John Morison readily obeyed the summons; and had we required any
additional help we should have had no difficulty, in a case like this,
of finding plenty of volunteers. The only road leading to Mr. G.'s was
from the town, a mere bush-road, and full three miles farther than if
we could go straight back through the woods.

As the number of his lot was the same as the one* we resided on, we
knew that a direct east course would bring us within call of his
clearing. It was, therefore, agreed that Mr. Reid's eldest son should
endeavour, with a pocket compass, to run a line in the direction which
we wanted to go, and that I should blaze+ out the line with the axe,
while the rest chopped out the under-brush and levelled the path
sufficiently wide to allow the passage of a litter.

[* Each concession is divided into two hundred acre lots, numbering
from the boundary line from number one upwards. According to the new
survey, the lots run nearly east and west; therefore, number one in the
first concession will have a corresponding number west across every
concession in the township.
+ Blazing is a term used by the backwoodsman for chopping off a portion
of the bark from each side of a tree to mark a surveyor's line through
the woods. All concession roads, or lot lines are marked in this
manner; wherever a lot line strikes a concession, a short post with the
number of the lot and concession is marked on each side of the post. If
a tree comes directly on the line where the post should be planted, the
tree is substituted. A blaze is made on each side, about three feet
from the ground, and the numbers marked. I have frequently in the
matter of disputed lines seen the surveyor cut the old blaze off,
perhaps, of twenty years' growth, and discover the numbers perfect,