CHAP. vr. ROCKS OX EACH SIDE OF THE GORGE. 95 



with our paddles resting against a slight roughness in 

 the rock, or assisted with our hands in drawing it up 

 against the torrent. We succeeded in rounding the 

 point, and then took to our paddles ; with the utmost 

 exertion we made ten yards against the stream, then 

 held on to the rocks and rested. Again we tried the 

 paddles where -the rocks on either side were perpen- 

 dicular and so uniformly smooth that we could not find 

 the least projection or even a crevice to give us a hold. 

 With some difficulty we got into an eddy and rested 

 again. We then shot across to the opposite side, the 

 breadth of the river here being about forty yards, the 

 rocks on either side 800 to 1,000 feet in perpendicular 

 altitude. 



We got on better until we came to a rapid, which 

 fortunately had two triangular pieces of rock jutting 

 out of the stream, round which the water foamed and 

 surged with great noise and fury. By dint of taking 

 advantage of the inequalities which occurred in the 

 surface of the rock, and of eddies, we succeeded in 

 surmounting this difficulty, and finally, after two hours' 

 hard labour, we reached the other extremity of the 

 Gorge, with torn hands and tired limbs. 



' We can do it,' said Pierre ; ' we know the way now, 

 and that is half the difficulty : we can take two bags of 

 liour at a time, and get through the big creek by to- 

 morrow night ; but it 's the hardest bit of water I have 

 ever seen.' 



Back we went like an arrow, rushing in triumph 

 out of the Gorge into the pool on the banks of which 

 our camp was made, and infusing new life and spirits 



