CHAP. xin. EFFECTS OF A CONFLAGRATION. 209 



ing and darting high above the trees, and then subside ; a 

 few minutes later another outburst illuminates rocks and 

 mountains, which appear indescribably vast, silent, and 

 immovable. Wild-fowl, disturbed and bewildered by the 

 dazzling light, fly in great circles high above the burning 

 forest, and sometimes, descending rapidly in spiral flight, 

 plunge into the fires ; others drop from an immense height 

 like a stone into the flames, probably suffocated by the 

 hot air and smoke in which they have been wheeling 

 round and round for hours, fascinated like moths by the 

 fitful glare below them. 



Still continuing up what we supposed to be the last 

 branch of the Moisie, we arrived at some very formidable 

 rapids, having a total fall of fifty-eight feet. The follow- 

 ing day being Sunday, we determined to camp early and 

 catch a supply of trout, of which there were great num- 

 bers at the tail of the rapids. The valley of the river 

 here is broad, and deeply overspread with sand to a 

 considerable extent, which is covered with caribou moss 

 and stunted Banksian pine and spruce. The gneiss hills on 

 either side are about 500 feet high, and run in ranges 

 symmetrically related to one another, and appearing to 

 come generally from the north-east like spurs from the 

 table land. My brother took a sketch of the rapids, but 

 the mosquitoes were so numerous that it was necessary to 

 make a smoke before and behind him to drive off the 

 clouds of insects which issued from the neighbouring 

 forest. The bed of the river is full of boulders, and 

 between them the water flows turbulently in a shallow 

 channel crossed by ledges of rock. We saw several 

 swallows during the day, and a spruce partridge with her 



VOL. i. P 



