Accordingly Marbre and Sabine, sometimes accompanied by the Lieutenant
and Sergeant Long, whose experience was invaluable, scoured the country
daily for miles round; and it was no uncommon sight to see Mrs Paulina
Barnett join them and step briskly along shouldering her gun bravely,
and never allowing herself to be outstripped by her companions.
Throughout the month of August these expeditions were continued with
great success, and the store of provisions increased rapidly. Marbre
and Sabine were skilled in all the artifices which sportsmen employ in
stalking their prey-particularly the reindeer, which are exceedingly
wary. How patiently they would face the wind lest the creature’s keen
sense of smell should warn it of their approach! and how cunningly they
lured it on to its destruction by displaying the magnificent antlers of
some former victim above the birch-bushes !
They found a useful alley (sic) in a certain little traitorous bird to
which the Indians have given the name of “monitor.” It is a kind of
daylight owl, about the size of a pigeon, and has earned its name by its
habit of calling the attention of hunters to their quarry, by uttering a
sharp note like the cry of a child.
When about fifty reindeer, or, to give them their Indian name,
“caribous,” had been brought down by the guns, the flesh was cut
into long strips for food, the skins being kept to be tanned and used
for shoe-leather.
Besides the caribous, there were also plenty of Polar hares, which
formed an agreeable addition to the larder. They were much less timorous
than the European species, and allowed themselves to be caught in great
numbers. They belong to the rodent family, and have long ears, brown
eyes, and a soft fur resembling swan’s down. They weigh from ten to
fifteen pounds each, and their flesh is excellent. Hundreds of them were
cared for winter use, and the remainder converted into excellent pies by
the skilful hands of Mrs Joliffe.
While making provision for future wants, the daily supplies were not
neglected. In addition to the Polar hares, which underwent every variety
of culinary treatment from Mrs Joliffe, and won for her compliments
innumerable from hunters and workmen alike, many waterfowl figured in
the bill of fare. Besides the ducks which abounded on the shores of the
lagoon, large flocks of grouse congregated round the clumps of stunted
willows. They belong, as their zoological name implies, to the partridge
family, and might be aptly described as white partridges with long
black-spotted feathers in the tail. The Indians call them willow-fowl;
but to a European sportsman they are neither more nor less than
blackcock (Tetrao tetrix). When roasted slightly before a quick clear
fire they proved delicious.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account