272 THE FOBESTS OF CANADA. 



horse, it is like a sharp canter over turf compared with a 

 long jog on the hard road. Let a man start at 6 A.M. and 

 do his eight miles in a bee line through the woods before 

 mid-day (very good walking), he will feel thoroughly and 

 completely gruelled after his six hours' hard work, more 

 so than after twenty miles on a hard road. In the former 

 case an hour's rest, a feed, and a pipe will enable him to 

 perform the same distance in the afternoon without any 

 distress ; whereas in the latter case, after an equal rest, 

 he will, unless in first-rate condition, feel stiff and <sore,< 

 and unable to retrace his steps. 



The worst woods to walk in are those that have been 

 burnt some years before ; then one has not only the burnt 

 stumps, rampikes, and windfalls to contend against, but 

 also a thick matted second growth. 



Fires only run through the woods when very dry 

 weather occurs in the late fall and early spring times. 

 The snow is an effectual damper in winter, as is the young 

 vegetation in summer. The effect of these fires on the 

 general features of the country is not at all pleasing. I 

 know nothing more dreary than a long drive through burnt 

 lands, and nothing dirtier than a walk through them. 

 The loss of valuable lumber, fire\\ ood, &c., is incalculable, 

 as is the destruction of fur and feather. Extensive fires 

 affect to a certain extent not only the climate, but also 

 the crops, of a large district of contiguous country. The 

 atmosphere becomes oppressive, and the sun is often 

 obscured for days together. They are caused by the 

 carelessness of the back settlers when clearing their land, 

 and more often are the work of the " stream drivers " 

 (Angtice, lumbermen employed in driving logs of timber 



