The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-09-10
Hunting and Fishing in New
Brunswick.

up the Allaguash river, and thought a
brief account of it would interest you,
and just now have the leisure for it,
went by rail to Edmundston, Mad
awaska Co. n. b. the terminus OF N.
b. railway. Thence by blackboard 40
miles TO the end of the road, up the st.
John, where the St. Francis comes in.
The road and conveyance were hard on
the spinal column, but there were many
novelties in offset, The country along
the river is thickly settled for about
half the forty miles from Edmundston,
sparsly the balance. These people are
lineal descendants of the "Acadians"
made memorable by Longfellow III his
''Evangeline," and are just the same
honest, ignorant and simple hearted
creatures as were their progenitors, and
for all their shortcomings they are eX-
tremely polite to strangers. Meeting
in the highway, all, from the Oldest to
the Youngest, will raise their hats and
bow to you. The women do about as
much outdoor work as the men and
it being seeding time it was common
thing to see maids and matrons working
a team alone, barc-footed and bare-leg-
ged, mans hat on and no suptluous
clothing to impede their movements,
nor did they seem in the least embarras-
sed on the approach of stranger. The
cattle used were invariably pouts and
very diminutive, weighing, on the IL
vcragc, about 1000 lbs. per pair. The
plows and harrows were home made,
mostly, and the teeth of the latter were
wooden pins. The horses i'll use were
sorry looking plugs, while the harness
cs were bits of leather, rope string and
raw-hide, and of course constantly
giving away. Indoors the rude log cab
ms are furnished with stools and ben
ches made with axe and auger, with ia
bes and bcdsteads to match. The food
they live on most of the year wonld
starvc us yankees. India wheat flour,
called there buckwheat. is the staple.
Right straight along day after day grid
die cakes are the sole and only dish, Oft
en- without butter or other lubricant and
partaken of with apparent relish. These
people visit large share of the time
and go long journeys, taking all the
family, in old rattle traps of carts, car
rying their blankets and a few cook
ing tools, camping, gypsy style, WHEREBY
cr night overtakes them. They prepare
for these trips a bread composed of
peas, beans and coarse flour, baking the
same in ovens made of clay and stones
erected on posts outside the cabin.
This compound is hard as wood and
keeps indefinitely, and when used is
pounded fine, and with water seasoned
with onions or garlic, is made into soup
and considered by them rich eating.
All are Catholics, and most devout
keeping all the feasts and fasts of that
holy day and holiday religion. But few
of them ever learn, even a smatterine
of the English language. They cal
their vcrnacular French, and so, too
they claim to be French, yet | have il
ON good authority that the Partisan cal
not understand their language in the
least. l got along with the dinner an(
the people where stopped at noon by
pantomime, very well; and there was
quite as much pantomime as dinner, OIL
my part. | sat up to the board anc
went through the motions, not wishing
to be out done in politeness by these ma
tives. Shutdown brought us to the farm
where | had letter of introduction t.
its owner, an immigrant from Nov;
Scotia, who was one of the first settlers
at the mouth of the ST. Francis river
quite a wealthy and intelligent farmer
surrounded by grown up family, al
of whom gave me a cordial welcome
making me feel quite at home durin:
the few days stay necessary while get
ting together my outfit and securing
guide. All being in readiness, launch
ed my canoe the morning of June 18th
The first day we made u miles, reach
ing the mouth of the Allaguash. w
stopped at noon to cook a mess of trou
which | caught and had read
!. for the pan ere the fire was well a
going. AT night camp was pitched an
wood secured the first thing, and the
tipped to the shore and for an hour il
| dulged, to my hearts content, in landin
, trout as fast as l could cast and tax
: them off the hook. | saved enough fo
supper and breakfast, of the smales
f giving the balance, many of whic
: would weigh over a pound, to the Sc
+ tiers living there. Before going furthe
| must tell you something about OF
craft. The canoe of the upper st. job
;, is followed out of pine tree. 1t
! sometimes called pirogue pronounce
e pe-rog). Ours was 80 feet long and
! bout 80 inches wide, the usual propo
:, ton. In ascending the streams settin
. pole is used, the poler standing well t.
t wards the stern. These canoes al
$ cranky, and it is Il marvel to stranger
G how a person Gao keep his ballanc,
5 1t is rare that one can become skillf
: unless he commences in childhood
$ Here it is common thing to see BOZ
L boys and girls of tender age, as well
:, grown up women, going about as east
E as if on shore. As there are no road
IS there are no teams, and all traffic is dol
n by canoe. From where we started
k the final stopping place was 60 mile
Is and required 5 days Most of the di
e. lance the water was very rapid and ma
lie igation dangerous, as the slipping
y the pike-pole at a critical time i'm asce