78 FLIES ON THIS RIVER. 



river, which at this season was barely deep enough for 

 my bark-canoe. The Provincial Government, however, 

 Avill by-and-by open roads along this river, and arrange 

 with the Indians for the sale of their grants, when the 

 stream of emigration is sure to direct itself up the banks 

 of the Tobique. 



I found the farm in charge of a Canadian, who had 

 been employed as a workman in the mills. He held the 

 100 acres of more or less cleared land on condition of 

 paying to the proprietors one-half of the produce of hay. 

 I came upon him in a hollow while he was sharpening 

 his scythe, and was attracted by what at first appeared to 

 be a quiver suspended across his shoulder. On a nearer 

 approach, however, it proved to be a roll of cedar bark, 

 so rolled up as to resemble a quiver, which was lighted at 

 one end, and attached across the shoulders in such a way 

 as to cause the smoke from the burning bark to float 

 about the head of the wearer. This was to keep off the 

 flies. It is an Indian mode, I believe, in common use in 

 the country ; and on the Tobique, at certain seasons, it is 

 said to be indispensable. The flies are most troublesome 

 in the evening ; and I had already elsewhere on the St 

 John seen fires kindled in the open air for the benefit of 

 the cattle, which are happy to come in the evening and 

 hold their heads in the smoke, with the view of escaping 

 to some extent from their tormentors. As the country 

 becomes cleared, the flies may be expected to diminish. 



The river looked very tempting above the Falls, but 

 I had no time to ascend higher; I therefore again 

 embarked in my canoe, and descended swiftly to the St 

 John. My Indian took nearly five hours to pole me up, 

 and he worked very hard ; but we descended in about 

 half the time. One soon acquires confidence in a bark- 

 canoe, even in rough rapids ; and it is certainly very 

 interesting to observe the ease with which the sharp eye 

 and practised hand of an Indian boatman keep it in safe 



