INTO THE UNKNOWN WILDEKNESS 



In the evening camp was pitched on an island a little dis- 

 tance off shore. On this island a lonely grave was discovered, 

 at the head of which stood a plain wooden cross. It was, 

 doubtless, the grave of some Christian Indian who had been 

 taught by the priests at Fond-du-Lac, and who, when out on 

 a hunting expedition, had been stricken down by the great 

 Eeaper, and had been laid here to rest by his companions. 



This island camp recalls an incident connected with John, 

 our baker. For some time past, notwithstanding the appetites 

 of the men, his bread had not been giving satisfaction. Some 

 of the party were afraid to eat it on account of the possibili- 

 ties of canoeing accidents, which, if occurring, would almost 

 certainly result fatally, for with John's bread in one's stomach 

 there could be little hope of remaining afloat. At first John 

 had confined his baking to the making of " grease bannocks," 

 which, after being formed in a pan, were removed and cooked 

 before the fire on a stick; and so long as he baked in his 

 accustomed way he was fairly successful, but as soon as he 

 undertook the use of baking powder, and the production of 

 bread from a reflector (a camp oven), he grievously failed. 

 Being anxious to uphold the dignity of his profession at this 

 camp, he sat up all night endeavoring to improve on his 

 methods, but with little success. Two days later he again 

 undertook the prosecution of his calling, and, after cleaning 

 his hands, brought out his dutch-oven, bake-pans, sack of 

 flour, baking powder, etc. My brother, noticing these prep- 

 arations, strolled over to a convenient log and there seated 

 himself to watch John's modus operandi. The sack was 

 opened and the top of it rolled do-^vn until it formed a ring 

 over the flour, in which a hollow was then made with the 

 hands. Into this basin a quart or more of water was poured, 

 and into the water the prescribed quantity of hahing poivder 

 was stirred and allowed to effervesce before being stirred 

 into the flour. The secret of Johii's failures was thus dis- 

 closed, and he was given instructions on the use of baking 



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