! ' "Cut it out!" 
Bone. Onward— past a former camp, "where we got the 
big- buck." Then, with everything, including men, piled in 
one Uttle boat, the guide paddled a mile across a pond that 
has yielded us venison for years. We could almost smell it 
broiling over the fire. Appetite grew in proportion, for 
were we not going to repeat the experience? A half mile's 
heavy packing took everything to camp. After dinner the 
guide took the Captain and Scribe to the "preserve" and 
left them to watch for "sundown" and "sunrise" shots. We 
heard them before sundown. The big guns were far away, 
but the shot fell thick around us. X rays and Gatling guns 
in the forest? No, but a thunderstorm, such as only the 
Adirondacks can afford. We were dry under rubber 
blankets, the deer under forest trees. 
The sun comes out— will the deer? It is growing dusk. 
Bang! goes the Captain's rifle. "Did he gel him?" The 
answer is another bang. Then another gives the double 
negative. I hurry over. "Did you get him?" "I don't 
know ; I shot wliere he was,,biit it was too dark to be cer- 
tain of anything." "Well, let's make camp while we can 
see to do it." At the head of a little bay on my side the 
point a ledge rose 25ft. above the water. On the top we 
f pread our blankets and made a good tire b hind a large log. 
Hark ! Across the bay the unmistakable sounds of deer in 
the water. It is not over fifteen minutes since the dusky 
shots at nearly 200yd8., and now two or three deer are 
within 100yds or less, but we cannot see them. "N'ght her 
solemn mantle spreads," etc. Either nature is sarcastic or 
the deer know a great deal— perhaps both. We have no 
jack, for the law says we mustn't: if the moon would only 
come out— but she doesn't. Never mind, we are with 
Nature, and she is loving, though sometimes coquettish 
with the sportsman. We dry our clothes wet while gather- 
ing firewood, eat our supper, and crawl under the blankets. 
Hark! There are more deer in the pond. The fire blazes 
fitfully, but does not frighten them. Several times we even 
hear them on the knoll back of us, but the spruces are thick 
and the sight i^ dark. 
What's that? Only the rain gently dropping in our faces. 
Did we enjoy that night? Yes, more than tongue or pen can 
tell. Released from the care and confusion of city life, there 
wa? a sense of wild freedom and of joy too great for sleep, 
while the many voices of the night all spoke of that kindly 
Providence which 
"V7arms in the sun, refreshes in the breeze. 
Glows in the stars and blossoms in the trees." 
Daylight comes— the deer havegone— we follow— to camp. 
The others have had no better luck. That afternoon the 
guide takes the "cowboy," who has hunted all over the 
West, who has killed antelopes at long range, mountain lions 
with small calibers, and "silver-tips" with small shot, to 
whom in fact this trip is only a side issue, to the "preserve." 
A .45-70 Winchester is planted on "watch rock" and behind 
that they watch and wait. Promptly at 6:30 a noble deer 
stands broadside at 40yd8. Twice the battery on Gibraltar 
salutes, and then, having been sufiiciently honored, the deer 
raises its flag in response and leaves— leaves also cover it 
from view. 
The light was good— the sight was good— the nerve wasn't 
— buckfeverl- the Scribe went after more rations. Fun 
ruled the camp. The deer heard and stood aloof. Distance 
lent enchantment, The Scribe returned, and still no deer. 
Much rain was against us. Much noise was in favor of the 
deer. The hunt was not productive of game. Hence this 
chronicle. However, other trips yielded both trout and 
venison— the home ranch was supplied. And yet he is but 
a poor sportsman whose reward consists mainly in well-filled 
hag or creel, and 
"Wio finds not frovidence all gocd and wise. 
Alike in what it gives and what denies." 
JOVENAL. 
THE CANADIAN NORTHWEST. 
Fort Saskatchewan, N. W. T., Oct. Editor Forest and 
Stream: The above is the name of the most northerly post 
of the Canadian Northwest Mounted Police. An old friend, 
Major Triesbach, is in command, and on visiting him to- 
day, I was permitted to read the report of Inspector Jar- 
vis, who had been sent by the Canadian Government to 
the far North for purposes which will be found in his in- 
structions. The portion, however, relating to game and fish 
will only be ripropos in the columns of Foeest and Stream, 
but which will show how alive the Canadian Govern- 
ment is to the preservation of game, even in what Eastern 
people imagine the inaccessible regions of the far North. 
He is instructed: 
"You will get all possible information re the probable 
number of wood buflfalo in the dbuntry, their location, and 
whether the act, re their preservation, is being strictly car- 
ried out. With this object in view, you will have to visit 
as many 'trading posts' as possible in the vicinity of the 
buffalo grounds. You will direct the attention of all 
traders and hunters you come across to the necessity of 
strictly obeying the game act, and you will explain to 
them the law on the subject. It is reported that beaver 
are decreasing rapidly, in a great measure owing to the in- 
discriminate killing of young and old. The number of 
skins of unborn musk-ox calves is rapidly increasing, and 
you will make full inquiries with a view to its prevention." 
Inspector Jarvis left Fort Saskatchewan on Jan. 5, this 
year, with three dog trains of four dogs each, accompanied 
by Staff-Sergt. Hetherington, J. Tullion as guide and P. 
Lutit, Jr., as dog driver, for a long thousand-mile trip in 
the unsurveyed portion of the greater Northwest. This 
trip is interesting from the fact that it demonstrates that 
men can travel in the depth of winter over an area of 
country that many suppose to be as difficult as getting to 
the Klondyke via the Chilcoot Pass, and by the way, the 
route taken by Inspector Jarvis is the easy winter route to 
the Yukon gold fields, and, for that matter, the best and 
easiest summer route, too. Dawson City is only 1,370 
miles from Edmonton, a town about twenty miles from 
Fort Saskatchewan. A railway is being built from Ed- 
monton to Athabaska Landing, some ninety-six miles. 
When that is completed — and there is a good wagon road 
now— you can go in summer by water — all down stream — 
to the Yukon. The Government has sent out an expedi- 
tion with a view of cutting a wagon road, so that this 
dreaded trip to the Yukon via mountain passes will in a 
short time have no terrors, for the reason that you need 
not take it, and in the very near future when you 
arrive at Edmonton you will see published: "Buy your 
tickets here by stage and rail route to the Klondyke!!!" or 
''This way for the steamer to the Klondyke!" And just 
let me say that if any readers of Forest and Stream con- 
template a trip that will afford good sport e?i route, and a 
grand possibility of their never going to the Yukon— for 
this reason — that the numerous streams on this route that 
flow into the Peace River from the rich Omenica country 
contain gold. Anyone who has |250 and a ticket to Ed- 
monton can be outfitted at that point for a year for that 
amount, and if at the end of a year he does not return 
with the wealth of a Vanderbilt — yet this is among the 
possibilities — it is certain that he can make more money — 
if he will work — than he could in ten years in any East- 
ern portion of this continent. I am, however, rambliug 
from my intention of telling your readers what Inspector 
Jarvis reported he saw and did when in the far North. 
That portion of his report concerning game reads; 
Buffalo. 
I have taken great pains in making as thorough inquiries 
as possible in connection with the buffalo, their habits, 
number and range. The range of a scattered band of 
about 300 is from Peace Point to Salt River, and from Salt 
River to within twenty miles of Fort Resolution, on Great 
Slave Lake. I met a Mr. Handbury, an English sports- 
man, who is on a hunting expedition. He had just re- 
turned from an unsuccessful buffalo hunt, but he saw fresh 
tracks and beds of about sixty bufl^alo. Mr. Handbury 
returns this year, but the fear of a $200 fine will hardly 
prevent his hunt. On Feb. 12 near the Great Slave River 
we found a poisoned coyote. We traced the tracks to the 
poisoned bait. We were also enabled to discover the party 
who had laid out the poison. At my first interview with 
the offender, John Trindle, he not knowing I was a police 
official, and mistook me for Mr. Warburton Pike, who had 
been hunting buffalo and musk-ox. He was much sur- 
prised on my return to find that I had laid information 
against him and would try him at Fort Smith. If it be 
the intention of the Government to protect these nearly 
(buffalo) extinct animals, it can only be done by placing 
officials on the spot. I have in the case of buffalo and 
other game impressed on all hunters and other interested 
persons the necessity of obeying the game act, and have 
left printed notices where practicable. 
Bear. 
I find that on the upper part of Peace River over 300 
bears are killed annually for food, but being out of season 
their fur is of little or no value. 
Beaver. 
Beaver is decreasing all over the Northwest, but at Ver- 
million and Great Slave Lake this is said to be reversed, 
as the supply of skins is on the increase. I could find no 
truth in the report that kit beaver were sold at the same 
price as full grown ones, though hunters kill for food some 
young ones. 
Water Fowl. 
We camped at Lesser Slave Lake, which is well known 
from its excellent fishing and shooting. At the Hudson 
Bay post they kill for their employees every year at least 
1,500 ducks, 500 geese, and 130,000 fish, which includes 
whitefish, lake trout, pike, pickerel, etc. 
Musk-Ox. 
Musk-ox range in the barren grounds north and east of 
the country I visited. They are quite numerous, but their 
range being so extensive it is impossible to estimate their 
numbers. Cows have been killed, and their skins, as well 
as the skins of their unborn offspring, sold at Fort McRae 
and along the Mackenzie at Providence, Good Hope and 
other places. The unborn fur being very handsome is in 
great demand, but the protection of musk-ox and other 
game in this district requires a resident guardian. 
Inspector Jarvis gives besides an exhaustive report of 
the immense natural resources of the country. He tells 
of the different Indian tribes he visited: "Dogribs," 
"Slavies," "Salteauxs," "Caribou Eaters," "Chippeweyans," 
"Crees," J'Yellow Knives," etc., and describes their pecu- 
liar habits. He mentions finding at a river near Fort 
Smith a fish, called there "I'incomme," resembling a large 
red salmon, but so strong in taste and smell and so oily 
that their dogs would not eat them, but the Chippeweyan 
Indians lived solely on this fish during the winter months. 
These Indians have no ambition and little knowledge of 
the outside world. As long as they have enough to fill 
themselves with they are happy. It was impossible to 
enter their houses in consequence of the stench caused by 
their eating the fish alluded to. They evidently like it, as 
moose and other game abound in the vicinity, which they 
hardly ever kill. 
Fish. 
He also gives an estimate of the quantity of fish put up 
for winter use, giving the different lakes they were taken 
from, the total being nearly 500,000. 
Jarvis and his party got back to Fort Saskatchewan on 
April 15, after having traveled upward of 2.000 miles, and 
stoj)ped and fined a number of people at different places 
for infringement of the laws of the country. This report 
dispels many illusions regarding this magnificent territory, 
so little known and understood, especially in the East. 
The illusion labored under is that it is a barren area, with 
about two months of spring, two months of fall and eight 
months of winter. I was in this district last May when 
vegetation and trees were in full leaf. I was also at 
Metaskewni on Oct. 4, this year, and saw children picking 
the second growth of wild strawberries on the prairies. 
Metaskewin is forty miles from Edmonton. There is no 
portion of the American continent— not excepting prolific 
Manitoba— that has bigger crops of wheat and other 
cereals than have been gathered this year in Edmonton 
district. I prognosticate that in a few years you will see 
this part of the world peopled with farmers, their market 
being the towns and cities that will spring up further 
north when its immense timber and mineral wealth be- 
gins to be developed. W. Cullen Bryant only anticipated 
time a few years, and had such a fertile country in his 
mind when he wrote: 
"I hear the tread of pioneers 
Of nations yet to be; 
The first low wash of waves, 
Where yet shall roll a human sea. 
The rudiments of empire here 
Are plastic yet, and warm; 
The chaos of a mighty world 
Is rounding Into form." 
Thos. Johnson. 
Snakes Oviparous and Ovoviviparous. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Permit me to refute a statement made by Jack Hildigo on 
page 283 of Fokest and Stebam. He says: "Our non-ven- 
omoiis snakes are all oviparous." they is, they lay eggs, from 
which after a certain period the young emerge. 
On the contrary, all of the many species of garter snakes 
{ThamnopTits), the common water snakes (Natrix), and the 
small brown snakes (S^<j?-f?m), are ovoviviparous, and bring 
forth living young, in the same manner as the venomous 
rattlesnake, copperhead and moccasin. That is, the young 
just before birth are covered merely with a delicate, slio-htly 
opaque membrane (not a tough, leatbery §UiD}, wbigU iAora 
