DOWN THE STREAM. 227 



raised the level of the river considerably, 

 otherwise we should have had much trouble, 

 and might perhaps have knocked the bottoms 

 of our canoes about very badly. Even as it 

 was there was not an inch too much water, and 

 in many places our canoes just grazed the 

 stones on the bottom, while twice we got 

 bumped rather badly. 



However, on the whole we got along in 

 splendid style and every hour glided as many 

 miles down stream with scarcely any exertion, 

 as we had been able to make against it with the 

 most arduous labour in a whole day. It was 

 the very poetry of travel to be carried thus 

 rapidly down the course of an almost unknown 

 river of exquisite beauty, with a background of 

 snow-covered mountains at every turn. 



About an hour before dark we reached the 

 camp at which we had slept on September 3rd, 

 when a bull moose came and looked at us from 

 across the river. As soon as we halted Mr. 

 Sheldon walked to some low bluffs overlooking 

 the willow swamp at the edge of which we 

 again intended to camp, taking with him besides 



