THE OTTAWA. 33 



with the clear stream of the St. Lawrence. On 

 coming abreast of a village, near which stood a 

 large cross, a few paces from the church, the 

 more devout of the voyageurs went on shore, 

 and, standing in a musing posture, implored the 

 protection of the patron saint in the perilous 

 enterprise on which they were embarked ; while 

 their companions, little affected by their piety, 

 roared out to them to " s'embarquer" and 

 paddled away to the merry tune of a lively 

 canoe song. We soon reached the rapid of St. 

 Anne ; and, having ascended it with a trifling 

 injury to one of the canoes, we encamped on an 

 island in the pretty Lake of the Two Mountains. 

 As our route was precisely the same with that 

 followed by the Company's people every season, 

 which has been described by Sir A. M'Kenzie, 

 as well as by more modern travellers # , a minute 

 detail of our progress seems unnecessary ; and it 

 will be sufficient merely to indicate a few of the 

 principal places in the line of country from La 

 Chine to the south-west end of Great Slave Lake, 

 from which point the discovery properly begins. 

 By the kindness of Colonel Duvernet, the canoes 

 were permitted to go through the government 

 canal, which cuts off the dangerous rapid of the 

 long Sault. They were afterwards towed by 



* Herman, Ross, Cox, Sir J. Franklin, Major Long, &c. 



D 



