Canoeing in Swift Water 



falls, and watched them most carefully. I also watched 

 how they handled the canoe with pole and paddle in 

 running down. 



Although during the previous few days I had come 

 down over five miles of running water, I had most of the 

 time been kneeling in the bow of my canoe, fishing with 

 my back to the guide. Consequently, I had not watched 

 his manipulation with either paddle or pole, and with 

 every confidence in his ability, had immensely enjoyed 

 the exhilarating rushes down over the rapids and falls. 

 I did not observe how the canoe was being handled, nor 

 particularly care just what the guide did so long as he 

 got me back to camp. 



At the end of two days I had my guides pretty well 

 worn out with continual poling. They could not 

 understand why I was so restless, as the fishing was 

 excellent anywhere in the river. Neither could they 

 understand why I sat in the bottom with my back to the 

 bow, which is a most awkward way to fish going down- 

 stream, although convenient enough for trolling up, 

 providing you keep your line clear of the guide's 

 pole. 



Two days later we had crossed Lake Rossignol and 

 were on our way up the Shelburne River, and camped 

 at Kempton's Dam. Just above our camp site is as stiff 

 a little run as there is on the whole river, known as 

 Little Kempton Falls. This run is about three hundred 

 yards long and is simply a series of cascades. It is very 

 rapid. At the foot of the run is a large, whirling, deep 

 eddy. It was on this run that I learned to pole a canoe 

 standing up. 



About nine o'clock on the morning following the 

 day we made camp at Kempton's Dam, the whole party, 

 with the exception of the author, had gone down to fish 

 the run below the falls. I took my little sixteen-foot 



145 K 



