some anxiety, before we again reached it. In this lonely desert we destroyed, without remorse, dozens of magnificent trees, each of which would have been the pride of an English park. English park. We were two days' journey from the haunts of men; for years, perhaps, no human foot will tread these wilds again;-for ages none seek them as a residence. The Indians ate enormously, indeed, till they were stupified, and then smoked, prayed, and slept. That grinning villain, Jacques, intrigued zealously to get hold of the brandy bottle, but we were too wise for him, so the wretch sucked a couple more marrow bones, and became torpid: as the leader of the hunters, he honoured us with his company at our side of the caban, the Captain and I taking it in turn to sleep next him. There was a little wind during the night, and the smoke of the green wood which we were burning, became almost intolerable; it caused our eyes to smart severely, and there was no escape from it, for it blew about in volumes till morning, and was far more disagreeable than the cold of the first encampment. The moosemeat had transported the Indians to the land of dreams, and rendered them indifferent to that or any other annoyance. Jacques was very anxious that we should proceed in search of more moose the following day; but we had had quite enough of the sport and of his company, and determined to return. The baggage was re-packed, the spoil dug up and put on tobogins, and we "made track" for Quebec. About half way on our first day's journey, the dogs, now somewhat recovered from the effects of the last night's repletion, rushed up a hill near us, barking in rather a plethoric tone; there was a rattling of branches, and the next moment some half-dozen Cariboo, or rein-deer, went by us at a gallop, about a hundred yards ahead. Shots from both our double barrels rang through the woods, and so did the crashing of the underwood, as the uninjured herd vanished in the bush. It was useless to think of pursuing them, for their light feet sank but little in the surface of the snow, hardened by frost after the thaw of the night before, and they went by us like the wind. This adventure shortened the road, and we put up at the same caban where we had slept the first night, lodgings being still vacant; but we had some work in shovelling out the snow which had since fallen. Two or three chattering birds like magpies, called by the Indians "moose-birds," perched on the trees over us, and made frequent forays on the tobogin where the meat lay, but the dogs very properly drove them away. We fired at them repeatedly, but they hopped up as the bullet chopped off the branch on which they were perched, and lighted on another, screaming and chattering worse than ever. The next morning we made a very early start, reached Monsieur Boivin's before noon, and got into our sleigh as soon as possible. The mouffle of the moose, which we carried with us, is esteemed a great luxury in Canada, and very justly so; it is the upper lip or nose of the animal, which grows to a great size, and is almost as rich as turtle; many think that the soup made from it has a higher flavour. The legs and feet were sent to the squaws to be ornamented with stained hair and beadwork, and preserved as trophies of the achievements of the pale warriors; the rest of the animal is the perquisite of the Indians. The roads were much better on our return, but we were astounded when we saw by daylight the place by the precipice, where we had been upset a few nights before. It was dark long before we reached Quebec. Our driver took the wrong road of two, which parted in a fork, separated by a high, stiff wooden fence, with the top but just visible over the snow; before we had gone far we fortunately met a habitan, who told us of our mistake. The road was too narrow to turn. Our driver first cried like a child, then suddenly taking courage, sacréd furiously, and, seizing the leader by the head, turned him into the deep snow, towards the right road: a few seconds of plunging, kicking, and shouting-a crash of the fence and we were all landed on the other road; the sleigh on its side, the horses on their backs, and the driver on his head. The confusion was soon corrected, and by ten at night we passed under the battlements, into the gates of Quebec. It would be vain to attempt describing the happiness conferred by soap and water, razors and brushes, and a clean bed in a moderate temperature, after six days' deprivation of their good offices. The conclusion which we arrived at with regard to this expedition was, that the greatest pleasure derivable therefrom, consisted in having it over. The next time I renew my acquaintance with moose, the Zoological Gardens shall be my "ravage," an omnibus bear me instead of snow shoes, and the United Service Club shall be my caban. The winter |