FOREST LIFE. 45 



near tlie borders of civil and agricultural abodes, added to the 

 fact that this tree has been pursued to wild and unknown forest 

 regions, renders exploring expeditions previous to the commence- 

 ment of a winter's campaign absolutely indispensable, at least 

 to insure success. This labor is performed, more or less, at all 

 periods of the year ; but, perhaps, the more general and appro- 

 priate time is found to be during the earlier part of autumn. 

 The work of exploring is often performed during the winter, while 

 the crews are on the ground, in camp. The difficulty of trav- 

 eling through deep snows is overcome by the use of the snow- 

 shoe, which enables the wearer to walk upon the surface of the 

 untrodden snow. This shoe is about three feet long by sixteen 

 inches wide, oval before and tapering to a point behind. It is 

 simply a flat net-work, made from thongs of green hide, sur- 

 rounded by a slender frame or bow of wood. This net- work is 

 fastened, near the middle, to the bottom of the boot, and the 

 woodman, throwing himself along, one side at a time, with a 

 lengthened pace-like stride, passes over the ground at a rapid 

 rate. 



; When the business of timber-hunting is deferred until autumn, 

 the following method is practiced : Two or three men accus- 

 tomed to the business take the necessary provisions, which usually 

 consists of ship-bread, salt pork, tea, sugar, or molasses ; for cook- 

 ing utensils, a coffee-pot or light tea-kettle, a tin dip] 

 times a frying-pan, a woolen blanket or two for bed-cl 

 an ax, with gun and ammunition ; all of which 

 a skiff, if tin- exploration is to be on the St. Croix, or on 

 if on the Penobscot River, with h setting 



For rapids, and paddles t<> be n 

 With til-- ' preparations, away we 



our way up the main river, then bb along up 1' 



us branches; sometimes performing a journey of two hund- 

 miles far into the interior, in tfc which nevei 



