THE TRIP UP ROSS RIVER 259 



What followed shows that one of the best rivermen in 

 the North will sometimes err in judgment. He did not 

 realize the strength of the current. I could not see Jeff- 

 eries as I slowly moved the bow out until the current 

 caught it, but noticed that the canoe was rapidly being 

 carried diagonally across the riffle instead of being pulled 

 to head directly up against it. Then I heard Jefferies 

 shout: "Everything is lost/' and the canoe rapidly swung 

 out broadside to the current and started down the canon. 

 He had not been able to pull the bow up into the riffle, 

 and to save himself from being pulled in had cast the rope 

 loose. 



My rifle was on the shore. In the rucksack on my 

 shoulders were my kodak, field-glasses, and instruments 

 All the provisions were in the bottom of the canoe. On 

 top of them were three or four canvas sacks containing 

 our sleeping robe, clothes, gill-net, matches, cartridges, a 

 small tent I had brought for the purpose of protecting 

 trophies, and a few plain cooking utensils and other things. 

 An extra rifle and the axe were fastened to a sack. A can- 

 vas had been placed over all and roped down tightly. 



The canoe was rapidly carried down ten feet and 

 lodged broadside for a moment against a large rock pro- 

 jecting out of the water. It was tipped at once and the 

 current rushed through, sweeping all the provisions be- 

 low into the canon. The canoe then slipped off the rock, 

 swung around and was caught by the eddy which whirled 

 it within my reach as I stood breast deep in the water. 

 The fates were not entirely against us, for the canvas sacks 

 were not forced out during the first rush of the water, the 



