230 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



These forest fires have been known to rage for six or 

 seven weeks at a time, and hundreds of lives have been 

 lost in a single fire. In a country where there are no big 

 rivers, and the forest is continuous, only a heavy rain 

 will stop the fire ; for when it has once got a fair hold on 

 the timber, man is powerless. It travels so fast that it is 

 often exceedingly difficult to get out of its way. 



