157 
FOREST AND STREAM 
W E completed our outfitting at Pern 
broke and took the morning train 
for Kippawa. There were four of 
us, Ed. Walton, Dr. Earl C. Bark¬ 
ley, Dave Brash and myself—all eager 
to start on the journey we had discussed 
and planned months ahead. And when 
the train finally climbed the steep grade 
between Mattawa and Kippawa, we lost 
no time in making our final preparations. 
Our food bags were stocked and our 
“city” clothes packed and sent back to 
friends in Pembroke. We selected two 
canvas canoes, one sixteen, and the other 
eighteen foot. Most of the canoes we ex¬ 
amined required repairing and we had to 
decide on taking the 
eighteen footer or wait 
another day while one 
of the smaller canoes 
was patched up. Our 
packs were ready, the 
blue water was before 
us stretching as far as 
the eye could see and 
we were impatient to 
be off. The big green 
canoe, which w'as to 
be the cause of many 
future “cussings,” went 
with us. Kippawa is a 
regular “jumping off” 
place, consisting of a 
station, a general store 
and several scattered 
houses, and we were 
glad when we rounded 
a hgadland and left 
it behind. It was 
about three o’clock on 
the fourth of Au¬ 
gust when we left Kip¬ 
pawa and at six-thirty 
we had crossed the lake 
\ond that we could get little information. 
This was a thing to cause some anxiety, 
and we sat ’round the campfire that first 
evening and saw a bright reflection on the 
sky in the direction we were heading. We 
had some forebodings. 
We were astir early next day and pad- 
died to Turtle portage, where we found 
a. tramway track and car on which we 
loaded everything and made the carry in 
one trip. We had been warned of the 
hardships of the portages, and here was 
How the Five Hundred Miles Looks on the Map. 
we stopped and put out a smouldering fire 
along shore. But we might have saved 
ourselves the time and trouble as we found 
the trees burning beyond hope of saving, 
just a few hundred yards further on. 
About five o’clock we reached Hunter’s 
Point after paddling against a stiff breeze. 
Here we sent our last mail and purchased 
a few extra supplies. 
Too lazy to pitch the tents, we spread our 
blankets on the lee side of a haystack and 
watched the northern lights dancing above 
us as we dropped off to 
sleep. We had breakfast 
next morning with the 
hospitable habitants and 
started off on Little 
Birch Lake with a fav¬ 
oring wind. It was 
easy g o i n g and we 
soon made Big Birch 
Lake and covered the 
long stretches of water 
and swept past the 
points of land in good 
style. Ed Walton, who 
was navigator-in-chief, 
kept his waterproof 
map lying on the packs, 
before him and had lit¬ 
tle trouble guiding our 
course. The portage 
at Traverse Lake was 
made late in the after¬ 
noon). Here we had 
to carry our packs and 
the canoes, but the port¬ 
age is short and easy, 
and we soon had every¬ 
thing over. Ed carried 
and passed Rocher Corbeau, a profile rock the first nicely cleared, with rails and a car the big canoe He Ed car ^ ed 
and an easdy distinguishable landmark. We which, even when loaded with g , . t 0 er onIy after 
and an easily distinguishable landmark. We 
pitched camp on a low point with young 
birches and spruce trees nearby. Two 
loons were calling near shore, and with 
the tents up and the fire blazing under a 
pot of soup we felt that our dreams and 
plans at last were realized, that we were 
indeed started on a real canoe cruise. 
W E had read of the disastrous fires 
in Ontario and had endeavored to 
get information about the condition 
of the country we were to pass through. 
The reports we had, however, were mostly 
vague. We were told that there were some 
small fires a few days ahead of us. Be- 
i ■ , . i , , . . ° -- over omv i 
which, even when loaded with our entire considerable effort, and it was then we rea- 
outfit, required only a four-man-power Hzed the disadvantage and handicap this 
push to send it rattling down to a landing one was going to be. 
on the other side. And the car was 
equipped with a brake that would really 
stop it. Dave, who drives a flivver in De¬ 
troit, worked the brake; we caught him 
once feeling around for the clutch and 
horn. 
But that was the first portage. There 
were others ahead which were to fix for¬ 
ever in our memories the full meaning of 
and respect due la portage. 
At Hunter’s Lake we found heavy forest- 
fire smoke just ahead of us. About noon 
Doc and I went fishing for half an 
hour but we did not get a strike. We 
were disappointed, as we had expected to 
get fish any time we tried for them. But 
we found in the course of the trip that 
trolling or casting in the lakes was usually 
poor sport though the fish we caught in 
this way were always of good size. Be¬ 
low the riffles and rapids was where we 
did most of our fishing and we seldom 
failed to get a good catch in the running 
water. 
FIVE HUNDRED MILES THROUGH 
VIRGIN CANADA BY CANOE 
Illustrated By 
the Author. 
By 
T. M. NEILSON. 
