CHAP. n. LOUIS, THE MONTAGXAIS. 19 



had not been instructed by the owner of the bag to ' keep 

 this side up,' and it appeared, that in order to make 

 more room for his legs, he had laid the bag on its side 

 after we had started. The proprietor of the waterproof 

 receptacle of his worldly goods was enlarging upon the 

 advantage of India-rubber, as we were surveying, with 

 some chagrin, our damaged biscuit, when a loud excla- 

 mation from Louis for that was the Montagnais' name 

 turned our attention towards him. He was holding the 

 waterproof bag at arm's length, and slowly pouring the 

 water out of it expressing, Indian fashion, his asto- 

 nishment that the bag held water so well and so much 

 of it. While the owner of the bag was engaged in laying 

 his things out to dry in the sun, Mr. Gaudet told me 

 about Louis' mode of treating a leaky canoe, and I 

 cannot do better than give his own description. ' Just 

 before we landed, I turned to Louis and asked him 

 whether there was any water in the canoe ; for we 

 were so crowded, and there was so much baggage 

 stowed away at the bottom, that we could not see be- 

 tween the poles.* " Oh, yes," said Louis laughing, 

 " plenty." " How much r"' I asked. He held up his hand 

 horizontally, with his fingers close together this way 

 -to tell me that it was four inches deep at the same 

 time yawning, and splashing his bare feet about in it ; 

 and when he had done yawning he looked me full in the 

 face, and said, "Water cold very cold." " A terre bete /" I 

 shouted, " quick ! quick ! " and we made the canoe leap 



' Two or three poles, eight or ten feet long, are laid at the bottom of thr 

 canoe to stiffen it, if the load be heavy, and also to prevent the h:igp-;iire t'mm 



getting wet if the canoe should leak. 



e -1 



