CAMPING OUT. 295 



The universal charge made by the Indian hunters or 

 canoe men, is one dollar per diem, though possibly the 

 camp-keeper who stays at home, cooks, cuts firewood, 

 and sets rabbit snares, &c., may be hired for two-thirds of 

 that amount. They also charge so much a day, say half 

 a dollar, for canoe hire, unless you buy the canoe out- 

 right for from eight to twenty dollars, according to her 

 age and size. Bark is getting so scarce in many parts 

 that their charge in this respect is not unreasonable, for 

 in taking a party up a river or through lakes with heavy 

 loads there is considerable wear and tear. To see their 

 faces of anxiety on shooting shoal rapids ! not from 

 physical fear, but for the canoe ; and the agonised look 

 when a long grating rub proclaims contact with the 

 rocks, and how eagerly on reaching shore they turn her 

 over to inspect the bottom bark and ascertain if the cut 

 is deep or not ! The canoe is their pride ; and to many 

 the loss of their little craft would bring the greatest 

 temporary distress. These beautiful adaptations for 

 water transport in the wilderness are far from being so 

 frail as would be imagined at first sight. Though they 

 can be made scarcely exceeding sixty pounds weight, 

 and at the same time sufficiently capacious to carry four 

 persons and luggage, they are models of strength in the 

 framework. The strips of ash which form the gunwale, 

 and the delicate hooped ribs of fir which almost touch 

 each other throughout the length, are most carefully 

 selected. The thwarts are of thin ash, one is placed at 

 either extremity, on which sit the paddlers (kneeling, 

 however, in the bottom in case of rapid water, or a heavy 

 sea on a lake), the other two crossing amidships as sup- 

 ports. I know of no more delightful life than a canoe 



