EXPEDITION TO THE LAURENTIAN HILLS. 199 



paring for effective trapping, and were relying on him for lead- 

 ership, he was prostrated for nearly two days, and unable to do 

 any thing. A due consideration of his condition, of the fact 

 that we were all novices in trapping except John P., and of the 

 unfavorable indications of the region as to fur, led us to resolve 

 on a retreat and a " change of base." J. H. N. tells the story 

 of his 



LAST DAY IN CAMP, 



as follows : 



" I was left alone in camp three or four days on account of 

 a sore hand. In the first place I blistered it by chopping and 

 paddling, and finally it became so bad that I could do neither 

 with any comfort. So I stayed at home to be cook and maid 

 of all work. I had remained there two or three days, leading 

 very much such a life as Robinson Crusoe is reported to have 

 done. The other men were off about two miles, and I had 

 the whole shanty to myself, which was not a very great do- 

 main. It was generally perfectly still, not a sound to be 

 heard. The slightest crackle was a startling event. I would 

 jump up and look out to see what was coining, and perhaps 

 it would prove to be a red squirrel, which would peer in- 

 through some hole in the shanty, and watch my movements- 

 Several times a great bird flew over which I was unacquainted 

 with. I learned afterwards that it was a raven. They are- 

 very much like crows, only larger, and with a voice somewhat 

 different from that of the croV. In order to get along com- 

 fortably I had to talk to myself a great deal. On the last 

 day of my stay, J. P. Hutchins left in my charge certain tasks 

 to be performed. For one thing, having caught ten muskrats, 

 he wanted me to put the skins on stretchers. Then John 

 Hutchins the elder, in the dawn of the morning, when you 

 could hardly distinguish one thing from another, shot an ani- 

 mal which proved to be a skunk. It was a large one, covered 

 with fat ; and they left it in my charge to get the fat off and 

 try it out for domestic purposes. We had been troubled for 

 the want of light, and on killing the skunk it occurred to 

 them that it was a fine opportunity to get some oil for our 

 lamps. I commenced, my day's work by washing up 



