OF THE POLAR SEA. 395 
many years ago. Two canoes arrived at the 
upper end of the portage, in one of which there ~ 
was an experienced guide. This man judging 
from the height of the river, deemed it practicable 
to shoot the rapid, and determined upon trying it. 
He accordingly placed himself in the bow of his 
canoe, having previously agreed, that if the pas- 
Sage was found easy, he should, on reaching the 
bottom of the rapid, fire a musket, as a signal for 
the other canoe to follow. The rapid proved dan- 
gerous, and called forth all the skill of the guide, 
and the utmost exertion of his crew, and they 
narrowly escaped destruction. Just as they were 
landing, an unfortnnate fellow seizing the loaded 
_ fowling-piece, fired at a duck which rose at the in- 
~ stant. The guide anticipating the consequences, 
ran with the utmost haste to the other end of the 
portage, but he was too late: the other canoe had 
pushed off, and he arrived only to witness the 
fate of his comrades. They got alarmed in the 
middle of the rapid, the canoe was upset, and 
every man perished. 
The various rapids we have passed to-day, are . 
produced by an assemblage of islands and ro 
ledges, which obstruct the river, and divide it 
into many narrow channels. Two of these chan- 
nels are rendered still more difficult by accumu- 
lations of drift timber ; a circumstance _ has 
Vou. I, 
