Termi, Five Dollnra a Year, 
Ten Cents a Copy. 
NEW YORK, THURSDAY. APRIL 22, 1875. 
Volume 4, Number II. 
1 ** Chatham Mr. (City Hall e^r.) 
For Forest and Stream. 
(feariboo punting in J $ ova $colia. 
A BOUT the first of the present year a friend and I ar- 
ranged to have a few days in the woods after cari- 
boo, and as it may interest some of your readers, I enclose 
an account of our hunt. 
Having heard that good sport was to be had in Cumber- 
land county, our first step was Jo communicate with an 
Indian hunter from whom we had received the informa- 
tion, and on his expressing his approval of our scheme we 
set about our preparation. My friend, whose experience 
in hunting matters is considerable, took charge of the com- 
missariat, consisting of salt pork, canned fish, biscuit and 
tea, with a multitude of minor necessaries, which were put 
iu packages suitable to carry, as we expected to have to 
back our loads before we reached the hunting ground. 
After several delays, caused by the “Intercolonial" being 
blocked with snow drifts, we finally started on the 12th of 
January. The snow, which in Halifax had a crust that 
would bear a man, was quite soft away from the coast, and 
as we approached the station (where we left the rail) it pre- 
sented a white soft carpet, with the fences and stumps just 
showing on the surface. We therefore anticipated pretty 
heavy snow-shoeing. 
At. the station we were interviewed by Joseph, the brother 
of our correspondent, who was in waiting to conduct us to 
the presence of the hunters, Abraham and Jacob. After 
considerable debate with them as to which grounds would 
give us the best sport, we finally decided to go in about 
twenty miles by the road and then strike into the woods. 
Our party now consisted of my friend and myself, the two 
Mickmack hunters (Abraham and Joseph), and the boy Jo- 
seph, to keep camp, cook, and chop wood, the latter no 
easy task when the thermometer ranged from fifteen to 
twenty degrees below zero. When we packed ourselves 
with our rifles, snow-shoes and provisions into a large 
sleigh, we made a pretty fair load, and very soon found 
that it was to be no easy matter to get along through the 
snow over a road little broken. The Indians had frequent- 
ly to tramp after the team as it struggled through the heavy 
drifts. We arrived at the first stage of our journey about 
dark, and after an hour’s rest we again started. The most 
difficult part of the road was now to be traversed. We 
were provided with fresh horses and a stronger sleigh, and 
dashed off in good spirits, but soon found our pace checked, 
as the roads, not having been traveled on since the last 
storm, had from four to five feet of deep snow on them. 
Through this the powerful horses plunged and struggled; 
but as wc came to an exposed part of the road, where the 
drift had packed more eolid, they stuck fast, und finally 
laid down. Our driver showed himself equal to the emer- 
gency. Freeing the exhausted animals from the sleigh, he 
urged them through the drift, and then, when they could 
get footing, a drag chain was attached to the sleigh, which, 
freed from its load, and all hands pushing, soon worked 
through. Our next halt took place at a clearing to which 
we had wandered off the road, and as no trace of the high- 
way could be found, the Indians were sent off on snow- 
shoes to recover the lost direction, which they soon suc- 
ceeded in doing. 
Presently the welcome sight of a farm house, with a 
cheerful light showing from its windows, and volumes of 
smoke and sparks issuing from the chimney, showed that 
our journey for the night was at an end. Here we found 
the Indian (Jacob) who had preceded us, and having roused 
the inmates from their beds had got on a roaring fire pre- 
pared for our comfort. In its cheerful warmth we soon 
forgot our fatigue. We learned from our host that the 
signs of game were numerous, and he thought we had 
every prospect of a successful hunt. The Indians stretched 
themselves on the floor before the fire, and we retired to 
bed, our minds full of the anticipated sport. In the morn- 
ing we made an early start, with our kit packed on a sled, 
and after a pleasant tramp of about six miles through the 
forest we arrived at our camp. This structure, which had 
been built by an Indian hunter, was about twelve feet by 
ten; three feet from the ground it was built of hewu logs, 
packed with moss; from this foundation poles about two 
inches thick were placed nine inches apart, sloping together 
at the top to form a cone; on the poles are stretched pieces 
of birch bark, commencing at the bottom and working up, 
each piece lapping the one below. This is continued to 
within about a foot of the top, which is left open for the 
smoke to escape. Cross poles are put around the camp, 
and the upright poles lashed to them, which effectually 
binds the structure. A piece ol' canvas serves for a door. 
This does not seem a very comfortable dwelling to inhabit, 
with the thermometer below zero, as it was during our 
stay, but we did not find it inconveniently cold, except 
when the fire was allowed to get low. The domestic ar- 
rangements were very simple; the cook, with his utensils, 
took possession of one side of the camp, the two hunters 
the space opposite the door; wc stretched ourselves oppo- 
site the cook, and in the centre was built the lire, a very 
important part of our arrangements. A few boughs of the 
spruce tree were spread to lie on, and everything was com- 
plete. 
Having settled everything in the camp and left Jcfccph 
in charge, we set out to explore the neighborhood. Our 
snow-shoes were now made 'to play an important part, as it 
was impossible to go a dozen steps without them, the trav- 
eling through the woods being very different from shoeing 
it on the level road, and many a toss and plunge headfore- 
most into the snow had to bo borne as the top of the shoe 
caught in the hidden branch of some low spruce; or the 
traveler, climbing over the fallen trunk of some giant of 
the forest, finds snow-shoes very inconvenient for that kind 
of exercise. We hunted about three hours that afternoon, 
and found several moose yards, a term applied to the sec- 
tion of country which one or more of these animals had 
selected as a feeding ground. Moose are very local in their 
habits, and while the food holds out will stay in one local- 
ity until disturbed. As the season for killing moose has 
been closed for a term of three years in our Province we 
of course did not hunt up the yards, and therefore returned 
to camp without seeing any sign of cariboo. The next 
day we took another direction, making an early start. It 
was snowing pretty heavily, the going being very bad, so 
that our order of march was in Indian tile, the hunters 
taking turns at leading or breaking the way, the rest fol- 
lowing in their footsteps. We soon came on more moose 
signs, and presently started an old bull moose out of a 
clump of firs. He dashed off through the deep snow, leav- 
ing a track which the Indians were ready to follow if wc 
gave the word. They were in a state of excitement, like 
hounds that scented blood, and their excited looks, and 
quick, excited talk in their own language, showed that the 
law would not restrain them if left to their own devices. 
However, as we came for cariboo, not moose, forward was 
again the word. We hunted all day, and after a weary 
tramp of about twelve miles turned our faces towards the 
camp. 
The woods were full of snow in every sense of the word, 
for not only was the ground covered for four or five feet, 
but having fallen without wind the spruce and fir trees 
were heavily laden, and at the least shake deposited their 
heavy burdens on the head and shoulders of the luckless 
traveler below. We returned to camp about dark, and 
when I say we felt tired, it would fail to express the sensa- 
tions we felt as we crawled into our primitive shelter. 
Abraham consoled us with “feel better bime by, after get 
cup tea." 
The next day we separated, my friend and Jacob going 
in one direction, and Abraham and I in another. We had 
not gone-far when more moose signs appeared; we crossed 
several yards. At last Abraham said, "You like see 
moose?” Replying that I would, he examined the tracks 
carefully, then made a wide circuit through the woods, and 
then faced in the direction we had started from. He mo- 
tioned me to be careful how I walked, and presently, ex- 
tending his hand, whispered “There moose l" The animal 
(a cow moose) was lying down about thirty or forty yards 
from us. She slowly arose, and after tossing her head and 
(lapping her great cars, disappeared ns suddenly and noiso- 
lcssly as a shadow. 
“Fut barren cow; good fresh meat; bettor than salt 
pork;” was the reproachful remark of Abo as wc turned 
from the moose aud resumed our way. We returned to 
camp without success, to find the others lmd done no bet- 
ter. We held a counsel as to our next move, ns wo had de- 
cided that there were no cariboo iu our viclnitv. Several 
places were suggested, nud tho final decision was to go fur- 
ther in. As an early start was necessary, tho Indians set 
about making a “taboggnn.” This useful article in the 
woods is simply a very light froino sleigh. The treo of 
which wc made it was growing in front of our camp at 
dusk, and by ten o’clock it was a tnboggnu. Tho ouly tools 
used were an axe to fell tho tree, a knife to shape the pieces, 
und a small auger; with these they turned out a very neat 
and serviceable taboggan, or hand sled. We prepared to 
start early in the morning, taking with us only such arti- 
cles as were absolutely necessary; each one took a back 
load. Abraham and Jacob undertook the taboggun, thoy 
bringing up the rear and drawing tho sled on tho track 
made by our snow shoes. Wc went about six miles further 
into the woods to another camp, and got into it early in tho 
afternoon. After getting dinner .Abraham und I started 
out. We came on another moose, a large bull, who had 
shed or cast his horns. lie went off at a tearing rate 
through the snow, as if it wore so much air. Wo saw no 
sign of cariboo, and returned to camp. Tho noxt day being 
Suuday wo remained in camp; but the two hunters started 
off to make a more extended search for game. Towards 
night they returned with the welcome news that cariboo 
had crossed Borne distance from the camp, but coming to- 
wards it. 
On Monday morning we startod in good spirits, and after 
about an hour’s walk from tho camp struck tho tracks. We 
followed them into a grove of pino trees, where tho cariboo 
had rested, as the many hollows in the snow showed whero 
they had laid down. Crossing tho grove, we came to a 
swamp with a thin growth of bushes, and hero wo first got 
sight of our game. They were feeding on the moss that 
grew profusely on the trees, and wo could soo a head raised 
and withdrawn ere we could get a shot. Wc moved off In 
the direction in which they were feeding, and as wc gained 
an opening in the bushes the leudor appeared. I raised my 
rifle, and taking deliberate aim fired. The animal bounded 
at the shot, and sprung away. “Too high!" cried Abe. As 
the herd rushed past, my friend fired twice und missed; a 
second time I fired, and this time too low, as the snow flew 
from under a fine stag who brought up the roar. We looked 
at each other in blank amazement, not feeling at all flat- 
tered at the result of our marksmanship. I did not feel 
at all nervous or excited when taking my first shot, but, as 
Is often the case, supposed the Bhot to be a longer one than 
it really was. We now started after the cariboo, which 
were making good time away. Following at a good pace 
by cutting across and taking advantage of tho ground, wo 
caught an occasional sight of the herd, and my fricn l had 
another shot, but missed. We now separated, Abraham 
and I following in the track of the herd, tho others cutting 
across to intercept them. Wc now found out the truth of 
the saying, that a stern chase is a long one, for we had a 
long and tiresome pursuit, which ended in my having a 
long shot, wounding a buck in tho back. Our distance 
from the camp, and the lateness of the hour, prevented us 
from following farther. We were now u long way from 
camp, and had gono in every possible direction; but Abra- 
ham, although he had never been in this part before, looked 
at the setting sun, and after considering a moment struck 
off through the forest. He had calculated the direction sp 
accurately that we came in almost a direct line to the camp. 
Here wo found the rest had arrived before us, and I, who 
considered myself (not without cause) a good shot with a 
rifle, had to stand considerable chaffing about my ill luck. 
Abraham said “Cariboo not like target." 
The next day we started again, Abraham and I to folio* 
L U 
