THE ComMoporE AND Crew. 25 

well rubbed with fine salt, with a sprinkling of sugar, and 
left packed in this from morning until evening. 
A smoke house is built beside a large green birch tree, by 
driving four stakes in form of a square, and about five feet 
high. To these are fastened with birch withes many small 
cane like sticks or poles, with the venison hanging from them, 
tier above tier. One side is enclosed by the tree, which adds 
its warmth and assists as a chimney; one side left open to 
feed the fire from time to time, which is but little more than 
a warm smudge; the two others and the top are covered with 
bark to keep out the wind and the wet. If it is likely to be 
pretty breezy, we leave the leeward side open to add the green 
chips for the smoking, taking care to avoid a blaze, and too 
much heat. It is soon cured in this manner, dried and 
shrunken, so that much can be packed in asmallspace. The 
smoke helps much as a preservative, and shoos away the blue 
tail fly. 
A few more days about the lake cruising to the many beau- 
tiful brooks, and up and down the charming inlet with its 
many windings and gamey little coves and points, spending 
lots of time about camp taking it leisurely, enjoying fine days 
in the sun with the breezes, and lovely evenings by the cheer- 
ful hard wood fire, the pure bracing mornings with their 
glorious sunrisings, a tramp now and then over the high hills 
and ridges, finding an abundance of partridges, and often 
starting up and away the larger game, to find another and 
more secluded chance to finish their resting and ruminating; 
curing and drying our large trout and venison, in the mean 
time trying, with what facilities we had, about all the ways 
of frying, roasting, broiling, stewing and smothering our 
venison, birds and fish, were very pleasantly passed. 
