THE PORTE d'eNFER. 305 



alone, for tlie rest of tlie party liad gone on, and after 

 trying in vain for nearly an hour, Milton ran ahead, 

 caught them up, and brought back the axe. It was 

 another hour's work to cut him out and re-pack, but 

 we found our companions not far before us, and indeed 

 there was little danger of their leaving us any great 

 distance behind. 



The river still continued a grand rapid, and a short 

 distance more brought us to a place where the ravine 

 suddenly narrowed to about fifty feet, with high 

 straight- cut rocks on either side, through which, for 

 about 100 yards, almost at a right angle, and down a 

 swift descent, the waters raged so frightfully about 

 huge rocks standing out in the stream, that it was 

 instantly named by The Assiniboine the " Porte 

 d'Enfer." No raft or canoe could have lived there 

 for a moment, and we thankfully congratulated 

 ourselves that we had decided to make our way by 

 land. 



We camped for the night close to where we had 

 started in the morning, and The Assiniboine, having 

 cut his foot to the bone on the sharp rocks, amongst 

 which we walked nearly barefoot, was completely dis- 

 abled. That night he was thoroughly disheartened, 

 declared the river we were following was not the 

 Thompson at all, and we must make up our minds to 

 perish miserably. Mr. O'B. of course heartily con- 

 curred, and it required all our powers of persuasion, 

 and an explanation by the map, to restore hope. 



Another day similar to the last brought us to the 

 end of the rapid. The woman had bravely taken her 



V 



