A CANADIAN RIVER 105 



too valuable to be neglected, and accord- 

 ingly, after the first raging floods have spent 

 their strength, but before the water has 

 touched its low summer level, parties of 

 " drivers " are sent up the rivers to extricate 

 these lost sheep and expedite their journey 

 to the mills. The driving party is conveyed 

 in several canoes, with a crew of two or three 

 men to each. These men, often half-breed 

 Indians, are equally at home on shore or in 

 the water, and are unrivalled in the dex- 

 terous use of pole, paddle, or axe. 



The driving gangs work their way down 

 from the head waters in the heart of the 

 mountains, and make it their business to 

 search every nook and corner for lost logs. 

 Each of these is, when found, dislodged 

 from its resting-place and carefully shep- 

 herded until it is once again fairly launched 

 upon the current. The work is extremely 

 rough and difficult, and is performed with 

 wondrous skill ; but to the salmon fisherman 

 this log-driving campaign, coming as it does 

 when the salmon fishing is at its best, is an 



