FROM CHIPEWYAN TO THE RAILROAD 321 



and at one place where it comes out of the bank it may 

 be lighted, and will burn a steady flame, of such size 

 that it serves travellers very frequently for boiling a 

 kettle. 



Here we lay all day, and in the afternoon some of the 

 Indians crossed the river, and, on one of the highest points, 

 made two "lop," "lob," or " nob" sticks, as they are vari- 

 ously called, in honor of Spencer and myself. The " lop 

 stick " is always made on a very high point of ground, and 

 stands as a kind of traveller's guide-post in this wilderness. 

 A prominent pine-tree being selected, the Indian climbs to 

 within eight or ten feet of its top, where he begins to lop 

 off all the branches, and continues to within six or eight 

 feet of the bottom of the tree, thus leaving surmounted 

 upon the bare trunk a nob of green that may be seen a long 

 way off. 



When the Indians had returned from making the " lop 

 sticks," the ceremony of dedicating them began. This 

 consisted of calling several times upon the names of those 

 in whose honor they had been cut, and finally ending the 

 performance by a salute from the guns. 



Two days later, at 4.30 in the afternoon, we reached 

 the island at Grand Rapids. These Grand Rapids are 

 well named. They are indeed a grand sight ; about one 

 mile in length, half a mile in width, and divided into two 

 channels by the island, they roar like a Niagara, and are 

 so turbulent no boat could live on their surface. We were 

 making camp on the island when suddenly I heard a long, 

 loud whistle which sounded like a steamer, but smote upon 

 my ears strangely, because I could not believe myself so 

 near civilization, until Spencer, who detected my conster- 

 nation, said the steamer had arrived. 



The next three days were spent in unloading the steamer 

 and bringing its supplies down to the island in flatboats, 



