106 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
The North West [Company] have a Port on Lake Nipissing, but which 
we did not visit. Our Course has been almost due West from the 
Entrance of the Lake. At 5 we changed our Course which became 
now South. We now entered the Rivière des Francois and came to 
the Portage, La Chaudiére des Francois, so called from the Number of 
Small Holes in the Rocks having the Appearance of a Kettle. The 
River des François is about 75 miles in Length and has more the 
Appearance of a Lake, forming an innumerable Number of low rocky 
Islands, so that you never see the Banks. At 8 o’clock we came to the 
Rapid des Pins. Hitherto we had always ascended the Rapids which 
is less dangerous both in Appearance and in Reality. Now we had to 
descend and were broken in by rather a terrific one. The Guide stands 
on the Gunwale at the Bow to ascertain the Course of the Rapid, he 
then stands in the Canoe and directs the Steersman how to Shape his 
Course. The Rapidity with which you descend is wonderful and, I 
should say, certainly at the Rate of 15 or 20 miles an Hour. To every 
Rapid is attached a melancholy History of Canoes lost and the Crosses 
or Burial Places you meet with everywhere prove that they are but 
too true. It was now nearly dark when we came to the Rapid of the 
Parisienne’ which we likewise descended and encamped on a small 
Island at the Foot. 
Thursday the 21st June. After passing a restless Night from the 
Attacks of the Musquitoes and black Fly we embarked at half-past two, 
—beautiful moonlight. At ? we came to the Portage of the Recolet 
where the Canoe is only transported a few Paces to avoid the dangerous 
Part of the Rapid. A Canoe with 11 men was lost at this Rapid a few 
years since. The Crosses are still standing on the Spot where they 
were buried. The River continues to run through rocky Islands. (Per- ’ 
haps the worst Part of Canoe travelling is the Want of Comfort, which 
attends your Encampment at Night. In most Difficulties and Priva- 
tions in Life there is always a Something which is pleasurable to look 
forward to, when Comfort and Ease will refresh you and give Relief 
to your Sufferings. Here the Approach of Night and in other Cases 
of Rest is rather a matter of Dread than of Desire. The Night 
is passed under the Sufferings of Bites and Stings, and if at last, worn 
out, Sleep should close the Eyes the call to embark now awakens you to 
the renewed Attacks of a Host of bloodthirsty and insatiable Enemies; 
a Digression occasioned by the Bite of Musquitoes, Sand Flies, Spiders, 



1 Mackenzie (1801) places this between the portages Feausille and Recolet. The 
order in Mackenzie is as follows: Des Pins, Feausille, Parisienne Recolet, Petite 
Feausille. . 
