; 



RUNNING THE RAPIDS. 45 



some of the boats in one of the rapids, in consequence of 

 which the cargoes had to be removed by his men, and 

 carried on their shoulders to the shore, the boats then 

 freed, lowered past the obstruction, and reloaded. Such 

 work necessarily entails considerable delay, and is of a 

 slavish character, as all hands have to work in the ice- 

 cold water for hours together. 



Receiving again our four hundred pounds of supplies 

 from Schott, we lost no more time at Fort McMurray, 

 but at seven o'clock next morning the little expedition, 

 consisting now of eight men and three canoes, pushed out 

 into the river, and with a parting salute sped away with 

 the current, which being swift, and our canoemen fresh, 

 enabled us in a short time to place many miles between 

 us and the Fort. At five o'clock in the evening, having 

 then descended the river a distance of about sixty miles 

 we were delighted to meet the steamer Grahame on 

 er up-stream trip from Fort Chippewyan to McMurray 

 to receive the goods brought down the rapids by the 

 scows. The steamer, being in charge of Dr. McKay, 

 the Hudson's Bay Company's officer from Chippewyan, 

 who had been informed of our expedition, was at once 

 brought to a stand in the river, and we were kindly 

 invited on board. When I commenced to clamber up 

 the steamer's deck, whose hand should be offered to 

 assist me but that of an old friend and fellow-shipmate 

 for two years in Hudson Straits, Mr. J. W. Mills. The 

 acquaintance of Dr. McKay and of the Bishop of Atha- 

 basca, who happened to be on board, was also made, 

 and with right genial companions an hour quickly and 

 very pleasantly passed. Mr. Mills, who was attired in 

 the uniform of a steamboat captain, had lately been 



