A STIFF STORM 69 



poking into all side-inlets — but without avail, 

 and we lunched at Birch Rapids, from whence we 

 had started yesterday. From there we set out 

 due north, and found our course through. 



About 2.30 p.m. thunderstorm and squall broke 

 over us when in mid-lake, and gave us a rough 

 time until we reached inshore, where we lay 

 up until evening ; then travelling onward, when 

 the wind went down, late into the night. We 

 shipped a lot of water in mid-lake when struggling 

 against the great waves that arose, and at one 

 time feared for the safety of our craft, but 

 finally we got through with little more than a 

 thorough wetting to our persons, the stores and 

 specimens saved by the tarpaulin which I always 

 have laced over the canoe-centre against rain, 

 or spray when running rapids. Such a tarpaulin, 

 and a light platform to keep the kit raised off the 

 canoe bottom, are essential for protection against 

 wet on long, rough journeys of this kind. 



Saw first two blooms of Wild Rose or Briar 

 to-day. 



Dragon-flies are now about the shores, and 

 have been in evidence for the past three or four 

 days. They commonly fly back and forth at 

 height of the tree-tops (say 40 to 50 feet) or else 

 very low around the roots of the willows on shore ; 

 to rest on occasions out of the breeze on the sand 

 in the bays. 



Daily I note ornithological observations, and con- 

 tinue collecting specimens, but these are omitted 

 here as I deal with them in a later chapter. 



June 17. — Up at 3 a.m. and away early with the 

 desire to make up for time lost on Trout Lake. 



