
Real white water—Note drop in the rapids 
ARTER sure said the word when 
( he suggested that “the flies 
might bother us a bit.” I’ll 
sign the dotted line that for two weeks 
we hadn’t averaged three hours sleep 
a night—and my nerves were feeling 
like a bargain shirt that had been 
through the steam laundry. 
With the first haze of morning light 
the hordes of “musical eagles” de- 
scended from the trees or came up 
from their graves—any way they ar- 
rived and made their presence 
both known and felt—individu- 
ally and emphatically. 
I swear I never swore a dozen 
TNIAIIUI 
VUELTA RELL HEITOR HLH LUE 
Picture to yourself one of those 
speedy little, short winged scout planes 
darting here and there—a flashing 
swordsman standing upon the prow de- 
livering lightning thrusts through the 
whirring blades of the propeller. Sure 
it’s impossible—yet there’s the deer 
fly. He’s there and gone before you 
know it—by the time you feel the cut, 
he’s away over there on that stump, 
contentedly gnawing at a chunk of 
meat from the back of your neck. 
AUAUUAUCURUTIE SAUCES 
Mosquito 
Moose 
and 
Mascalonge 
Canoeing thru 
Canadian Wilds 
By HUBERT G. FOOTE 
a distance and makes straight for the 
nearest exposed portion of epidermis. 
Then he settles quickly, marks out a 
claim (standing room), tucks a nap- 
kin under his chin and starts drilling 
—all while you are batting an eye. 
F man could get the habit of settling 
down to business that way, the effi- 
ciency of the human race would jump 
about ’steen per cent. Sure you can 
kill him—and a dozen others at a slap 
—but it only makes room for 
more. No race suicide among 
the “skeets.” 
Understand—I’m not saying 
“swears” before I hit Quebec in 
July. Now I’m doomed _ to 
shovel coal with Nicodemus— 
unless by chance St. Peter was 
ever in Quebec—in July. Then 
he’ll welcome me with open 
arms and whisper in my ear 
“No charge for that, son.” 
Really though—I do believe 
that our efficiency experts got 
This is the third of a series of articles de- 
picting a remarkable canoe trip thru the 
northern Quebec wilderness. The journey 
was made without guides and with only the 
aid of uncertain maps. Beside containing a 
great deal of information about this country, 
the narrative holds some good humor and, 
in addition, offers helpful hints on the sub- 
ject of north woods canoeing and camp life. 
that you can’t handle a crew of 
mosquitoes—it can be done— 
but we didn’t do it. 
We had just finished a hot, 
back-breaking portage, up into 
Lake Sassaginatta. A quick 
swim in the cool green waters 
of Sassaginatta lowered our 
temperature about 90 degrees 
and raised our spirits in pro- 
one of their fundamental ideas 
—the division of labor—from 
the flies of the north. They 
were the original ‘shift work- 
ers.” The “skeets’” are with you all 
night, taking a scant two hours snooze 
just before dawn—then they come out 
“to have a bite with us” for an hour 
or so. Then out come the black flies 
and the deer flies marching abreast. 
The deer fly is attentive company all 
day while the black fly retires along 
in the afteroon and gives the reins to 
the sand flies. 
qh tiny louse-like bird gets tired 
(and full) when the sun starts 
slipping—then the “musicians” come on 
for the night shift. 
MTT TTT TTT TIMI 
HIUEVAIVIVOIOVISHUDQIDUUOVOEULOOOOGODUGHOOEEEOUOUUOOUUU EES 
HROW your dunnage into the canoe 
—take a running start from back 
in the brush—a last swish at the pur- 
suers and then dig to it with the pad- 
dles, driving the canoe out into the 
wind. Nothing short of a gale worries 
them—paddle your blooming head off 
—when you’re all in, stop and look 
around. You will usually find a con- 
voy of from 10 to 50 of the little 
angels sitting on the sunny’ back deck 
—primping themselves. 
The north Quebec mosquito is much 
like the chinaman in battle—he has no 
fear of death. He just spots you from 
portion. 
We carried no watch but the 
sun was “getting well over 
towards California,” as 
Schmidty expressed it. 
The mosquitoes forced us back into 
our clothes and the place slowly as- 
sumed the orderly disorder of camp— 
the cooking fire was quickly started 
and the pots going. j 
ANP now the problem of bread con- 
fronted us and the time had come 
to put our baking outfit and system to 
the actual test. The camp was divided 
into two cooking camps of three and 
four men respectively, each having its 
own cooking outfit and supply of grub. 
Upon first thought this plan may ap- 
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