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Mr. Herbert K. Job :



of cottages standing' out on the level prairie. These were shooting

lodges, used by duck shooters in the fall. The owner of one of them

I had met in Winnipeg, and he had with true Canadian hospitality

offered us the free use of it for our scientific quest, which I was

happy to accept.


Comfortably ensconsed, for about six weeks we got our own

meals and lived pretty much in regal solitude, monarchs of all we

surveyed. The guide lived over a mile away, and in the dim distance

we could see a few more little homes scattered over the great plain.

Half a mile back and more were scattered bluff's of low timber, while

out in front, and close at hand, lay the great marsh which was to

become our field of activity. x4 ditch or canal had been dug in from

the nearest main waterway through the forest of aquatic vegetation,

so that the hunters could paddle their canoes almost to the doors of

their lodges. Two of these had tall flag-poles in front, on which

they hoisted lanterns at night to guide bewildered ones back to

camp. A nice canoe, ready for our use, lay on the shore at the end

of the canal.


Before describing the actual work of the expedition, it may be

of interest to have a few words of general description. The climate

was typical of the North-west prairies, mostly cool and bracing, with

frequent heavy showers and occasionally severe heat. One Sunday

afternoon the mercury on the west side of the house registered 113

degrees. Next Sunday it was 47 degrees, a raging easterly storm.

The saying current out there is that they have three seasons—July,

August, and Winter. Of course, mosquitoes were abundant, but we

were too busy and interested to mind such small annoyances. We

did growl some, though, at the weather, which was pretty bad for

rearing ducklings and even worse for photography. Sometimes I

thought I should hardly get any pictures at all.


The few inhabitants of the region are interesting. They are

the descendants of trappers for the Hudson Bay Company who

intermarried with the Indians. They do little farming, being content

mostly to hunt and fish, raise a few cattle, and act as guides for

sportsmen. Proud and extremely sensitive, they are very friendly to

those who treat them well. They certainly were most kind to us,

selling us milk, eggs, butter, bread, and the like. Fondness for



