stop leaks.--THE INDIAN OR BIRCH BARK CANOE.--The Indian as a Canoe-maker.--His remarkable skill.--Perfection of the Indian made Canoe.--Description of the Canoe.--Capacity of the various sizes.--How to construct a Bark Canoe.--Selection of Bark.--How to prevent Leaks.--Material used by the Indians in sewing the Bark.--Advantages of the Birch Bark Canoe.--Basswood, Hemlock, and Spruce Bark Canoes.--A LIGHT HOME-MADE BOAT.--Selection of Boards.--Directions for making the Boat.--Caulking the seams.--Value of Pitch for waterproofing purposes.--How it should be applied.--THE SCOW.--How to construct the ordinary Flat-bottomed Boat.--The Mud-stick.--SNOW SHOES.--A necessity for winter travel.--The "Snow Shoe Race."--The mysteries of a Snow Shoe.--"Taming the Snow Shoe."--How to make the Snow Shoe.--Complicated Network.--
Two methods of attaching the Network.--How the Snow Shoe is worn.--THE TOBOGGAN OR INDIAN SLEDGE.--Its value to the Trapper.--Winter Coasting.--Great sport with the Toboggan.--How to make a Toboggan.--Selection of Boards.--How the Sledge is used.--CURING SKINS.--Importance of Curing Skins properly.--Valuable hints on Skinning Animals.--How to dry Skins.--How to dress Skins for Market.--Astringent preparations.--Recipe.--STRETCHERS.--How skins are stretched.--The Board Stretcher.--How it is made and used.--The Wedge Stretcher.--How made and used.--The Bow Stretcher.--The Hoop Stretcher.--TANNING SKINS.--To Tan with the hair on.--Preparation of Skin for Tanning.--Tanning Mixture.--Recipe.-- Second Mixture.--Recipe.--Third Mixture and Recipe.--How the Skin is softened and finished.--HOW TO TAN MINK AND MUSKRAT SKINS.--Preparation of Skin.--Tanning Mixtures.--Various Recipes.--"Fleshing."--The Fleshing-knife.--Substitute for the Fleshing-knife.--HOW TO TAN THE SKINS OF THE BEAVER, OTTER, RACCOON, AND MARTEN.--Tanning Mixtures.--How to soften the Skin.--Simple Tanned Skin.--Recipe for removing the fur.--How to finish the Skin.--OBSERVATIONS ON THE HISTORY OF FURS AND THE FUR TRADE.--Some bits of History in connection with Furs.--Ancient use of Furs.--Furs a medium of Exchange.--Furs and Fashion.--Extravagance in Fur Costume.--Choice Furs as Badges of Rank.--
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Their use restricted to Royal Families.--The Early Fur Trade of Europe.--A Tribute paid in Furs.--Early History of the Fur Trade in America.--Origin of the Hudson's Bay Company.--Hostility of the French Canadian Traders.--Establishment of the North
West Company.--Competition and War.--Consolidation of the two Companies.--Great sales of the Hudson's Bay Company.--Importance of the Fur Trade.--Cities founded by the enterprise of the Trapper.--St. Paul.--Montreal and Mackinaw.--Fortunes built up on Fur Traffic.--John Jacob Astor.--Mink and Muskrat Skins.--Their extensive use in America.--Estimated value of the annual yield of Raw Furs throughout the World.--Classification of Furs by American Dealers.--"Home" Furs.--"Shipping" Furs.--Table of Sales of Hudson's Bay Company, in 1873.--March Sale.--September Sale.--Price according to Quality.--Estimated average per Skin.--List of American "Shipping" Furs.--List of American "Home" Furs.--MARKET VALUE OF FUR SKINS.--Eccentricities of the Fur Market.--Demand governed by Fashion.--How Fashion runs the Fur Trade.--The Amateur Trapper and the Fur Trade.--Difficulty of a profitable disposal of Furs.--Advice to the Novice.--How to realize on the sale of Furs.--TABLE OF VALUES OF AMERICAN FUR SKINS.--A complete list of American Fur bearing Animals.--Various prices of Skins according
to Quality.--USES OF AMERICAN FURS AT HOME AND ABROAD.--The Silver Fox.--Fifty Guineas for a Fur Skin.--Red Fox Fur.--Its Page xii use in Oriental Countries.--Beaver Fur.--Its various uses.--Raccoon Skins, a great Staple for Russia and Germany.--Bear Skins and their various uses.--Lynx, Fisher, and Marten Skins.--The Mink.--Use of its hair for Artists pencils.-- Muskrat Skins.--Three millions annually exported to Germany alone.--Their extensive use among the American poorer classes.-- Otter Fur.--Sleigh Robes from Wolf Skins.--Rabbit Fur.--Its use in the Manufacture of Hats.--Breeding Rabbits for their Fur.-- The Wolverine.--Skunk Fur, dignified by the name of Alaska Sable.--Large shipments to Foreign Countries.--How the Fur of the Badger is used.--Opossum, Puma, and Wild Cat Fur.--Robes for the Fashionable.--Squirrel and Mole skins.
Page xiii
FULL PAGES.
1. Caught at last.
2. Traps for Large Game.
3. Snares or Noose Traps.
4. Traps for Feathered Game.
5. Miscellaneous Traps.
6. Household Traps.
7. Steel Traps, and the art of Trapping.
8. Almost Persuaded.--to face.
9. The Campaign.
10. Trapper's Miscellany.
Page 17 BOOK I.
TRAPS FOR LARGE GAME.
owever free our forests may be from the lurking dangers of a tropical jungle, they nevertheless shelter a few large and formidable beasts which are legitimate and deserving subjects of the Trapper's Art. Chief among them are the Puma, or Cougar, Bear, Lynx, Wolf and Wolverine.
Although commonly taken in steel traps, as described respectively in a later portion of this work, these animals are nevertheless often captured by Deadfalls and other devices, which are well known to the professional Trapper, and which serve excellently in cases of emergency, or in the scarcity of steel traps.
THE DEAD-FALL.
There are several varieties of this trap, some of which are described in other parts of this volume. In general construction they all bear a similarity, the methods of setting being slightly changed to suit the various game desired for capture. For large animals, and particularly the Bear, the trap is sprung by the pressure of the animal's foot, while reaching for the bait. Select some favorite haunt of the Bear, and proceed to construct a pen of large stakes. These should consist of young trees, or straight branches, about three inches in diameter, and should be of such a length as to reach a height of four or five feet when set in the ground, this being the
required height of the pen. Its width should be about two and a half or three feet; its depth, four feet; and the top should be roofed over with cross pieces of timber, to prevent the bait from being Page 18 taken from above. A straight log, about eight inches in diameter, and six feet in length should now be rolled against the opening of the pen, and hemmed in by two upright posts, one on
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each side, directly on a line with the sides of the enclosure. Another log, or tree trunk, of the same diameter, and about fifteen or twenty feet in length, should next be procured. Having this in readiness, we will now proceed to the construction of the other pieces. In order to understand the arrangement of these, we present a separate drawing of the parts as they appear when the trap is set (a). An upright post, is supplied at the upper end with a notch, having its flat face on the lower side. This post should be driven into the ground in the left hand back corner of the pen, and should be three feet or more in height. Another post (b) of similar dimensions,
is provided with a notch at its upper end, the notch being reversed, i. e., having its flat side uppermost. This post should be set in the ground, outside of the pen, on the right hand side and on a line with the first. A third post (c), is provided with a crotch on its upper end. This should be planted outside of the pen on the right hand side, and on a line with the front. The treadle piece consists of a forked branch, about three feet Page 19 in length, supplied with a square board secured across its ends. At the junction of the forks, an augur hole is bored, into which a stiff stick about three feet in length is inserted. This is shown at (h). Two poles, (d) and (e), should next be procured, each about four feet in length. These complete the number of pieces, and the trap may then be set. Pass
the pole (d) between the stakes of the pen, laying one end in the notch in the post (a), and holding the other beneath the notch in the upright (b). The second pole (e) should then be adjusted, one end being placed in the crotch post (c), and the other caught beneath the projecting end of the pole (d), as is fully illustrated in the engraving. The dead-log should then be rested on the front extremity
of the pole last adjusted, thus effecting an equilibrium.
The treadle-piece should now be placed in position over a short stick of wood (f), with its platform raised in front, and the upright stick at the