BUSINESS AND ROMANCE 307 



with capotes off were sitting close to the fires, and flipping into 

 the air the browning flap-jacks that were to be eaten the follow- 

 ing day. Others, with hoods over their heads, lolled back from 

 the fire smoking their pipes — and by the way, novelists and 

 movie directors and actors should know that the natives of the 

 northern wilderness, both white and red, do not smoke cigarettes ; 

 they smoke pipes and nothing else. Some held their moccasins 

 before the fire to dry, or arranged their blankets for turning in. 

 Others slipped away under cover of darkness to rub pork rinds 

 on the bottom of their canoes, for there was much rivalry as to 

 the speed of the crews. Still more beautiful grows the scene, 

 when the June moon rises above the trees and tips with flicker- 

 ing light the running waves. 



Sauntering from one crew's fire to another, I listened for a 

 while to the talking and laughing of the voyageurs, but hearing 

 no thrilling tales or even a humorous story by that noted 

 romancer Old Billy Brass, I went over and sat down at the 

 officers' fire, where Chief Factor Thompson was discussing old 

 days and ways with his brother trader. 



THE LONGEST BRIGADE ROUTES 



After a little while I asked : 



"What was the longest route of the old-time canoe and boat 

 brigades?" 



"There were several very long ones," replied Mr. Thompson, 

 "for instance, the one from Montreal to Vancouver, a distance 

 of about three thousand miles; also the one from York Factory 

 on Hudson Bay to the Queen Charlotte Islands, and another 

 from York Factory to the Mackenzie River posts. Some of the 

 portages on the main highway of canoe travel were rather long, 

 for instance, the one at Portage La Loche was twelve miles 

 in length and over it everything had to be carried on man back. 



"In winter time, travel was by way of snowshoes, dog-sled, 



