A TRIP TO THE LA VAL. 69 
sant places, and again, in about tliree hours, captured 
over eighty of the speckled silver-sides. The largest 
weighed two pounds and a half, and was the best fish 
taken, thus far. 
The barrels were arranged, the salt was purchased and 
stowed, the canoes made fast, the sails set, and, blessed 
by a still more favorable southwest wind, we got under 
way for La Yal. Its mouth was only about one mile 
distant, but we intended to ascend it as far as possible 
with the chaloupe, on the rising tide, and were thankful 
for the favoring wind. At its outlet lies an island of the 
same name with the river, behind which stretches a 
broad, rocky, shallow bay. We escaped by grazing 
several rocks, and entered a sluggish, canal-like, dirty 
river, as unlike the La Yal of a few miles above as any- 
thing can be conceived, and ploughed our way through 
crowding shoals of sardines, that rose so thick as to 
tempt us to try to catch them with a scap net. But 
where the rocks began to be visible as the water became 
clearer, we drew the chaloupe to the shore, and anchor- 
ing her stem and stern, loaded our canoes for the ascent 
of the river. We took with us the essentials of our 
camp life, intending to send back for the superfluities 
after we had established a permanent camp ; the river 
being too low, our canoes w^ould not carry a heavy load. 
Armed with iron-shod poles to shove up the rapids, 
and paddles for the deeper pools, our Canadians took 
their places and we commenced our ascent. My com- 
panion was an expert canoeman, but for myself it was 
my first real lesson in the unsteady little shells, and 
seated upon the bottom I awaited every moment a 
