ne goes with a tin or iron pail containing a smudge,
and fills the bedrooms with dense smoke. One evening Mr. Hinckley and
another of our party went fishing without veils. They returned with
their necks behind swollen up as if with _goitres_ or _Kropfe_. I knew a
young Englishman who with friends, somewhere beyond Manitoba, encountered
such a storm of mosquitos that their oxen were killed, and the party
saved themselves by riding away on horseback. So he told me.

At the stations--all log-houses--the ladies collected pillows and buffalo
blankets, and, making a great bed, all slept in one room. We men slept
in waggons or under a tent, which was not quite large enough for all. The
Indian women cut spruce twigs and laid them over-lapping on the ground
for our bed. By preference I took the outside, _al fresco_. One night
we stayed at a house which had an upper and a lower storey. The ladies
camped upstairs. In the morning, when we men below awoke, all took a
drink of whisky. There entered a very tall Indian, clad in a long black
blanket, who looked on very approvingly at the drinking. I called to my
wife above to hand me down my whisky flask. "There is a big Indian here
who wants a drink," I remarked. "I think I know," she replied, "who that
big Indian is," but handed down the flask. "Don't waste whisky on an
_Indian_" said one of my companions. But I filled the cup with a
tremendous slug, and handed it to the Objibway. He took it down like
milk, and never a word spoke he, but when it was swallowed he looked at
me and winked. Such a wink as that was! I think I see it now--so
inspired with gratitude and humour as to render all words needless. He
had a rare sense of tact and gratitude. Soon after I was sitting out of
doors among a few ladies, when the Indian, who had divined that I was
short of Chippeway and wished to learn, stalked up, and pointing to our
beauty, said gravely, _squoah_--_i.e._, woman. Then he indicated several
other articles, told me the Indian name for each and walked away. It was
all he could do. The ladies, who could not imagine why this voluntary
lesson was given to me, were much amused at it. But I understood it; he
had seen the Injun in me at a glance, and knew what I wanted most!

One night we stopped at a place called Kettle River. It was very
picturesque. Over the rushing stream the high rocky banks actually
overhung the water. I got into a birch canoe with my wife, and tw