10 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



above them, the result is a splendid fire in a very short time. 

 Not having any matches with which to ignite the fuel, the 

 red men frequently do it by firing- powder into dry moss, punk, or 

 grass, and waving 1 it back and forth in the wind until it burns 

 freely, or by revolving- rapidly between their hands a piece of hard 

 wood inserted in a small aperture cut in dry, soft wood. They 

 can obtain a fire by the latter means in less than a minute 

 sometimes, but in many cases it takes much longer, especially 

 if the material is damp. As wood is always wanted, every 

 camp should have an axe; and a hammer, saw, anger, nails, 

 rope, twine, and needles will be found useful. A lantern is 

 also a necessity; and a mechanical lamp which burns any 

 kind of oil, and does not require a glass chimney, will be 

 found exceedingly convenient on some occasions, especially if 

 reading- at night is any pleasure, and it is, for one frequently 

 gets weary of the same class of tales when repeated too 

 often. This lamp can also be used for cooking a steak, or 

 boiling a tea or a coffee pot, which it dues in a few minutes ; 

 and as it cannot be blown out by any ordinary breeze, and the 



011 cannot be spilt, it is well adapted to tent life. 



Persons should always carry a generous supply of matches,, 

 and to preserve them from dampness they ought to be packed in 

 a bottle or a rubber bag, for they are very precious things when 

 the place where they may be purchased is many miles distant. 

 Soap and towels should also be abundant, especially the 

 former, for a bath in the limpid stream after a hard day's 

 toil is a luxury indeed, and if taken in the morning it acts 

 both as a mental and physical invigorator. 



The clothing of a hunter who would be successful ought to 

 be of a dull, neutral, or pepper-and-salt tint, so that animals 

 may not be startled by the presence of any unusual hue, and 

 that he may the more readily conceal himself in timber, on 

 the prairie, or amid mountain crags. Light colours are better 

 than very dark ones, as the latter contrast strongly with the 

 ground or foliage, and are therefore more readilv seen ; whereas 

 a drab, a butternut, or a light brown can scarcely be distin- 

 guished at any distance from many natural objects in the 

 surrounding landscape. l\r working in the woods in spring 



