ASCENT OF A RAPID. 399 



between a "voyageur" and a sailor, as between the 

 latter and a landsman, and none but an unreasonable 

 man would fail to recognise the distinction. 



The Noye Rapid — so named from having caused a 

 death by drowning — at which we arrived on the 9th, 

 was formed by a ridge of granite, irregular and 

 disconnected, lying right across the river, and of 

 course greatly obstructing the regular course of the 

 stream. It was necessary to make a portage of the 

 goods here ; our boat was unladen accordingly, and 

 the contents carried across a forest point which 

 borders the river ; this portage I conjectured to be 

 about a quarter of a mile in length. Next morning, 

 the 10th, the first brigade of the Mackenzie River 

 district, in charge of Mr. O'Brien, reached our 

 encampment, and the boats were successively taken 

 up the rapid by a steersman of great experience 

 and skill. In the ascent they were partly rowed, 

 partly tracked up with a stout rope, manned by two 

 crews united ; the steersman stood in the stern 

 handling the huge sweep, more than twenty feet 

 long, which serves in place of a rudder, and one 

 or two men were stationed in the forepart of the 

 boat to keep her from striking the rocks ; about 

 two and a half hours were expended in the passage 

 of this rapid, including unloading and loading. We 



