288 MISCELLANEOUS. 



no better success here, however, than in the pine lands, and, 

 finding darkness drawing nigh, I decided not to return to 

 camp that night. I accordingly took a trail that led to a 

 shanty where lived a German settler or " homesteader, " as 

 they are called here. I reached this house just as it began to 

 grow dark, and was informed that I was then twelve miles 

 from camp in a direct line, and had traveled during the day 

 about fifteen or sixteen miles. I was kindly cared for by this 

 generous, warm-hearted German and his wife, both of whom I 

 soon learned were well educated in their native tongue, and 

 also in French and Spanish. The man is by profession a civil 

 engineer and draughtsman, and formerly held a good position 

 in the employ of a railroad company in Germany. His wife 

 had been a teacher in the schools of Berlin, and later a gov- 

 erness in the family of a wealthy nobleman. They now live 

 in a log shanty about twelve feet square, with a roof com- 

 posed of slabs or puncheons, split from pine logs, and without 

 a floor of any kind. 



The roof leaks like a sieve, and on this occasion they were 

 tiamping around in the mud while attending to their house- 

 hold duties. There was not even the conventional large fire- 

 place and bright log fire to cheer the scene, but only a dull fire 

 in a small stove. However, their warm hearts made amends 

 for all that their home lacked in the way of comforts and con- 

 veniences. I was treated to a frugal supper of roast bear-meat, 

 potatoes, bread and tea, and the rain ceasing soon after, I 

 retired to rest and slept soundly till daylight. 



This family has a fine piano standing on the ground in one 

 corner of the room, upon which are piled some two or three 

 hundred volumes of choice books in different languages, but 

 principally in German. On their homestead is a small lake, 

 covering about ten acres, which is the head of Thunder Bay 

 river, The lake is about thirty fi-rt deq> in the center, clear 



