New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-10


our barrels as they are raised to the shoulder but
ia too late for retreats the sharp cracks OF the TWO
rifles proclaim his doom, and as they arc lo"ereo
the GREAT moose falls heavily over, without O pace
accomplished in retreat, instantaneously dead our
wild veil of triumph was echoed by the Indian from
the woods behind, who fastened to JOIN us INC
echoes so strangely and rudely evoked from the uls
tant forest, gradually fade away, and all Is sun
again save where distant crack marks the 1lght OF
the startled moose, the late comrades of our noole
bull"
Next in Importance to the moose, at least 10 the
hunter is the cariboo, or American reindeer whose
haunts and boundaries determined by the dlstrl-
button of the MOSES and lchens which almost ex-
clusvely constitute the food Of the species wherever
found its range the Northern continents OF
Asia, Europe, and America. The carlboo Is hrst met
with in Newfoundland its most southerly range
along the Atlantic seaboard is at cape SADIE In nova
Scotia where. however. It is becoming scarce 1t
attains in the New World the finest development OF
which it is CAPABLE. being much less ungainly and
slouching than the Norwegian reindeer. strongly
built. thick-set animal, it is not without grace,
especially when trotting over the Plains
light snow. followed by its mates in Indian file.
A large buck will measure over four feet in hight
at the shoulder and exceed four hundred pounds
in weight Such buck would probably be OF
richer color than the majority OF the herd,
whose coats would present mixture of dun grays
and browns with whitish streaks and patches.
He would be of a rufous brown hue on the back and
legs while his neck and pendant NAME his tail and
rump. would be snow-white. On the side of the
muzzle and cheek would be patch of nearly black
hair The sides and anks of young deer are dappled
with light sandy spots. and old males have white
name over a foot in length hanging from the neck
with graceful to the front. In most instances
there is but one well-develOped brow anter on the
cariboo, the other being solitary curved prong
Horns are seldom seen after Christmas, except on the
does and young bucks which retain theirs till Spring
The foot of the carboo is beautifully adapted to the
snowy regions in which it resides and ice it has
| an advantage which the most skillful skater might
envy This comes from tho frog being almost
entirely absorbed in Winter and the edges of the
hOOf growing out in thin sharp ridges each division
on the the under surface presenting the appearance
| of huge mussel shell. Mounted ON these natural
skates with the additional assistance afforded by the
long stiff brstles which grow downward at the fet-
lock, curving forward underneath between the
divisions the cariboo gldes swiftly over the crusted
| snow, crosses the frozen lakes, and ascends icy
precipices with which places him beyond the
| reach of every enemy unless il be the nmble and
untiring wolf The pace of the cariboo when
|
breaking into brisk walk at intervals but it some
times gallops at first, which the never does,
and it will also travel much further than the moose
and when once off, unless wounded, is seen no more.
Beside the lchens and mosses which are its prnci-
pal food il is fond Of the which grows on the
| boughs of the black spruce; and from scratchlngs
which he has seen in the first light SHOWS at the foot
Of the trees in beech groves Capt Hardy is led TO
believe that like the bear, il is partial 10 the mast.
It's movements are so restless in Winter that there
will often be q sudden and contemporary shift OF all
the caribOo throughout large area Of country, and
| almost always down the wind In Winters OF great
severity they always travel to the southernmost
limits of their hauns and occasionally enter the set
| Elements
| Along the chain Of lakes scattered throughout
Acadia especially in Nova Scotia the houses of the
| few remaining families of the beaver. This animal
was formerly abundant in the British Provinces, and
large portion of the United States but at present,
says Capt. Hardy, not beaver exists from the Port
Midway Rivera few miles eastward Of the ROssignol
waters-and the eastern end Of Cape Breton. He de-
scribes visit made by himself and party Of hunt
ers 10 Lake ROssigno and the Tobiaduc stream which
flows therefrOm, where they saw a snake swim under
the bows of their canoe, carrying its head an inch
| above the surface of the water As they passed a
steep bank beaver rushed out Of a dense patch Of
| king fern. and took TO the water with plunge.
They followed his track toward an old bcaver-house
few rods up the river, but pursuit capture being
hopeless they travelled among almost tropical foil
age Wild vines and creeperscrowded the waters edge,
with elumps Of royal fern; groves of brches were
| succeeded by fir woods, under which the swamp
maple frightened the gloom; pigeon-berries bedz-
zened the with their little scarlet globes while
great powders of gray rock covered with moses and
lichens. their creyices filled with polypods and oak
| fern, overhung the waters.
AT length there was obstruction in the stream
which the waters fell evenly. 1t was beaver-dam
solid construction ofinterwoven bushes aud poles
damming up the water to hight of between three
and four feet, and completely altering the features
| of the brook. which from this point was all still
water. We landed on the top TO open ont portion
| and thereby facilitate the canoes being lifted over.
Some of the work was quite fresh and green leaves
tipped the ends of projecting branches while on the
shore lay pile Of water-rotted material that had
been removed and evidently considered unseryce-
able. Stones and mud were pentifuly intermixed
with the bushes which mostly cut into lengths
OF twelve to eighteen feet, and woven together
across the stream. The top, which would support all
of us without yielding was about two feet broad
and the dam thickened below the surface. Some
stout bushes leaned against the construction in
front They were planted in the bed of the stream;
and, as Glode said. were used supporsiin making
the dam. Above was long meadow of wild grass
to which the white gaunt stems of pines, drowned
ages since by the heightened level of the stream i'm
parted desolate appearance, and near the head Of
which the beavers had their habitations."
This dam and others which Capt Hardy OBJ
served were built straight the stream but it
is, he says, well-authenticated fact that in the
larger works. where the channel is broader that it
was in tho Tobiaduc brook the dam is made convex
to the current. Beayer-dams are strong and durable