LAKE SUPERIOR. 119 



and wing for the Neepigon, encountering other sail- 

 ing vessels, and meeting with occasional evidences 

 of man's presence. 



At six o'clock that evening we shot the rapids, 

 and discharging our load at the wharf, ensconced 

 ourselves once more beneath the hospitable roof of 

 the Chippewa House. Three glorious weeks had 

 come and gone since we were last there three weeks 

 of unalloyed happiness, three weeks of invigorating 

 life and exercise, worth all the medicines in the 

 world three weeks of intelligent and sensible enjoy- 

 ment. In that time impressions had been made and 

 lessons had been learned never to be forgotten ; 

 health had been acquired that would last for years, 

 joy tasted that would leave its flavor during life. 

 And now farewell to the staunch old barge ; farewell 

 to our canvas home, to the merry camp-fire, to the 

 woodsman's life ; farewell to the deep forests, the 

 sombre pines, the waving elms, to the dancing 

 streams, and the open water ; farewell to our faith- 

 ful guides ; farewell to the graceful trout, the elegant 

 namsegoose, the fierce black bass ; a long farewell 

 to Gitche-Gume, Big-Sea-Water, the greatest of the 

 great lakes of our great country 1 



