trees. They are also shot with muskets and rifles, which weapons are now to be found among many of the savage tribes. A peculiarity which is common to the elk must not be omitted. When the animal runs, the joints of his limbs make a great noise, like the smashing of Aints upon a McAdamized English road, when, to borrow an old joke, “ breaking up is no holiday.” The quircajou hearing this noise, waits the approach of the elk, and darting down upon its back, fixes its claws in its victim's throat, tearing the neck a little below the ears, until it falls down. It is remarkable that this animal, which is not larger than a badger, should prove itself so powerful a foe to the elk, who is strong enough to slay a man or wolf; but such is the fact, as may be attested by all the authorities who have written upon this subject.

By daylight the next morning we were at the rendezvous; the guns were placed at the extremity of a narrow strip of wood, and the Indians proceeded to beat and burn it out. Their yelling, shouting, halloing, and bellowing, added to the smoke and flames of fire that arose from the brushwood and high grass, soon put the game on foot, and we had a capital day's sport. The scene altogether reminded one of the demon's hunt in Der Freyschutz, or the last scene in Don Giovanni at the Opera House; for such a set of fiendish-looking personages could scarcely be considered as belonging to mortal hunt. Upon our return we partook of a haunch of elk venison, and found the flesh tender and delicate. The tongue is very much esteemed, and we purchased some of these dried, which were afterwards looked upon as great luxuries among the gourmands of Quebec. Upon the following day we witnessed the capture of a few beavers; but the sport was too insipid to interest us : the animals being driven from the ponds by dogs, were taken prisoners or speared in their own dwellings. As Englishmen, we ought to have blushed at this unconstitutional attack upon the rights and liberty of the subject. Another plan resorted to, was to let the water escape from the dam, leaving the amphibii—there's a new coinage high and dry.

Our next day's sport" caribou stalking' _was highly interesting. The hunters went in pairs : the foremost man carrying in one hand the horns of the deer, and in the other some branches of trees, against which he, from time to time, rubbed the horns, imitating the gestures peculiar to the animal. His comrades followed, treading exactly in his footsteps, and holding the guns of both in an horizontal position, so that the muzzles projected under the arms' of him who carried the head. Both hunters had a fillet of white skin round their foreheads: a strip of the same round their waists. They approached the herd by degrees, raising their legs after the manner of a deer, who, seeing nearly as extraordinary a phenomenon as that witnessed by Macbeth's messenger

" A moving grove

And Birnam-Wood is come to Dunsinane!" instantly stopped to gaze at it. The hindmost man then pushed forward bis comrade's gun, the head and branches were dropped, and they both fired nearly at the same instant. As we were only lookers

on, we were content to get a stray shot as the terrified animals scampered off. We now took leave of our auxiliaries, with the exception of Tee-tee-squas and “Skug,” and commenced our return to the more civilized provinces. We shot and fished our way, occasionally having excellent sport, aud seldom or ever having a blank

day.

After a very prosperous journey, we returned to Kingston, and, having warned our American friends of our arrival, found the party assembled, and an excellent repast and warm welcome awaiting us.

“The night drave on wi' songs and clatter."

It was a cona, worthy of the ancients; and what can exceed that pleasant meal, when, in the words of the Magician of the North, “the social glass washes out of one's mind the cobwebs that business or gloom have been spinning in our brains all day?"

Our return to Quebec passed without any event worth recording. During our residence in that city—at that time the seat of Governinent of Lower Canada-we, in company with our American allies, visited everything worth seeing within the walls and neighbourhood. The falls of Montmorenci and La Chaudière occupied two days, while we devoted a third to Loretto, an Indian village, inhabited by a civilized tribe, who earn their livelihood by selling ornamental boxes of bark and porcupine quills. The plains of Abraham, where the gallant Wolfe so dearly purchased his renown, although one of the regular sights, was a spot that we considered would not be very agreeable to our American friends, and we therefore never alluded to it. One morning, however, at breakfast, we found that the Commodore had ordered two open carriages; and upon our asking what excursion he was going to propose, he replied the plains of Abraham. Of course we said nothing, but accompanied the party in their drive. The view from the heights is splendid, and there is one spot of ground that must ever be dear to an Englishman's heart, however unpalatable it might be to his enemies, and which is marked by a plain column, bearing the simple yet appropriate epitaph

“Here died Wolfe victorious."

From the plains we proceeded with a special order to see the interior of the citadel, where there is also a monument raised to the memory of Wolfe and Montcalm, commemorating their glorious deeds. An invitation to dine with the officers of the ......... quartered within this stronghold wound up our day's entertainment.

214

THE PASSIONS OF THE HORSE.

Plate IV.-FEAR.

ENGRAVED BY E. HACKER, FROM A PAINTING BY J. F. HERRING, SEN.

Well saved, Sir! So far at least ; but look out, the young-one will be round again, before he gets quite convinced it's “ all right”!

It sounds a little oddly, perhaps ; but the higher a horse's courage, so called, the more likely is he to become alarmed. Under-bred Dobbin will stand a succession of sights and sounds, any one of which would be enough to frighten a better-descended nag "into fits.” At least, if not with precisely that effect on himself, very possibly with some such a result to the fair creature upon him, or the little "party" behind him. Experience, however, goes a long way to correct this. The two-year-old that was “ fit to jump out of his skin” at the first bang of the gong which invited him to a walk up,” becomes a much-better-behaved gentleman as he grows older. By the time he has won a Queen's plate or two, only mark with how composed and almost melancholy a look he withstands the most energetic of Mr. Merryman's jokes, or the most hideous of Mr. Sambo's grimaces ! Like the very fast one he is, he has seen a little life, and it will take a good deal to frighten him now.

There is, still, no passion which, when he does feel it, the horse demonstrates more clearly than this one of fear. The prick of the ear, the full fixed gaze of the eye, the very tremble with which he moves, all tell plainly enough that he is alarmed, and the horseman prepares accordingly. There is no occasion either upon which the merits of a real horseman are more directly brought into use. A bad one will be apt to lose his own confidence just in proportion as the horse under him does. A ruffian, instead of employing temper and persuasion, will resort at once to the most severe treatment, and so frequently bring about confirmed vice, from what was merely a passing alarm at the sight of something previously unknown.

Here then is an opportunity for our friend Quixote in his charge at the windmill. Mr. Herring has, perhaps, hardly made him horseman enough. He is certainly in a very equivocal position just at present, and more to blame after all than the young one he has to deal with. Sit close, sir, if you can ; don't fight with him, and see if you can't make him understand the nature of that “ curious invention,” as the Yorkshire baronet said of the tooth-brush.

There is nothing to be afraid of, if you don't both get alarmed over it.