FOREST AND STREAM 
165 
I N handling a canoe in rapids the utmost 
care and coolness is necessary. When 
the water is deep, use a paddle for going 
down stream, keeping a well-tested, steel- 
shod spruce pole and an extra paddle in 
readiness in case of emergency. For go- 
ing up a rapid, unless the water is too 
deep, the pole is better than the paddle, 
especially if you are sufficiently at home 
in the canoe to be able to stand up and 
use it. In using the pole both strength 
and quickness are essential. Above all 
things, be careful not to bear weight on 
the pole unless you are sure of its being 
securely placed. Many accidents occur 
through the pole slipping off a round 
stone, so feel your ground carefully be- 
fore trusting it too far. 
The amateur should never attempt any 
rapid without first examining it, as there 
[are frequently places where a canoe can- 
Inot pass. Only an expert can stop sud- 
idenly when going down a bad rapid. In 
I going down stream go faster than the 
■water, otherwise the canoe will be swung 
by the current and steering will be next 
to impossible. Make up your mind exact- 
ly where you want to go as soon as you 
kan, so as to avoid sudden turns. Don’t 
Ibe afraid of going fairly near an exposed 
rock, as the current will prevent your 
striking it, but look out for black eddies 
at the lower side. They are deceptive. 
Where there is a sharp bend in the 
river, keep to the outer curve, for even if 
the water is rougher there are fewer 
black eddies, and the eddies are more 
dangerous than fairly rough water. If 
in going up stream you have difficulty in 
steering the canoe, change your position 
slightly. Let the stern be considerably 
lower than the bow. If by ill chance you 
get on a rock, raise the part of the canoe 
that is in contact by moving your posi- 
tion, giving a sharp push the moment she 
is free. Do not attempt dangerous water 
if you are too tired. Shove the canoe’s 
bow ashore and take a rest. 
If, when going down a rapid you dis- 
cover that the way ahead is blocked or 
confusing, it is desirable to stop the canoe 
immediately by firmly placing the pole 
well ahead and balancing the boat against 
it. This may necessitate changing your 
position, but you can hold her perfectly 
still if the water is not too rough, while 
you select the best possible route out of 
the confused water ahead. If you have 
to slide over rocks — and of course it is 
not desirable to do so unless the condi- 
tions unexpectedly developing make this 
absolutely necessary — have the canoe 
evenly balanced, so that she will draw as 
little water as possible, then if she grazes 
a rock or other unforeseen obstruction, 
the canoeist can lighten her by placing 
his weight on the pole. On no account, 
however, should he attempt this if the 
rocks are sharp. In very shallow places 
it may be necessary to get out and walk 
with the canoe. Do not attempt to run 
rapids with a heavy load. Always carry 
material with which to make repairs. A 
piece of pitch and some canvas will an- 
swer. Thoroughly heat the pitch before 
applying to the portion that is in need of 
repairs. 
F. IT. Sweet, Virginia. 
A SMALL BULLET FOR BIG 
GAME 
■"PHE killing power of a small caliber 
cartridge can be greatly irrereased by 
adopting the following method: 
Use a fairly long-nosed bullet. Split 
the end back for a distance of about in. 
and spread the jaws of this split apart. 
Then drive a small BB shot in between 
the jaws so that it will project slightly 
beyond the end. Then close the lead 
over it slightly with a pair of pliers. 
When the bullet is fired and strikes a 
hard substance, the shot will hit first and 
act as a wedge, thus spreading the split 
end of the bullet apart and increasing the 
killing power considerably. 
AN EMERGENCY PUMP 
A MIXER had occasion to want water 
from a sump that he could not well 
reach with a bucket because of the steep 
sides to the sump. 
He had a length of hose in camp that 
he dropped over into the water, well be- 
low the surface, and laid the remaining 
end on the bank. Then he whittled out a 
round stick from a sapling, with the 
plunger end the largest and a sliding fit 
for the bore of the hose. The shank 
of the stick was shaved down slightly 
smaller. 
Then by working the stick up and 
down in the hose, after priming it with 
rvater he had, he was able to draw water 
from the sump which flowed out of the 
end of the hose into the bucket. 
This w’as a rough application of the 
pump principle, but served its purpose 
and may be a good idea for someone in 
a similar predicament. 
TANNING PELTS 
I X order to prevent a pelt from spoiling, 
and to keep the hair from falling out, 
you must make a good job of your tan- 
ning. You should skin the animal while 
it is warm, in order to keep the hide as 
free from the meat as possible. .Mthough 
this is not necessary, it is a good plan to 
follow. Then stretch it as tight as pos- 
sible on a board or stretcher made for 
that purpose. 
X’^ext, you should scrape it until it is 
free from all meat and surplus tissues. 
After doing that, salt it and rub the salt 
in well leaving a layer about an eighth of 
an inch thick all over the surface. The 
Be sure and trim or pare down the sur- 
face of the bullet after being spread apart 
at the ends so that it will not bind when 
inserted in the gun barrel. 
L B- Robbins. Mas.s 
pelt should be left in this state for one 
week, then scrape it with a sharp knife 
till all the salt is worked off the top of 
the skin. After this, apply powdered 
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