92 SPORT IN VANCOUVER 



its arrangements with my camping experience 

 in Eastern Canada, some seven years before. 

 There we had ideal camping grounds, on the 

 bank of some river or lake, dry sandy soil, a 

 fairly open forest with undergrowth only in 

 parts, and lovely views from the tent door over 

 rushing river or placid lake. I had French 

 Canadians for companions and guides and they 

 have a perfect genius for making comfortable 

 and even luxurious camps ; unlimited supplies, 

 for we travelled with two canoes, and most of 

 our way was over lakes or rivers with short 

 portages; a comfortable tent, and if we were 

 to camp for two or three days, my men soon 

 ran up a dining-table and bench under a birch 

 bark shelter. The table was always laid with 

 a clean napkin, and an excellent dinner of 

 soup, fish, stuffed ruffled grouse, deliciously 

 cooked, was served. We had plenty of knives, 

 forks, plates and drinking cups — in fact, all 

 the comfort which two canoes allow. 



Here, we had only once a decent camp, and 

 that was on Lake Keogh. The edges of the 

 lake were generally swamps and piled up with 

 driftwood. Our camps had to be pitched in 

 the forest, a short distance from the shore of 

 the lake, or on the bank of the river on the 

 most level bit of land we could find. The 

 ground was always sodden, and a few branches 



