GREAT DEVIL RAPIDS 71 



but through which our canoe travelled headlong, 

 like the wind, unscathed. And so out to Dead 

 Lake, the shores of which were high and rocky, 

 timbered as usual with willows, poplar, spruce 

 and pine. Camped for the night well to the 

 north-east of Dead Lake. 



During the day, on a marsh in the river, we 

 saw a fox prowling, searching for fish or water- 

 fowl. Unaware of the canoe for a few moments, 

 the animal allowed us a full view of it, then, as it 

 saw us, but a glimmer of rusty red and white- 

 tipped brush as it leapt ashore with great bounds 

 through the marsh and into the forest. It is 

 not often that a fox is thus seen during the day 

 in summer, in the open, in country which is for 

 them one vast wilderness of forest cover. 



June 18. — This morning we paddled out into 

 the south-east sun, while before us were the 

 silver-glinting, sun-lit waves that ran merrily 

 with a moderate breeze. The short remaining 

 distance on Dead Lake was soon covered, and we 

 again entered a connecting link of river — the 

 link between Dead Lake and Otter Lake. Here 

 we spent all day getting past rapids which had 

 principally to be portaged. 



At Great Devil Rapid, the first of the rapids 

 here, we encountered tough opposition to travel. 

 Portage was necessary — a portage of excessive 

 length, which gave us incessant labour until 

 lunch-time in effecting the transport of the canoe 

 and stores down to the foot of the dangerous 

 water. The portage was sixty-four chains in 

 length, over rough, uneven ground, through 

 forest that skirted the banks of the river. Joe, 



