'282 THE LABRADOR PENINSULA. CHAP. xvn. 



poor fellow was afraid of the ridicule if they became 

 aware of the nature and seat of his trouble. 



Once again we embarked on the rapid Moisie, but 

 then it was descending instead of ascending, and the 

 torrent carried us along with delightful rapidity. We 

 travelled in a few hours the same distance that had taken 

 us several days' hard toil to win as we strove against the 

 stream. 



The great exertion we made during the last three days 

 to get to the river, in consequence of the torment to which 

 the mosquitoes and black-flies subjected us, caused the 

 sickness of three of the men, so that when we floated on 

 the Moisie the canoes were but half manned. But the 

 relief obtained from the cessation of the attacks of the 

 flies soon had a good effect upon our health and spirits. 

 I was glad to find that the impressions produced by the 

 magnificent scenery as we ascended the river were by 

 no means changed or modified during our descent. 



It was most delightful to glide past the towering purple 

 rocks of the second gorge of the Moisie, and to gaze on 

 the lovely scenery without any harassing cares, or distress- 

 ing doubts. The current bore us swiftly along, and we 

 scarcely heeded the salmon rising with sudden leap to 

 their full length in the air. At the Si-way-si-ni-cop 

 Portage we stayed to take up a cache, and fish for half an 

 hour at the foot of the falls. One of us caught a very fine 

 trout and some salmon fry ; but all attempts to lure the 

 grilse, which were numerous at the foot of the falls, proved 

 unavailing. Louis had evidently recovered from his slip 

 on the Cold- Water Eiver Portage, for he rolled down the 

 steep hill of sand which forms the Up and Down Portage 



