Adventure, January 20, 1922 — page 191: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Ask Adventure raw furs are going to demand anything but a good price. Thirdly, your trapping-ground must be a good one indeed these days to get much. You'll have to go north, quite a way north, too; or else west—the big- game districts of British Columbia at least. The Yukon district is still full of game, in spots, and there are sections of the Rocky Mountains still al- most virgin territory. But the older provinces are pretty well worked out to make pay with furs at a low price. Your No. 1 and 1% traps are all right, especially if you have far to pack in with your outfit. Then a half-dozen larger size for the trap-robber and wolves, and build deadfalls for bears, and you’ll be hooked up. Figure on the length of trap-line you are going to work and take three traps to the mile. Set two traps to the mile and save the third for losses and off- trail sets. As for hunting, remember the game laws. Anda pelt with a bullet-hole in it brings a poor price. In the immediate vicinity of Algonquin Park is a good place near-by to sét a line of traps; but it is pretty well lined out every Winter now. In fact, I know of no place aside from the far north and west where you could run a line of any length. without crossing or paralleling another. To come down flat- footed with my answer to this question I will say, “DON’T.”’ Don’t expect to make any big money trapping this Winter unless you know the game from “sign” to market. Outfit with grub at the nearest big town or village to your trapping-ground. As for what you will take and how much for two for six months, that is up to you. I’ve seen men sit down to a meal in the bush and eat for one solid hour, while others would eat one-quarter as much and feel better, keep in better health and do more work. Then, too, tastes differ. What you would like maybe your partner would not like. The only thing to do in this case is to sit down and figure up with a pencil and paper how much you two will eat, and what you will eat, per meal, and then multiply. Thére are five hundred and forty meals in six months. ? The actual necessities in grub are: Sugar, salt, tea, coffee, flour, baking-powder, oatmeal or corn- meal; salt or smoked pork (fat),.dessicated or dried potatoes, and the same of other vegetables; beans, rice, raisins, split-peas; prunes and dried apples. Everything else will be luxuries and will cost money and weigh like in your packs. Take fish-hooks and line, and don’t be backward about eating off your trap-line. Few animals there are but are really fine eating if properly cooked. Beaver, muskrat, groundhog, ’coon, otter, bear and porcupine are all excellent meat, either stewed or baked. A good freight canoe will cost you close to one hundred dollars, new; though you may be able to pick up a second-hand quite cheap. Where, I can’t say. New canoes can be bought of Eaton’s or any of the sporting-goods stores in Toronto. Am enclosing leaflet with books marked that you would do well to purchase and take with you. “Ask Adventure”’ service costs you noth- ing but reply postage and self-addressed envelop. 189 Australian Gold Strikes Py CERES and rich as they have been, undoubtedly many more remain to be made in the great unexplored interior: Question:—“I would greatly appreciate it, if you could give me some information concerning Australia as a whole. Has the interior. been ex- plored or developed very much? Have gold or diamonds been discovered to any great extent? How is the climate? About what does it cost to go from either New Orleans or San Francisco to Sydney and the length of time the trip takes? Am enclosing stamps for reply.” —C. H. Overton, care of Adventure, New York. Answer, by Mr. Goldie:—The interior of Aus- tralia has attracted many intrepid explorers but still remains in a large measure an unknown quanti- ty. That it is mostly desert or at least very barren country is known; but who can say what wealth it may conceal when it is remembered that Broken Hill, which was for so long regarded as a barren waste, became one of the richest silver-lead fields in the world? The opening of the transcontinental railway within the last three of four years has opened up wonderful possibilities for the explorer or prospector, and it is the general belief of mineralogists that great discoveries remain to be made. Gold has been discovered principally in the States of Victoria (Ballarat and Bendigo), West Australia (Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie, Great Boulder, etc.) and Northern Queensland (Mt. Morgany though big finds have also been made in other places. In almost any up-to-date library you can find works dealing with the sensational gold dis- coveries of Australia. Diamonds have only been found in small quantities. The climate in the big centers of population on the seaboard is much lke California—in the in- terior like that of Colorado or Arizona. For full particulars as to fares and accommodation write to the Oceanic S. S$. Co., San Francisco, from which city the trip takes three weeks. Camping Chances for the Gothamite RUISE around, and you'll find lots of places within easy commuting distance, Mr. New Yorker. See also what A. S.H. has to say in Camp-Fire about wild life right in the big burg’s back yard. Question: —“T will greatly appreciate it if you will furnish me with the information concerning the following: 1. A good camping site about 50 miles from New York City in the Hudson Valley. 2. If possible it should be near a Jake or river, good for swimming and fishing. 3. How we can reach the spot, by rail or steam- er. Enclosed please find self-addressed envelop.” —M. BIEcreLEIsen, New York. Answer, by Mr. Spears:—You have a very great variety of camping opportunities within fifty miles of New York City. Get a map of New York SS = CONNICOO (E@)