266 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



being asked the employment he had been hired 

 for, he replied most na'ively, that having a brother 

 in Manitoba whom he desired to see, his uncle, the 

 Minister for Public "Works, had placed him upon 

 the staff of that department, so that he might be 

 taken there in one of our boats without expense to 

 himself. When appointments are to be given away, 

 it is not a question of obtaining good men, but of 

 how party purposes may be served by a judicious 

 allotment of them amongst political supporters and 

 their relations. 



Strong westerly winds prevailed on Lake Sheban- 

 dowan whilst the final arrangements were being 

 made for our start, so that upon some days such a 

 sea came rolling in and breaking upon the shore 

 that it was impossible to load boats, or to get them 

 off had we even succeeded in equipping them. Most 

 fortunately these "blows" seldom became powerful 

 until about nine or ten A.M., and generally wore them- 

 selves out towards four or five P.M., so that we had 

 almost always several hours in the morning and even- 

 ing for pushing on our work. 



On the night of the 15th July we had the most 

 violent thunderstorm experienced during the entire 

 operation. The heavens seemed at times as if to open 

 and let fall great crushing weights of exploding sub- 

 stance upon the earth beneath, which they struck 

 with blows that made all nature shake and tremble. 

 Then followed what is commonly known as rain, 



