32 ST. LAWRENCE. — OTTAWA. 



were followed by the dense crowd on the banks. 

 A few minutes brought us to the St. Lawrence, 

 and, as we turned the stems of our little vessels 

 up that noble stream, one long loud huzza bade 

 us farewell ! 



Both our maUre-candt*, and the other, which 

 was of smaller dimensions, were rather lum- 

 bered than loaded. Every package had been 

 reduced or augmented to a "piece" of 90 lbs. 

 weight ; and, as there were only about fifty of 

 these altogether, we were what is termed " half- 

 loaded," and in a condition, therefore, to make 

 reasonable speed, with any thing like an efficient 

 crew. In our case, however, there was an un- 

 avoidable mixture of old hands and "mangeurs 

 de lard" or green-horns; and there was scarcely 

 one who had failed to take advantage of the last 

 opportunity of getting drunk. At the head of 

 them was Paul, an old Iroquois guide, who was, 

 however, otherwise invaluable, as, I really be- 

 lieve, he knew the situation of every dangerous 

 rock in the whole line of rapids between Mon- 

 treal and Hudson's Bay. 



Turning off to the right, we entered the 

 Ottawa, which (like the Moselle after its conflu- 

 ence with the Rhine), for some distance below 

 the junction rolls on its brown waters unmixed 



* A large canoe used between Montreal and Fort Wil- 

 liam, on the hanks of Lake Superior. 



