758 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



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MHMBKRS OF A FRENCH AND INDIAN CAMP CRKW, 



thrown over one shoulder with a change 

 of "(hmnage," and a copious pipe to 

 complete the outfit. The meal sack, 

 known as a "Kennebecker," because 

 first used on that river, contains two 

 small potatoes, one in each corner, 

 around each of which and the mouth 

 ropes are tied to form a knapsack. 

 This is filled with what is known as 

 "wangin," a change of clothes, and 

 those of Johnny Cannuck are soon sur- 

 reptitiously ovrehauled by the cook to 

 confiscate the ofl:'ensive and evil-smell- 

 ing tobacco, which the native Canadian 

 delights to raise and smoke and which, 

 it is said, will locate him for miles. 



'J'he drive finally takes its start from 

 the front of the company's store in a 

 long farm wagon, across the sides of 

 which boards serve for seats and which 

 is soon crowded to overflowing with 

 forty or fifty river drivers. With a 

 great crack of the totcr's long whip, the 

 six heavy horses start with it up river, 

 a tardy candidate appearing at the 

 eleventh hour and racing wildly after 

 the disap])earing van, helped on by the 



efficacy of many waving bottles. 

 Hilarious and pugnacious, the crew 

 rolls along for a day or more, by farm 

 land and settlement, until at last at the 

 "Jumping off" place, a sobering walk of 

 fifteen miles through the melting snow 

 knee deep, brings them to the "landing" 

 or scene of work, where is either a. 

 deserted winter logging camp, or a few 

 white tents pitched in the snow around 

 a roaring fire. 



Here what is known as the "rear" 

 is started. jMany tiers of logs, rolled ten 

 deep, have been piled, end for end, 

 down the bed of the brook, through 

 and under which the rising water 

 gurgles and roars, and it takes but little 

 loosening to send glut after glut quickly 

 on its way down the stream. This is 

 comparatively easy, and the qualities 

 which go to make up the real river 

 driver do not appear until a clear chan- 

 nel is effected and work upon the open 

 water begins. Then latent forces come 

 into action ; each man's skill and expe- 

 rience is at the test in contention with 

 the might of nature ; courage is opposed 



