2G3 JOURNEF TO THE SHORES 



mid-channel the canoe became difficult to manage 

 under our burden as the breeze was fresh. The 

 current drove us to the edge of the rapid, when 

 Belanger unfortunately applied his paddle to 

 avert the apparent danger of being forced down 

 it, and lost his balance. The canoe was overset 

 in consequence in the middle of the rapid. We 

 fortunately kept hold of it, until we touched a 

 rock where the water did not reach higher than 

 our waists ; here we kept our footing, notwith 

 standing the strength of the current, until the 

 water was emptied out of the canoe. Belanger 

 then held the canoe steady whilst St. Germain 

 placed me in it, and afterwards embarked him- 

 self in a very dexterous manner. It was impos- 

 sible, however, to embark Belanger, as the canoe 

 would have been hurried down the rapid, the 

 moment he should have raised his foot from the 

 rock on which he stood. We were, therefore, 

 compelled to leave him in his perilous situation. 

 We had not gone twenty yards before the canoe, 

 striking on a sunken rock, went down. The place 

 being shallow, we were again enabled to empty 

 it, and the third attempt brought us to the shore. 

 In the mean time Belanger was suffering ex- 

 tremely, immersed to his middle in the centre of 

 a rapid, the temperature of which was very little 

 above the freezing point, and the upper part of 

 his body covered with wet clothes, exposed in a 



