FOREST AND STREAM. 
way of disposing of the dead was the same as that of tho 
Indians of the sources of the Mississippi, the body being 
wrapped in birch bark and inclosed in a strong box made 
of square poles laid on each other horizontally. The most 
common mode of interment, however, was by placing the 
body in e wrapping of birch bark and covering it with a 
pile of stones, or where the ground was soft, a grave was 
dug and no stones placed over it. 
Cormack was particularly struck with the great extent 
of the Indian fences to entrap deer. These were con- 
structed with infinite labor, to lead the deer in their periodi- 
cal migrations into the narrow end of the lake, or into 
suitable places along the banks of the river, where, on 
taking the water, they were easily pursued and killed with 
spears. Cormack observed these fences extending for forty 
miles along the Exploits River, which runs from the lake 
in a uoble stream for seventy miles to the sea. Along the 
bank of the river the Indians felled the trees without chop- 
ping the trunks quite asunder, taking care that they fell 
parallel with the river, aud guiding every fresh-cut tree so 
B9 to coincide with and fall upon the last. The weak parts 
of the fence were filled up and strengthened with branches 
and limbs of other trees, aud secured occasionally by large 
•takes and bindiugs. They were raised to the height of 
six, eight, or ten feet, as the nature of the ground required. 
Evidently it required a numerous tribe to erect and main- 
tain such fences. “ It is melancholy,” says Cormack in his 
diary, “ to contemplate the rude yet gigantic efforts of a 
whole primitive nation, in their anxiety to provide sub- 
sistence forsaken and going to decay." The deer are there 
in as great numbers as ever, but the red men have vanished 
“like'' the snowflake on the river.” , 
Such is the sad history of the Red Indians of Newfound* 
land. Does u remuant of the race yet Survive in some 
secluded valley of the unexplored interior of tho island or 
amid the rugged hills of Labrador? It may be so, but as 
yet no trace of them has been found, and with Cormack s 
expedition, iu 1827, the last hope of finding them has been 
abandoned. Either they were gradually thinned by war 
and disease till at length, on the banks of the Red Indian 
Lake “ the last man” looked despairingly on the ruins of 
hi9 race aud the graves of bis fathers, and then wrapping 
himself in his deer skin robe9, followed his ancestors to 
happier hunting grounds of the hereafter, or, it may be, 
a little band, the relicB of a once numerous nation, took a 
last mournful look at tho desolated scene and departed for 
Borne unknown retreat, where the murderous arm of the 
white man could not reach them, but where, with the 
fatality which followed their doomed race, annihilation 
gradually overtook them. 
For Forest and Stream. 
SPORT IN MANITOBA. 
I THINK that when full reports of tho boundary line 
recently run along the 49th parallel by a joint Bntish- 
American Commission are published, the sporting resources 
of that dismal, uninhabited, but marvelous country, stretch- 
ing away from the extreme confines of Western civiliza- 
tion towards the Rocky Mountains, will be more generally 
known. Having myself traveled over 700 miles of the 
line and for two successive years over the first *00 I am 
oret’tv well acquainted with the country lying around, and 
feel qualified to offer a few remarks on its opportunities 
for sport It is, like the country, a difficult subject to ap- 
proach. Game, as regards quantity, there is in abundance 
but iu variety it is rather restricted. I will put buffa.o and 
lftr^e game out of the question at present, and treat of 
' smaller game. During the Summer months— you may say 
from May till September— every river, lake, aud swamp 
swarms with duck, teal, mallard, plover, and every descrip- 
tion of water fowl. Geese there are also in myriads but I 
cannot say that these ancient warders of the Capitol seem 
to have degenerated in wariness, and had better be left 
alone bv those who are not blessed with an excellent tem- 
per unlimited patience, superhuman energy, and a sub- 
lime indifference to wet extremities, caused by having to 
eland for hours perhaps up to the waist in water among the 
reeds, watching for a shot, afler which, having dropped a 
bird unless von have an excellent retriever, you will chance 
to lose him, as they have an unpleasant habit (shared with 
them nv most water fowl) of diving and holding on to the 
weeds iit the bottom, thereby even in death causing nothing 
hut chagrin to the exhausted sportsman. The half breeds 
have a way of gelling them to come within range by imitat- 
ing i heir call, but l never could, and judging by the very 
few I have seen shot iu the two Summers 1 was out, 1 do 
not think ethers were much more successful. As to the 
ducks take a day we had at Long River, 200 miles west of 
Fori Garry. Wagons loaded up, breakfast over, boot and 
saddle sounded, and the column is on the march. The 
chief and a few ride ahead, where ducks are reported in 
quantities. Leaving the horses wilhiu a couple of hundred 
yards of the river, we cautiously advance to the edge of 
the bank overlooking our prey from some height. It was 
our inteniion. I am sorry to say, to have a “slap at the 
thick of 'em " and we did it. Bang! bangl goes the Colo- 
nel's \Se>Uey-, bangl bang! follow the rest in quick suc- 
cession, and when the smoke of the volley bud cleared off 
tv hut :i scene of sbiugbterl Dead and dying ducks rolling 
arid splashing in all directions, and the air above the river 
dark with their distracted relatives and friends. '1 hen the 
real work begins. It is not such an easy shot to stop a blue 
win' coming downwind forty miles an hour, then turn 
quickly and drop that big brown bird on your left. It 
puis you Hi mind of a “hot corner” in a well stocked Eog- 
hsb cover, which same battue shooting, butcherly ft» it is 
called, and injcli as it is abused, is not that easy wont out- 
Biih rs think. Let them try a day say in Lord II. s, in Nor- 
folk about the middle of October, aud they will alter their 
opinion. Enough it is to say, of a few hours of the sort 
of shooting I have endeavored to describe, that you could 
ndt count the birds. The Colonel got some eighty-four 
couple to his own gun, and among the lot there was quite 
enough to keep 100 men in game for some days if they 
wanted it; hut after we camped parties went out and con- 
tinued the slaughter with sticks; so you see a gun in these 
regions is superfluous so far as ducks arc concerned; that 
is to say if your party is strong enough to get round them 
and bother them. 
Prairie chickens, I think, offer the cream of the shooting. 
These grouse (for grouse they are, being yellow legged, and 
having the same habits and peculiar whirr), shot over a 
good dog at the right season (October), offer really very 
pretty sport; in fact, muih the same t& at a far greater ex- 
pense you get on the moors in Great Britain. We will lake 
a couple of days. M. and myself started out about the 
beginning of October two years ago; weather a lovely In- 
dian Summer. Wc started from camp at Pembina, a set- 
tlement on the Red River. The shooting is always best 
near inhabited places. I never saw many chickens after 
we bad gone 200 miles west of Fort Gariw. Our objective 
point was the ridge half way between Pembina and the 
Rousseau River, where there was a depot of the N. A. it 
C Wc took two spaniels, one an imported bitch, very 
purely bred, but good at anything, either on land or water 
(nothing so good all round as a good spaniel), and her son, 
a voung dog not very well broke, but very easy to train, 
working with and watching his mother with great patience 
and intelligence; and we had a Red River cart to carry our 
tent and provisions, drawn by a Red River pony, in charge 
of a half breed called George. These carts are institutions 
in their way, and most admirably adapted for the country 
they traverse, but not pretty to look at. Being made en- 
tirely of wood, a half breed can always mend any part of 
one that bleaks down; iu fact, give him wood and he can 
make a whole cart iu a day, or perhaps a little more. Ut 
the ponies I cannot speak too highly; the hardiness and 
endurance of these plucky little beasts is something won- 
derful and I shall never cease to remember one I rode 500 
miles carrying a weight that I believe would have broken 
down any American or Canadian horse even with its proper 
food, (they only want grass.) 
After you leave the Red River, and only the line of tim- 
ber marks its course, it is rather difficult to describe the 
country. Grass (now pretty well burnt), sky, air, a hori- 
zon, and you cannot say much more, except that sometimes 
it is rolling and sometimes as level as a billiard table; in 
this particular part diversified, however, by occasional 
clumps of tree9, and far away to the east by the shadows 
of the mighty pine forests which clothe the high ground of 
eastern hank of the Rousseau lake and river. The ridge 
to which we were proceeding is simply a ridge of prairie, 
like a little chain of hills, a large stream coursing along it 
and a considerable amount of timber «n its summit and 
slopes; a sort of oasis is the desert of prairie, and as de- 
lightful a camping ground as the heart of sportsman could 
desire. This we reached about one P. M., pitched our 
tent with the assistance of the afore-menlioned George, 
who, by the way, was rather a character in those parts, 
lie is most intensely loyal, and when the Red River rebel- 
lion broke out (I don’t suppose many people ever heard of 
that important rising; I never did until I went to Canada) 
he most unflinchingly refused to join his fellow half breeds 
iu their attempt to overthrow the existing government. 
Lately in a drunken row he managed to get one of his eyes 
put out by bis comrade throwing some lime into it in play 
as he told me, poor fellow I He was most gentlemanly and 
polite, even fora half breed, qualities by no means rare 
amoug that strange people who, I think, inherit the maxi- 
mum of their good qualities from their Indian mothers. 
To return to our chickens. After dinner we thought we 
would look them up, and accompanied by George sallied 
forth among the scrub. We were uot particular to a shade. 
1 fired at a chicken sitting on a stump, and to my intense 
astonishment I saw three rolling on the ground'. Where 
the other two came from I don't know to this day. On 
getting clear of the scrub we moved off in line, George 
taking the right. Fanny and the pup go plunging merrily 
ahead, and the fun begins. Fan worked principally in 
front of her master, occasionally giving me a turn. Some 
really pretty shooting then began, the whirr, whirr becom- 
ing quicker aud shriller as the birds rise and the bags begin 
to fill. It is easy shooting, the only point being to give 
them time, and Dot be afraid of a long shot; a very little 
kills, and a single pellet will stop them. After shooting 
till we were tired we returned to camp, George having 
about twelve brace to his bag and ourselves about twenty 
brace between us, and lot9 left behind. The evenings close 
in pretty early in these latitudes in October, and so by the 
time wood was cut, a rousing fire lighted, and our supper 
cooked, it was dark. Then for a delicious pipe, one glass 
of grog, a roll in the blankets, and oblivion. 
We rose early the next morning, aud after breakfast went 
out separately in different directions; same sort of sport ; 
fair walking up your birds, and plenty of them; more than 
we knew wliat to do with, George still slightly ahead as 
regards size of bag. After supper, over our pipes we re- 
late our day’s adventures. We had actually interviewed 
the noble red man alone in his native wilds. We had be- 
forfe onlv Seen those hanging about Pembina, a compara- 
tively ta'me lot, always loafing about after victuals, and if 
they got any money they turned it into whiskey despite (he 
law. M. being tired of shooting sat down to make a sketch 
in his pockelbook. He had not been long thus engaged 
when he heard a shout, and looking up saw a veritable 
wild Indian (a Chippewa) galloping his pony madly around 
and occasionally presenting his gun at him. Seeing that 
he did not much alarm M. the noble one approached and 
made more friendly overtures, which ended in bis being 
somehow or other invited to join our social circle at sup- 
per I have a hazy idea that M. said something about a 
pocket handkerchief and two sticks, and, I think, a cork- 
screw being used as a means of conversation. Our savage 
friend duly appeared, and with much propriety devoured 
a very considerable portion of beefsteak, seeming to. infi- 
nitely prefer that viaud to what was probably much more 
familiar to him, viz., prairie chicken. After having by 
pantomime, and very good pantomime, too, described to us 
the wav iu which he had pursued and scalped a Sioux who 
had killed a frieud of his (the whole was probably an awful 
lie), he partook of a small modicum of whiskey and de- 
parted with every demonstration of great affection for us. 
Afterwards, when in charge of a Boundary Commission 
depot the same Winter. 1 often saw my friend, and al- 
though he generally wanted a little tea, pork, or something, 
he always endeavored to discharge his debt by bringing me 
a rabbit or anything he had shot by way of payment. I he 
next day we returned to Pembina by the same road, and ar- 
rived without any adventure, having had a vejry enjoyable 
two days. The sameness, as I said before, is the worst of 
the shooting. There is no variety of game — perdrix al- 
ways, or ducks ditto. There are rabbits, but you never see 
them; partridges, but you catch them in your hand, or 
practice at them a9 Mr. Veller advised Mr. Winkle to prac- 
tice at the stuffed partridge on the pole by way of learning 
to shoot. 
Buffalo may be got by penetrating so far west as to incur 
great risk from Indians, uuless the party is 9trong and well 
armed and mounted Antelope give au opportunity for the 
display of considerable strategy on the part of their would 
be »• nflinn v mu tor. oa th# back with tkA UmIa ia ta# 
air and firing between the legs, being one position that 
may be practiced with advantage previous to the pursuit of 
that too inquisitive animal. 
For Forestand Stream. 
NEVADA, ITS CLIMATE AND INDIANS. 
CHAPTER I. 
N EVADA lies between 35° atid 42° north latitude. The 
Summers are extremely hot during the day tune but 
at the setting of the atm a cool breeze sweeps through ths 
valleys from the deep canyons of the mountains which are 
filled with snow during the whole Summer. This is especi- 
ally true of the chain of the Ruby Mountains, which 
stretch from the south end of the Ruby Valley on the west 
to the north end of Clover Valley, a distance of 100 miles. 
The night9 are so cool during the hottest days of Summer, 
that a good supply of bedding is required during the night, 
and light frosts are liable to come in June, and as early as 
September. Yet there are no (lews in this country, so that 
late and early frosts do but little damage. Early vegeta 
bles are grown, such as cabbage, turnips, onions, cucum- 
bers aud even melons have been produced by using care. 
Tomatoes and Indian corn do not flourish in this State, yet 
early sweet corn is raised. All grain does well in the val- 
leys. Potatoes grow flourishingly. One cause for this is 
that irrigation can be allowed when the potatoes require 
most water, and when necessary it can be turned off. It is 
no labor to irrigate the soil; afler plowing single furrows iu 
the right distance a turn of the foot or stroke of the spade 
will check or turn the water wherever it is required. 
It is doubtful whether Nevada will ever be a fruit grow- 
ing country. I have not seen any as yet in this part of the 
State, but as it is new, time will determine. It is now but 
ten vears since the first white man settled in Clover Valley. 
This was the late George Bromfleld, the owner of the 
ranch on Warm Creek, of which mention was made in a 
former communication. A few years before tins it would 
not have been safe for ft white man to have attempted to 
settle in this valley. The Shu-Swawnees, the same tribe 
of Indians that now inhabit this and the neighboring val- 
leys throughout this country, were deadly enemies to the 
whites- so much so as to lay iu wait to cut off the emigrants 
as they passed through their territory from the east to Cali- 
fornia. Government raised troops in California and sent 
them to subdue those and other hostile tribes who took ad- 
vantage of the late rebellion to commit depredations and 
rob and murder. They were subdued effectually, and since 
that time they have been a touching, pusillauimous set or 
beings, so much so that one would thiuk that they had no 
fight in them; but the general opinion is that if they had 
the power uot a white man would be suffered to live in 
any part of Nevada. Ten or twelve years ago, before a 
railroad passed through this country, these Indians had tho 
control of this part of the Stale. The western and south- 
ern part of the State had been partially settled before this 
for mining purposes; as the mountains of this State abound 
with silver, of which I shall have more to say hereafter. 
The whites of this valley number about 500, including a 
small settlement at Humboldt Well’s Station, where there is 
a public bouse, post and telegraph offices, besides liquor 
and gambling saloons. The Shu-Swawnees Indians are so 
scattered and spread out that it is difficult to get at the 
exact number of Ibis tribe. They were once a powerful 
tribe but they are like all others who come in contact with 
the whites, diminished in numbers. They may now num- 
ber 500- It is said that they are an off-slioot from tho 
Snake Indians, and that their present name signifies snake 
in their language. They seem happy and contented if they 
can get a full meal, even if they have nothing for the next. 
They devour any thing that a dog or a wolf will eat, viz. 
cats dogs, cattle that die from disease, grasshoppers, grub 
worms and even ants and their eggs, which they gather by 
bushels from the ant hills which everywhere abouud in 
this country. They gather them in sacks, sift out the dirt, 
roust and sack them for use. They gather large quanti- 
ties of wild gruss seed and mix it with the wild sunflower 
seed which grow in great profusion in the valleys. Inis 
they pound and bake, which serves them for bread. Since 
the whites have come among them they have learned the 
difference between their living and their own, and daily 
linger about houses and beg food. Biead and butter, with 
coffee and sugar, they regard as a great luxury, and will 
beg for sugar should the coffee be given them without it. 
The Indians generally dislike to labor, yet some are in- 
dustrious and are employed by the settlers of the valleys 
during harvest time. Iu such cases their wives and child- 
ren accompauy them, and in hiring an Indian you must 
board bis family if be 1ms one. Generally all have families 
and many of them a plurality of wives. One Iudmn of 
this valley is industrious and dresses liken white man. Ho 
has two wives aud both have children. They accompany 
him wherever he goes to labor, taking their families with 
them. There Beeuis to be complete harmony between the 
wives, though one of them is a middle aged woman while 
the other is quite young. 
Some few of the Indians have been induceu to raise pota- 
toes aud grain, for Winter use, but this is by no means the 
case with Hie majority of them. They generally prefer to 
follow their old habits of bunting, aud leave their wives to 
gather nuU and grass* seed for food. The principal part of 
their living they beg from the white inhabitants. The wo- 
men are better workers than the men; they do the wash- 
ing for the inhabitants of the country, aud other hard 
drudgery. 
These Indians are a smaller race of beings than the tribe* 
of the Middle and Eastern Slates, and of much darker com- 
plexion ; they are only a shade lighter than the negro. Tho 
women are generally heavier aud more strongly built than 
the men. Their women do all their work, and carry their 
burdens when they move from place to place, which they 
do a number of times iu a year. They never live more 
than a mouth or two in a place. They now dress with the 
cast off clothing of the whites. The women wear blaukets. 
Their wigwams or lodges they call “wake-e-ups,” uot mueh 
labor is experienced iu the erection of these temporary 
lodges, they generally seek a juniper whose branches spread 
out*; on the east side of this they make a circle of sage 
brush two or three feet high, leaving au opening ou one 
side for au entrance. In the centre of this, they erect their 
fire place. Here they live and here they sleep under the 
shade of the juniper. Thi9 they do the year round, though 
there are a few of them who erect cauvas tents of enor- 
mous height for Winter. This is dona by making a circle 
•f long poles with sad en tke ground and fssteusa eff 
