270 The Book of Woodcraft 



camper, light, comfortable, and of wildwood stuff, is the 

 Indian or willow bed, described on p 471. 



WATER, OR THE INDIAN WELL 



If there is swamp or pond, but no pure water at hand, 

 you can dig an Indian well in half an hour. This is simply 

 a hole about 18 inches across and down about 6 inches 

 below water-level, a few paces from the pond. Bail it out 

 quickly; let it fill again, bail it a second time, and the third 

 time it fills, it will be full of filtered water, clear of every- 

 thing except matter actually dissolved. 



It is now well known that ordinary vegetable matter does 

 not cause disease. All contamination is from animal refuse 

 or excreta, therefore a well of this kind in a truly wild region 

 is as safe as a spring. 



MOSQUITOES, BLACK FLIES, ETC. 



If you are camping in mosquito or fly season, the trip may 

 be ruined, if you are not fully prepared. 



For extreme cases, use the ready-made head-nets. They 

 are hot, but effectual. You can easily get used to the net; 

 no man can stand the flies. In my Arctic trip of 1907, we 

 could not have endured life without the nets. Indians and 

 all wore them. 



Of the various dopes that are used, one of the simplest 

 and best is Colonel N. Fletcher's, given in Kephart's "Book 

 of Camping and Woodcraft": 



"Pure pine tar .... . i oz. 



Oil pennyroyal i oz. 



Vaseline 3 ozs. 



Mix cold in a mortar. If you wish, you can add 3 per 

 cent, carbolic acid to above. Some make it li ozs. tar. " 



