OBSTRUCTIONS ON OUR PASSAGE. 323 



direct the same precaution to be observed at 

 every rapid throughout the river navigation. 

 We had but just started when the rain poured 

 down as usual, bringing with it a cold northerly 

 wind, and a fog which, shutting out from view 

 the rocks under water, added to the difficulty, 

 already sufficiently great, of worming out a 

 passage in a strong current, broken by shoals 

 and sharp stones so as not to allow of a mo- 

 ment's indecision. Another rapid and a portage 

 took us to what would have been still water, 

 had not the wind crested it with white waves 

 considerable enough to prove the buoyancy and 

 dry qualities of the boat, which, considering how 

 deeply she was laden, took in very little water. 

 The only peculiarity in the scenery was the 

 striking: contrast of the white sand-banks with the 

 irregular rocky hills in the distance, which were 

 of a gloomy greyish hue, scarcely enlivened by 

 the dull green of the vegetation with which they 

 were thinly covered Occasionally we passed 

 some low islands, and many deer were feeding 

 in the prairies on either side. From a narrow 

 we emerged into a wide space, which various 

 cliffy banks to the left induced me to think 

 would take a bend to the westward ; but, on 

 getting there, an opposite current was found, 

 which was subsequently discovered to be owing 

 to the junction of another large river. The fog 



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