LAKE SUPERIOR. 105 



strong. Of course, the Indians were entirely at 

 home at the work, and although straining their best, 

 enjoyed our deficiencies and shouted over our mis- 

 haps ; whenever we either caught a trout or came 

 near upsetting our canoe, whenever we had any 

 good luck or any bad luck, and often when we had 

 neither, they roared with laughter. Not appearing 

 to give the fate of their canoe, which was in our 

 hands, a thought, they were intensely amused when- 

 ever we brushed against a rock or careened her till 

 the water flowed in. Instead of the proverbial taci- 

 turn grimness of the conventional Indian, they were 

 hilarious and loquacious, although their language 

 was a sealed book to us. They were on the best 

 footing, and held animated conversations with our 

 guides, were continually amused at their own witti- 

 cisms, and when on our return, while descending an 

 unusually dangerous rapid, Frank, distrustful of my 

 judgment, insisted upon taking entire charge of the 

 canoe, and as a natural consequence came very near 

 upsetting and throwing us into the boiling waters, 

 to the peril of our lives and destruction of the boat, 

 they could hardly contain themselves, but made 

 merry over it the entire way home. 



The Agawa winds among high, bleak, and sterile 

 hills, is rapid and filled with pools, but has none of 

 those tumbling cascades which give life to the water 

 and wear out deep, dark holes where trout love to 

 congregate in warm weather. The current, stained 

 with the dead leaves and decaying vegetation of 

 the ponds and marshes, where it has its source, is 

 5* 



