74 ON THE GREAT CHURCHILL RIVER 



scenting and finding such easy prey ; perhaps 

 almost laughing up its sleeve at our impending 

 discomfiture. 



June 20. — We awoke to find the rain-storm 

 past, and, refreshed with yesterday's rest in 

 camp, we made an early start, embarking at 

 4.30 a.m. 



Soon the great easy-flowing river narrowed, 

 and we heard ahead the unceasing rumble of 

 falling water — we were coming to Otter Rapid. 

 Arriving there, and after making the usual care- 

 ful survey of the agitated waters, we decided 

 that no likely channel presented itself that could 

 be run ; therefore we would attempt to let the 

 canoe down along shore very close in to the bank. 

 Into the water we got, clothes and all, till it 

 swept high and forcibly against our thighs, one 

 grasping the canoe forward, the other astern. 

 The shore proved rough to let craft down : 

 strong side-swinging inshore waves and eddies 

 caught and strained the canoe, and almost swept 

 us off our feet as slowly, feeling for precarious 

 foothold, we carefully stepped and stumbled 

 along over the rocks and boulders and pockets 

 of the river-bed. Nearing the foot of the rapid 

 we made a short portage across a rocky point and 

 in doing so cleared the last stretch of troublesome 

 water. Soaked to the skin were our lower bodies, 

 from our jacket pockets down ; but we never 

 changed into dry clothes, for we were inured to 

 this sort of thing, and garments were few. We 

 shivered somewhat on occasions when we first 

 got into the canoe again after being in the water, 

 but soon wind and sun, and the heat of our 



