Newfoundland in 1897 - Rumbolt

ENGLAND'S OLDEST COLONY. 155
tooth of Time has been operating for countless ages.
At almost every turn of the road little gem-like lakes
flash into view, their waters clear as crystal, many of
them with moss-clad islets sleeping in their bosoms. Such
a drive in a bright summer's day around these great sea-
arms is something to be remembered to the close of life.
It does not come within the scope of this little
volume to refer at any length to the sporting attrac-
tions of the island. In the author's " Hand-Book and
Tourists' Guide" (Kegan Paul) full information will
be found. To lovers of sport, few other countries
present greater
attractions. Its countless lakes and
lakelets abound with trout of the finest description,
and are the homes, in summer, of the wild goose, the
wild duck, and other fresh-water fowl. The willow
ptarmigan (Lagopus allms), the rock ptarmigan, the
curlew, the plover, the snipe are found, in the proper
season, all over the island, on the great " barrens " or in
the marshy grounds
pigeons and guillemots
in immense numbers. The sea-
are all around the shores and
rocky islands. The Arctic hare is met with, and the
North American hare is abundant. Above all, the
noble caribou, or deer, in vast herds traverse the island
in periodical migrations from south to north, and
furnish the highest prizes for the sportsman. The
rivers contain the lordly salmon and the finest trout.
For the more adventurous sportsmen there are the
black bear and the wolf in the interior ; while the
beaver and otter are found in the lonely lakes and ponds.
Here is a paradise for sportsmen. Newfoundland could
readily be made the finest deer-park in the world by
passing and enforcing laws for the protection of its deer,