338 MAIL SERVICE 



settlement, letters were accepted and carried free 

 for the family if possible, but in other places a 

 charge of twenty- five cents per letter was exacted, 

 and was willingly paid. Except in a few places 

 near settlements, there were no roads or paths of 

 any kind, and the mail party had to work its way 

 through the woods, sometimes for miles, to avoid 

 bad places along the sea coast. On these long 

 portages, if a guide was available, one was taken; 

 if not they had to go through as best they could. 



On McKenzie's first trip his party was lost for 

 two days in the Manitou portage, and Tom Flett, 

 an Orkney man, who was with him, had his feet 

 badly frost bitten. On another occasion the whole 

 party broke through the ice while crossing a river, 

 the Sheldrake, if I remember rightly, and all would 

 have been drowned had it not been for Peter 

 McKenzie's great muscular strength. He man- 

 aged to get hold of some tree or branches, and as 

 the others clung to him he pulled them out 



While on this subject I may suggest what is a 

 good thing to do in passing over weak or doubtful 

 ice, as in crossing a river or lake early in the sea- 

 son. Cut a long pole and carry it by the middle, 

 if alone, and if you do break through, the pole 

 will support you, as it covers so much surface and 

 you will be able to draw yourself out. Two poles 

 are sometimes used if the distance h short. When 

 two persons go together, one end of the pole 

 should be held by each. This wrinkle has saved 



