WITH THE MOUNTED POLICE 31 



are found farther up and back in the bog country, 

 jackpine of fair size abounds on the sandy and gravelly 

 parts. Balsam poplar is the largest deciduous tree ; its 

 superb legions in upright ranks are crowded along all 

 the river banks and on the islands not occupied by the 

 spruce. The large trees of this kind often have deep 

 holes; these are the nesting sites of the Whistler Duck, 

 which is found in numbers here and as far north as 

 this tree, but not farther. White poplar is plentiful 



Male Lynx. June 3, 1907 



also; the hillsides are beautifully clad with its pur- 

 plish masses of twigs, through which its white stems 

 gleam like marble columns. White birch is common 

 and large enough for canoes. Two or three species of 

 willow in impenetrable thickets make up the rest of 

 the forest stretches. 



At this camp I had the unique experience of showing 

 all these seasoned Westerners that it was possible to 

 make a fire by the friction of two sticks. This has long 

 been a specialty of mine ; I use a thong and a bow as 

 the simplest way. Ordinarily I prefer balsam-fir or 

 tamarack; in this case I used a balsam block and a 

 spruce drill, and, although each kind failed when used 



