JONES ON THE BACKWOODS. 49 



iiigs of one, who fresh from the cultivated vales of old England, 

 finds himself suddenly placed in the midst of the '' forest 

 primeval," with no sounds of civilization to mar the sweet 

 stillness which reigns amid these western wilds ; and especially 

 upon those of a naturalist, who loves to look upon nature in her 

 pristine garb ; to see the land untouched, and the trees and 

 shrubs in every stage of life and decay, just as they have lived 

 and died through succeeding ages ; to listen to the unknown 

 sounds and cries proceeding from animals and birds, and parti- 

 cipate in the many other events hourly taking place as he 

 journeys on through these trackless solitudes ; for it may be 

 truly said that his cup of pleasure is filled to overflowing, and 

 every moment of his time occupied in marking and studying the 

 changing scenes which at every step burst fresh and enchantingly 

 upon his wondering view. 



It was on a fine summer's day towards the close of the month 

 of August, a chxte which will ever remain stamped on memory's 

 pleasant page, that, accompanied by t^o worthy representatives 

 of Her Majesty's forces, naval and military, I was ushered into 

 the camp of which I have spoken. We stood upon the bank ol 

 a rippling stream, and the first object that caught the eye was 

 the stalwart form of the camp steward, wielding an axe with 

 such power and eflect as to make the huge log he was splitting 

 for the night's fire shiver under the strokes, and cause the sur- 

 rounding forest to ring with their echoes ; while near a fire 

 burning briskly between two granite rocks, stood the form of a 

 veritable Indian, reclining in indolent ease over the burning 

 brands, above which hung the stock pot from which the steam 

 was puffing, sending around a goodly smell which made the 

 appetite sharpen as we thought of the eatables within. And 

 then the camp itself; a rough aflair it looked — two slender poles 

 some ten feet or so apart, placed upright, a cross pole lashed to 

 them a few feet above the ground, then with their buts resting 

 on this cross pole, and sloping back to the ground, were laid 

 other poles and branches of trees, fern, &c., strewed all over 

 the whole, forming a roof, which, although not waterproof, 

 helped to keep oft' the falling dew at night. The sides were 

 filled in with twigs and brushwood, while the floor of this primi- 



