78 CAMP. FIRE REMINISCENCES 
to convey the members to and from Corinne, the 
nearest point on the Southern Pacific Railway. 
Guides had been mustered in and very suitable 
boats built. These were wider than the older craft 
—had, of course, flat bottoms, and some had revolv- 
ing armchairs in their sterns. Another important 
change had taken place—the bag was now limited 
by law to twenty-five ducks per gun. This limit 
accounted for the guides, as it was more profitable 
to take out a tourist than to shoot for the market. 
With H. and §., I arrived at Corinne on Sep- 
tember 30. We drove from the station to the river 
and there found the launch waiting. She was a 
nice, serviceable-looking boat, and capable of carry- 
ing a good number. When we were seated, the 
engine room, or rather a lot of oil-soaked waste 
in it, caught fire, and the flames shot up very high. 
Out camping nothing is so cheerful as a fire—it 
gives life to the scene. This fire was no exception 
to the rule, and the fact that the launch carried 
twenty gallons or so of petrol made it more lively 
than usual. At about the same time we all felt 
that a better view of the conflagration could be 
had from a distance. The engineer, however, suc- 
ceeded in putting out the flames; and the cylinders 
having been well warmed the engine started with 
ease and ran well. Perhaps the engineer was in 
the habit of starting it in this simple way—it gave 
us a few minutes’ pleasurable excitement at any 
rate. 
The river meanders from Corinne to its mouth 
and the distance to the club by water is probably 
