118 ILLNESS OF THE INTERPRETER. 



rocks, and other impediments to our progress, 

 could be distinguished, we got away, and went 

 on cheerily enough, until interrupted by a 

 rapid, which was succeeded by so many more, 

 that for the best part of the morning we did 

 little else than lighten the canoe and drag it up 

 with a line : at length a fall of twenty feet 

 obliged us to carry both canoe and baggage. 

 This passed, other rapids presented themselves ; 

 until finally the canoe got so seriously damaged 

 by the shocks, as to make us hasten on shore to 

 avoid sinking. The unhappy interpreter had 

 been unable to take any share in the work, and 

 was evidently suffering severe pain, which he 

 begged of me to assuage. I had only a box of 

 common pills, and some brandy, neither of which 

 could be prudently applied to a case which 

 seemed to require the skill and attention of a 

 professional man. The poor fellow, however, 

 persisted in his belief that I could relieve him, 

 not doubting that any thing under the name of 

 medicine would answer the purpose. I yielded, 

 therefore, to his importunity, and indulged him, 

 first with the contents of the box, which made 

 him worse ; and next with the contents of the 

 bottle, which made him better. 



Scarcely was the canoe repaired, and our la- 

 bour recommenced, when we were involved in 

 fresh troubles, by a most intricate channel of 



