our way. The Indians, so eager in the chase, are disgusted beyond measure at any failure in killing or at missing a shot on the part of the white man. With ever so ordinary a gun they contrive to shoot true with a single ball. On one occasion we had followed the trail of nine caraboo for two days. By the state of the frozen tracks the Indian can tell to a few minutes how far the game is ahead: John at last declared we were close to them. A frozen lake lay below us. We walked a great circle to ascertain whether they had left it. After a long fag, and just as we had completed the circle, we debouched upon a narrow point, running into the lake, when we saw them all, following in Indian file, and browsing along the banks. Unperceived, we slipped off our snow shoes, and raced to the other side of the point; and, the wind being favourable, lay down in the hopes of their feeding I had a German rifle, one barrel smooth, but both loaded with ball: the deer came so close that I fancied by rolling down a second ball I should have a better chance of killing more than one. Fired-missed, -the balls flew too high; one had slightly raised the skin but did no further damage; the rifled barrel missed fire, snow having got into the nipple. John was frantic, and a Catholic-invoked all the saints in his calendar (a very limited one). The deer, which immediately started off on my firing, were now as suddenly stopped by John's shouting and roaring, and formed up in a half circle in front of us. John thundered out "Load!" I shook in the powder-the ramrod stuck in the greased rag, and no power could move it, at least, not his; he tore at it with his teeth, and blasphemed to a fearful average. I put on a cap and fired off, ramrod and all; one went off limping, and we in chase; but the traces and blood in the track became fainter; he was evidently gaining strength, so we gave in, and up the chase. This is mentioned as an instance of the great fag and disappointment which frequently occurs to the caraboo hunter. It is useless to pursue them, for, if not wounded, when once alarmed, they will gallop right an end for four and twenty hours ;-fresh tracks must be searched for, or the hunter may as well leave that district. The operation of walking upon snow-shoes is a knack in which those only succeed who have a liking for it. The soldiers of the regiment were drilled upon them previous to their march over "the Portage" to Quebec, in 1837; and while some picked up the method at once, others floundered about, and only accomplished it with the greatest fatigue. These snowshoes, upwards of four feet in length, are of an oval shape; the light bow or framework is made of tough ash, in the manner of a racket; and a fine network of the sinews of the caraboo threaded across it. They are attached to the feet by thick thongs made from the skin of the same animal; these are crossed over the toes; by which the snow-shoes are dragged or rather jerked forward. There is so much spring in them when well constructed, that when the snow is in good order, and the walker in good practice, thirty miles a day may be accomplished with comparaIt is necessary to wear three or four pairs of thick woollen tive ease. mit, is the great feature of that part of the country, and well repays the trouble of climbing to the top, by the magnificent view (unlike any thing in Europe) obtained over the great forest, interspersed with countless frozen lakes. To the north, the view extends over the line of the Oromuc to as far as Fredericton, and the St. John's river to the eastward, over the Bay of Fundy, and the coast of Nova Scotia, and to the south lays Passamaquoddy Bay, studded with thousands of islands. But especially striking is the stillness which reigns over the whole. socks under the mocassins to prevent the toes from being lacerated ;--the Indians substitute a piece of flannel doubled, and which perhaps is preferable. On coming to a descent when on snow-shoes, by sitting down upon them, and holding the heels fast to guide them, one slides down in the manner of a montagne Russe. The produce of the chase is dragged out of the woods upon thin boards of eight or nine feet in length, called "Tabaugans," turned up at one end to prevent their hitching in the snow. The venison is packed upon them, and covered over with a blanket. With the exception of going up hill, the labour of hauling them is not great, as they slide over the snow: when descending, they are slid in front, and restrained by the tow-line. A dress made of white blanket, which from its texture throws off the snow, and from its colour is not observable in the woods, is best suited for winter hunting. The coat should be made as a hunting shirt, or double-breasted. The waist is confined by a broad leather belt, from which hangs a scabbard to hold the hunting knife, and through it is thrust a small one, or tomahawk. To these should be added a tinder-box, a pocket compass, and a pocket pistol, containing a small quantity of brandy for the use of self, to be used medicinally, as the teatotallers have it; for with an Indian, however drunk he will get in the towns, it is a point of honour with him never to touch spirits when in the woods; his duty is to carry biscuits, salt pork, a kettle, and a frying-pan, rolled up in a blanket, which serves as a cover at night. A certain degree of tact is required in selecting the spot best adapted for camping for the night, and two hours at least before sundown it is necessary to begin the operation. Firewood, water, and shelter, are indispensably necessary. Numbers of white pine are to be found of an enormous growth, which, having died from old age, stand bleached and scathed amongst the living mass. One of these, when cut down, will, as it falls, splinter into a thousand pines. The largest slabs serve to cover in the back of the camp, and the remainder piled close to the fire-this burns like tinder. A live tree must likewise be cut and hewn into lengths for back logs, which, from being green, burn but slowly. The fire made, the snow is shovelled out with the snow shoes to the required size, and until the frozen earth is quite cleared, over which is then laid a thick covering of the ends of the branches of the silver fir, broken off short by the hand, and layer placed over layer in the manner of a tile roof, slanting towards the fire. Two upright forked sticks are driven into the ground, across which is laid a long pole, and against it at an angle the pine planks (in the event of a pine not being to be had, then birch bark or fir branches must do), and the snow which was shovelled out is packed round the outside to make all air tight. The camp completed, the snow shoes are stuck upright in the snow, at a sufficiently moderate distance to dry them gradually; the socks, &c., are hung upon the cross beam overhead, and the venison and Tabaugans so placed that wolves or lynxes may not take a fancy to them. Thus encompassed by a wall of snow some three feet high, and with one's feet towards a roaring fire, it is sufficiently snug; but towards morning, when the fire burns low, although your feet may be enjoying the luxury of an even temperature, your head and shoulders recline in that of some forty or fifty degrees below the freezing point. When awakened, therefore, at intervals by the intensity of the cold, an armful of the dry pine wood comes into play. An Indian detests to be aroused to perform this office. He either does not feel the cold, or is too idle to stir, and I always found they disliked it more than being asked to carry great weights for a whole day, or other severe fag; in fact, it is the only sort of trouble they object to. I therefore always made up the fire myself, particularly as the exertion of shaking them was even greater than the trouble of heaping on the wood. 1 Any one who has encamped in Indian fashion knows the amusement of birch bark by way of pastime. A decided improvement upon the Yankee fashion of "whitling," it peals beautifully, layer after layer, and clean plates are not required when it is to be had. The Indians make the greatest use of it. It covers in their wigwams, is sewed together for that purpose, and when they move is rolled up. Their canoes, boxes, and in short all their utensils, are made of it. Birch bark torches light instantly, burn brilliantly, and emit the most delicious aromatic fragrance. After a good supper we lit our pipes, and the fatigues of the chase being talked over and forgotten. I used to listen to old John's interesting accounts of his hunting expeditions, his manner of finding game, and the power of keeping his course through the woods, his adventures, escapes, and endless tales of the forest.* When in the woods, the Indians never call to each other, as a whistle does not disturb game so much. It is to be recollected that, whenever a halloa is required, the voice will echo in the opposite direction to the mouth from which the shout proceeds; so should the person turn round at the same time the sound will appear to come from all parts of the wood. This, therefore, causes great perplexity. All kinds of deer will stop short when hallooed at sharply, even when alarmed and galloping ever so fast through the forest; they imagine themselves to be running into danger, and therefore halt for an instant only; long enough to glance round; then is the moment the Indian fires. The bark of the white willow, when dried, is a good substitute for tobacco, and when mixed with it is very agreeable, and modifies the strong oily taste. With the Labrador tea, and a small ever-green leaf, the Indians make bitter, but refreshing beverages; the way they procure sugar is, by tapping the rock or sugar maple when the sap is running up; the tree bleeds profusely, and the stuff, when boiled, makes excellent sugar. The wood is very tough, and from it are made canoe paddles, the jaws of the salmon spears, &c. When in an unhealthy state, enormous excrescences grow from this tree; from these the beautiful bird's-eye maple is cut for veneering; it is not, as is generally supposed, a distinct species. South-westerly winds prevail towards the autumn; consequently, the young shoots, and, in fact, the whole of the tops of the pines, incline to *Old John, in his way, is quite a character, and a most amusing companion on a hunting expedition; he, like all his profession, requires to be treated with kindness, and not to be subjected to any thing that he considers beneath his dignity as an Indian. On one occasion, a cockney sportsman induced John to go as his guide to the Inglewood Lakes, Knockdrin, and the Rancliffe River, where the best fishing is to be obtained. The cockney was a very indifferent sportsman and a swell, and treated John as he would a London coffee-house waiter, and finally d-d him for not cleaning his boots, the Indian all the time preserving an inflexible silence. The cockney was, however, so well pleased with the scenery on the lakes, that he wanted to see them a second time, and applied to John to accompany him. But he flatly refused, and being asked his reason, replied, "Me no walk again with you-me always used to walk woods with gentlemen." the north-west. The trees, when blown down at this season, also lie in the same direction; and in thick weather the Indian mainly depends upon these signs for keeping his course, but for the same purpose he examines the bark of the hard wood, and discovers, by its roughness, on what side the tree is exposed to the north-east gales and snow storms. To strike a light, iron and stone are indispensably necessary; an excrescence growing upon the black birch makes excellent tinder; this, ignited, is put into a heap of dried splinters, almost powder, obtained from the interior of the pine; all is then placed in a piece of birch bark, and whirled round until the action of the air causes it to blaze. But howsoever well versed in wood-craft, let no one ever go into the woods without an accurate knowledge of the locale of the country, the general course of the rivers, the situation of lakes, and the direction of any roads which may be in the district, for he can never know, in the eagerness of the chase, what accident may separate him from his guide or party; above all, let him never be without an axe, a compass, and the means of making a fire. Never shall I forget having parted, on one occasion, from my guide (near the Bald Mountain), confident in the power of finding my way out, some eight or ten miles, to the Nerepis-road. We had had a hard day's work; the effect of the noon day's sun upon the snow had been great, the crust had completely disappeared, and my snow-shoes sunk deep at every step; I became fagged, could not recollect, or was not satisfied with the appearance of the timber and frozen streams passed; became more and more confused, dead beat, and fell often. The horror of being frozen to death came upon me; I was without the means of striking a light, or making a fire: I had heard that the only thing to be done in such an emergency was to beat the snow down into a circle, and run round it all night (a most consolatory prospect for a man dead-beat). Night was coming on fast; I floundered on and on, when, just as I was about to give in, I stepped into the sleigh track, which told me I had struck the Nerepis-road. The sort of ecstacy in which I slipped off my snow-shoes, is indescribable; and so confused had I become, that I ran along the road for nearly half a mile in the opposite direction to Mather's ere I found out my mistake. TO SERJEANT TALFOURD, ON READING HIS ADDRESS TO THE MANCHESTER ATHENÆUM. BY EDWARD KENEALY. O'ER the white urn that held the sacred heart Won the whole world by its enchanting spells; To lure mankind to death her voice was given; Jan.-VOL. LXXVI. NO. CCCI. t E AND the Robertses? How were they engaged, both before and after this visit? No sooner had Mr. Vincent the first time taken his departure than Mrs. Roberts renewed the attack upon her son, which had been so skilfully stopped by Agatha, when he was present. "And now, sir," said she, "be pleased to account to me as politely, and a little more truly than you have been doing to your friend the tutor, how you have managed to lose hold of the girl whom I placed in so masterly a manner in your hands ?" "To answer you more truly than I did my friend the tutor is impossible, ma'am, but by way of politeness I can make you a bow if you please,” replied her son, drawing his heels together and making her a low bow. "I won't bear this!" returned the irritated Mrs. Roberts, stamping her foot upon the ground. "Gracious Heaven! After all I have done, all the money I have given, all the risk I have run, am I to be told by a sneering puppy of a boy that he has let the golden prize slip through his fingers and then returned to laugh at me? Agatha! I shall go mad! Make him tell you where the girl is. It may not yet perhaps be too late to secure her. You know not, any of you, how necessary it is that we should have and hold her and her money for ever. People can't go on playing at being lords and ladies for nothing, I can tell you. If we fail in getting this girl the game is up with us. "Don't go on making a fool of yourself, Edward," said his eldest sister, with a good deal of severity. "This is evidently no time for jesting." "Hold your tongue, Agatha ! You are a devilish clever girl in some things, but you understand no more about the affairs of men than a baby. As to not jesting indeed, I am perfectly ready to obey you. being greatly more tempted to blow my brains out than to laugh.' 66 "How can you try to frighten us by talking in such a horrid, disgusting way, Edward ?" said Maria, beginning to cry, "and we kept all this time from going to dress! Do come, Agatha! will you? I have the most particular reason in the world for wishing to be in good time tonight. I don't know what may not depend upon it!" Maria, you are an idiot," said the young man, "and as for you, Agatha," he continued, turning to the eldest sister, "though you are not an idiot, you are an ignoramus. But my mother is neither the one nor the other if she does not let her temper get the better of her. So now, ma'am, be so good as to hear me, if you please; and don't let us begin by quarrelling, for it won't answer, you may depend upon it. As to your young devil incarnate, Miss Bertha, I tell you fairly that even if I knew what was become of her, which as I hope to be saved I do not, I never would, as long as I have breath in my body, attempt any thing more in the matrimonial with her. You know as well as I do that I always hated her like poison, and you ought to remember into the bargain that I never let this make the very least difference. But it's no good to mince way |