PERILS OF PIONEERING. 169 



being a married man and after loading the canoe 

 with a portmanteau containing my sister-in-law's 

 linen, and also some small jewellery, such as rings, 

 brooches, etc., we put off, and without mishap reached, 

 as we thought, the opposite shore. 



Having landed and discharged cargo, my brother re- 

 turned for his wife. I could see them plainly, and all 

 went well till they got into the middle of the current 

 when, for some cause or other, the canoe appeared to 

 become unmanageable, and began to go round and 

 round, so much so that I became alarmed, and leaving 

 the portmanteau ran along the bank. so as to keep up 

 with them (as they drifted with the current) and ren- 

 der assistance if possible. Having run some fifty 

 yards I found, to my dismay, that I could get no fur- 

 ther, being cut off by a strong current coming from 

 the westward, which I afterwards found was the 

 Mackenzie. 



As the canoe and its occupants were, by this time, 

 out of sight, I began to fear for my own safety, for 

 with a little exploring I soon realized the fact that 

 I was on an island, the highest part of which was not 

 more than a foot above the water, the long grass, 

 which was four or five feet high, having deceived us 

 as to the real character of the ground. As night was 



coming on, and I hoped my brother would come with 

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