TOOLS AND COOKING UTENSILS. 199 
blankets, a buffalo-skin, and waterproof wrapper 
to spread on the ground, and roll the bedding 
in when travelling, can be easily carried 
with a tent, and will be found very pleasant to 
sleep on at night or lounge on in the day. Great 
care should be exercised in packing up the 
bedding. Mules and horses often get a swim, or 
fall in fording streams, and rain frequently 
drenches one when least expected. If well rolled 
the bed should be impervious to water, and 
therefore safe against any accident from wet ; 
finding soaked bedding on camping is enough to 
try the temper of a saint. 
Tools —An American axe and a three-inch 
auger are the only tools a skilled hand needs; 
with them he can build a log-house, or roof 
it, and add fireplace, chimney, dovr, and win- 
dow; he can also make a raft, build a bridge, or 
hollow a cedar-log into a safe and shapely canoe. 
A strong case-knife, such as pork-butchers use, 
is by far the best kind of knife for general pur- 
poses. Worn at the belt, itis useful for everything, 
from mending a pen to skinning a buffalo or a 
humming-bird. 
Cooking Utensils. —A frying-pan, small wooden 
pail, and tin pannikin. The former is equal 
to any emergency, for baking or frying; the 
