IN AUDUBON'S LABRADOR 



balloon silk, its waterproof qualities improved 

 by a filler, with the addition of a little oil 

 paint; a flap extended over my head in the 

 baker-tent fashion, held in place by small guy- 

 ropes; cheese-cloth hung from the borders to 

 keep out insects. It is true that I found one 

 morning a dozen aldermanic-looking mosqui- 

 toes inside the canopy, but as a rule they were 

 kept outside. The inner bag was made of 

 lamb's-wool wadding with a covering of gray 

 flannel and a lining of sateen. The outer bag 

 weighed two and a half pounds, the inner, 

 three and a half pounds, and both could be 

 compressed into so small a space as to occupy 

 less than half of a rucksack. As compared with 

 the ordinary bulky and heavy sleeping-bag 

 it was certainly preferable, but in heavy rain- 

 storms we were driven to the shelter of the 

 cabin. 



There was no bathtub on board, but what 

 could be finer than a plunge overboard or a 

 pail of sea-water poured on head and shoulders 

 by one of the men, who shuddered with hor- 

 ror at our extraordinary temerity. These two 

 men were fine fellows. Guillaume (pronounced 

 Eel-yam), with buff -colored shirt with green 

 76 



