PROVISIONS FOR THE WILDERNESS. 41 



and snaring wire. As food producers, I place 

 these before a gun. Most of the interior lakes 

 contain fish of some sort, and a successful haul 

 one night can be smoke dried to last several 

 days without spoiling, even in hot weather. So 

 long as they are done up in a secure manner in 

 birch bark to keep out blue flies, the greatest 

 danger of their going bad is prevented. 



Another very good way to preserve and util- 

 ize fish, is to scorch a small portion of flour 

 (about one-third the quantity) and mix with 

 pounded up, smoke dried fish, previously 

 cleaned of bones. This makes a light and sus- 

 taining pemmican, easily warmed up in a fry- 

 ing-pan, and if a little fat can be added in the 

 warming process, one can work on it as well as 

 on a meat diet. 



Admitting that there are years of plenty 

 and years of scarcity with rabbits, there must 

 be a dearth indeed when one or two cannot be 

 snared in some creek bottom near the night's 

 camp. A gun on the other hand may be only 

 an incumbrance on a long journey. A chance 

 shot may well repay the person carrying it, but 

 very frequently a gun is quite useless. 



We crossed the country some years ago be- 

 tween St. Maurice and Lake St John. It was 

 at the very best time of the year to see game, 

 being in the month of May, when every living 



