New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
HUNTING IN CANADA.

HUNTING IN CANADA.
VIE sPoRTsMAEs PARADISE; OR; THE LAKE
LANDS OF CANADA BY B. A; wHrs0S SOY A a, M;
BEARD svo., PIP. GEO. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippin-
colt Company.
DR. Watson is an enthusiastic sportsman, and one
moreover who believes in earning his pleasure
aaeld by vigorous exercise. II may strike some
readers whose souls are not attuned to sport
that the discomforts fatigue and dangers incurred
not merely in attaining the alleged Sportsmans
Paradise of the Canadian lake country put Ia
subssting there subsequently, more than onset
the qualification dcrivable from hunting and fish
ing But the man who can fully appreciate the
delights of sport in the Dominion wilderness must
be upheld by an ardor lively enough to disdain
difficulties The Doctor is evidently such MINI
rod and he seems to have been generally fortunate
In his companions
In the Canadian lake country deer are usually
driven by dogs, who run them into the nearest
water where the hunters awaiting them in
canoes The sport does not appear to be OF the
most gallant kind. 1t partalses too much of the
principle of the battue. The sportsman has moth
ing to do but to remain perfectly quiet in the
bow Of his canoe. The guide paddles him within
range Of the swimming deer. The latter is at
great disadvantage in the water, and is not given
fair chance for his life. 1t is difficult to get up
much enthusiasm over accounts Of such method
of hunting On the other hand it may be said that
as means Of supplying the larder it possesses the
advantage of something near certainty, for the
sportsman must be an exceedingly poor shot who
permits deer to escape from him under such
circumstances.
With deer and trout and ruffed partridges and
grouse in abundance, camping out in the lake
country may be thought the ideal Of summer ex-
istence. But there are heavy portages and awful
soads and weary stage rides and wearier marches
to be undergone, and while most of these would
be unconsidered by hardy countryman, they are
veritable lions in the path of the city dweler,
whose sedentary life has undermined his health
and sent him away from bricks and mortar in
search Of renewed vigor. DR.. Watson rightly in
ssts the physical wel-being that attends a
couple of months spent in camping out. After
the first softness of body has been trained away
no doubt the life is most invigorating, The diff
Guilty is to persuade the average mddle-aged citi-
zen to hold out until he gets his second wind.
Our author is himself thoroughly habtuatcd to
camp life, and can stand great deal of really
hard and continuous work. This he shows in his
accountof his most ambitious sporting expeditions
the hunting of the moose in the virgin wilderness
late in the fall. This is very different kind Of
sport from the running of deer. The hunter who
follows the trail of the must be prepared to
camp upon il perhaps for several nights Nor can
he carry many comforts or conveniences with him.
lie must be in light marching order When night
comes he must be content with brush lean-to
which will keep him from being drowned by rain
or buried by snow, but will not make his sleeping
any For food he must restrict himself
to few strips of dried venisOn and possibly
little scramper' or fryng-pa bread If he gets
wet through as he is pretty sure to do, he must
LET cl dryo m haoly In ba 81
be enduring, patient and tolerably tough to stand
the ordeal.
DR. Watson had much trouble at fiuding moose
at first, though he guided by excellent back
wOodsmen and hunters. When they were found
however, there appeared to be considerable herds
of them and quite number were killed eventually.
The moose-hunter must some risk, for the bull
moose when driven to bay is formidable animal
and any nervousness on the part of the marksman
at the critical moment ght have serious conse-
quences for him. From what the Doctor says it
may be inferred that the substitution of the re-
~peatng rife for the old-fashioned single-shot
weapon has tended to deprecate craftsmanship;
for he speaks of of the best Canadian hunters
as pumping eighteen bullets from a Winchester into
a COW moose, which sounds rather too much like
hunting with Calling gun to be spOrtsmanlilZe. 1t
used to be considered the proof of woodcrat TO kill
game with the least possible expenditure of powder
and lead. What would Natty Bumppo have said
had he been told that after he gone hunters
would knock the largest kinds of game with
veritable broadsides? OF course the magazine gun
Is strong temptation TO reckless and unnecessary
firing and the knowledge that five shots be
discharged in about many seconds tends to
make men careless about the nicely Of their aim.
This, however, is matter for regret and not salts
faction, and the practice which has such results
is to be deprecated however it may facilitate the
destruction of game.
I'll, re is characteristic of DR.. Watson's book
which adds much to its interest. He abstains
from tall' stories about his hunting exploits and
modestly confines himself to plain but graphic
account of the things actually done, seen and suf-
fered. Consequently his volume has the atmos
phere of simple truth about it, and it breathes the
large free air Of the woods and the life Of the
pioneer Indeed it deserves to be commended as a
model of hunting narratives, and its merits will
be appreciated both by sportsmen and those who
only know Of sport through books. The Illus
trations good in their way, too.