116 FINDING LOGS AND DEAL. 



much noise and cold air that soon even the air from the stove 

 grows chilled and we with it. 



At length, after a number of twistings and vain attempts to sleep 

 the earliest of this adventuresome party arouse the rest by their 

 preparations for early starting in the shape of making a fire, boiling 

 the kettle, and preparing and eating an early breakfast. Between 

 three and four o'clock the first party leave, and are followed by the 

 others at intervals of different length, but near enough to each 

 other to prevent our going to sleep again, until at daylight we are 

 about the last to leave the house with a good warm breakfast in 

 place of a good night's sleep. 



As most of the other boats are engaged in a similar expedition 

 as ourselves, to follow us will be to follow them. The wind is against 

 us and the waves are high, but we start off without much trouble and 

 row, head to the wind and waves, out into the passage and towards 

 the nearest island. The shore is plainly visible as we row along, 

 and a sharp lookout soon discovers a log lying on the beach and a 

 deal close by ; we row to them and have soon carried the deal 

 above high water mark while we note the place for future use ; 

 beyond are several more deals, and further on others ; soon we 

 come to a cove full of strewn rubbish composed of bits of wood 

 and hay and straw, with many sticks and broken boards while sev- 

 eral large oak and pine logs lie, as they have been tossed by the 

 waves, wedged in between the stone and rocks. These logs are, 

 as are most of those found, from eighteen inches to two feet in 

 width and thickness, and from thirty to fifty feet in length ; while 

 the deal are about two inches thick, from ten to eighteen inches 

 wide and about twelve feet long. Each is of three qualities and 

 stamped with the Quebec market initials of "A. F. A. K." or with 

 the word ''Montmorenci." With considerable difficulty the big 

 logs are pried over and over until they reach the water when an 

 iron bolt is fastened to them and a rope attached drags them out 

 into the water where the tide, which is on the flood, rises sufficiently 

 to float them. 



In this way a raft or rather tow is soon made of four fine, pine 



