The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-30
HOW BUSHMAN FINDS HIS WAY.
Remembers Every Detail OF Route Over
Which He Has Passed.


What appears marvellous and positively
uncanny to q town person is simple to n bush
man.
Years OF continuous observation develop
the bump OF locality. every object has place
and meaning to a trapper; his eye is ever
on the alert. and what his eye sees is photo
graphed on the brain and remains there for
future reference at any time he may require
1t.
This bump OF locality is highly developed
In all Indians and whites who have passed
many years in the bush. Without the faculty
Of remembering objects bushman could
not find his way through the forests.
Providing the trapper has once passed
from one place to another. he Is pretty sure
to find his way through the second time,
even IL years should have elapsed between
the trips. Every object from start to finish
is an index finger pointing out the right path.
slopng path. d leaning tree. moss covered
rock. slight elevation in land. cut in the
hills. the water in the creek. an odd looking
stone. II blasted tree-all help as guides as
the observant trapper makes his way through
a painless forest
or course, this tax on the memory is not
required Of trappers about settled part OF
the country. but am telling Of what s abso-
lntey necessary for the safety OF ones life
in the far-awav wilds OF the North, where
TO lose ones self might mean death.
] followed an Indian guide once over
trail of $50 miles, whereon We snowshoed
over mountains. through dense bush. down
rivers and over lakes. To test my powers
OF a retentive memory. the following winter
when. dispatches again had to he taken to
beadq,Iarters, | asked the. Indian TO, allow
inc to act as guide. he following. ,',. ...,...-
On that long journey Of ten or twelve days.
always walking and continually thinking
out the road, was in doubt only once. We
were standing OH the ice: a tongue of land
stood out toward Ms. a bay on either side.
The portage leaving the lake was at the bot
tom of one of these buys. but which? The
Indian had halted almost on the tails of my
snowshoes, and enjoyed my hesitation but
said nothing. To he assured of no mistake.
| had to pass over the whole Of last winters
trip in my minds eye UP to the point on which
we stood. Once the retrospect caught up
with us there was no further trouble. Our
route was down the left-hand bay.
When the Indian saw me start in that direc-
ton, he said: "A-a-ke- pu-ka-tan eyes. yes.
YOU are able.
The most difficult proposition TO tackle
is black spruce swamp. The trees are
mostly OF uniform size and height. the
surface of the snow Is perfet thy level ana at
times our route lies miles through such
country, and should there be d' II leaden
sky or a gentle snow falling there is nothing
for the guide to depend on Dut MS ap'ii'E 10
walk straight
II has been written time and again that the
tendency, when there arc no landmarks. is to
walk in circle.
BY constant practice hose who are brought
up in the wilds acquire the ability TO walk
in a straight line. They begin by beating
trail from point to poini on some long stretch
of ice and in the bush. where any tree or
obstruction bars the way. they make UP FOR
apy deviation from the straight course by
give a. d-take process. so that the general
line OF march is straight.
During forty years in the country ] never
knew an Indian or white bushman to carry
a compass. Apart from black spruce
swamp II would be no use whatever.
In going from one place to another the
contour OF the country has to be considered,
and very frequently the longest way round
ia the sho rtest way home" ridge OF noun
tains might lie between the place OF start
ing and the objective point. and by making a
detour round the spur. one would easier
reach his destination. rather than to climb
up one side and down the other.
ri we're to tell you as a fact that when =
bushman sees the track of some wild anima in
the snow he can tell YOU not only the name OF
the animal. but il it was male or female,
within an hour of the time the tracks were
made, II II was calm or blowing and the dl-
rection Of the wind at that time. and many
other minor things, you would think this
wonderful. Yet, as wonderful as this may
appear and hardly to be credited, an Indian
boy of 10 or 10 can read this page from nature
as easy as one Of us can read a page OF print.