238 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 
a vast plain, with no other sign of stones or gravel of any kind any- 
where near it. Our fire in the camp had driven the musquitos away 
from the immediate neighbourhood, and for the time I quite forgot 
the existence of these pests. My friend was wearing a dark blue 
pea-jacket and walked before me. Fortunately he was provided with 
a net to cover his face, but I had foolishly left mine behind. As 
soon as we stirred up the long grass with our feet, the musquitos arose 
in myriads, and after fighting them off for a short time, I looked 
ahead at my companion, and I declare I could not tell what colour 
his coat was, so thickly was his back covered with the insects, I con- 
fess that this was too much for me, and I turned and fled to the 
camp as fast as my legs would carry me in a most ignominious fashion. 
Tn case you have not seen a “smudge” or read of one, I will de- 
scribe it. A “smudge” is arefuge for horses and cattle that are at- 
tacked by flies and mosquitos. A “square” of logs dove-tailed at the 
four corners, is constructed just high enough to allow a horse stand- 
ing up to put his head over the topmost log. Inside this square and 
onthe ground you set fire to leaves and grass, and pile on to this wet 
foliage of plants, and make a heavy suffocating smoke. The horses 
will run madly towards this smoke from wherever they may be and 
hold their heads where the smoke is thickest. It is absolutely neces- 
sary to build a barricade of logs round these fires, as the horses will 
burn themselves in the fire often rather than suffer the torment of 
the flies. 
Whilst driving one day to the Koutanai Lakes we had to pass 
through a cloud of black flying ants. My guide and I were both well 
covered up, but he had on a light-coloured felt hat which seemed to 
have some peculiar attraction, for they attacked him vigorously ; 
there was asmall opening at the back of his neck between his hat and 
the top of his coat-collar, and the ants fairly gnawed away that por- 
tion of his neck which was exposed. We came across a very intelli- 
gent man who acts as guide to exploring parties in the Koutanai 
District. He lives in a most lonely situation, quite near the mouth 
of the Koutanai Pass. He is familiarly known as Koutanai Brown, 
and I would recommend any one going to that solitary neighborhood 
to patronize this guide. He is a dead shot with a rifle and an excel- 
lent fisherman. He makes his living by trading to some extent with 
the Indians and shooting sheep and bears, himself. We had plenty 
of bear’s meat while with Koutanai Brown. But as it had been 
