A TRIP TO THE LA VAL. 69 



sant places, and again, in about three hours, captured 

 over eighty of the speckled silver-sides. The largest 

 weighed two pounds and a half, and was the best fish 

 taken, thus far. 



The barrels were arranged, the salt was purchased and 

 stowed, the canoes made fast, the sails set, and, blessed 

 by a still more favorable southwest wind, we got under 

 way for La Val. Its mouth was only about one mile 

 distant, but we intended to ascend it as far as possible 

 with the chaloupe, on the rising tide, and were thankful 

 for the favoring wind. At its outlet lies an island of the 

 same name with the river, behind which stretches a 

 broad, rocky, shallow bay. We escaped by grazing 

 several rocks, and entered a sluggish, canal-like, dirty 

 river, as unlike the La Yal of a few miles above as any- 

 thing can be conceived, and ploughed our way through 

 crowding shoals of sardines, that rose so thick as to 

 tempt us to try to catch them with a scap net. But 

 where the rocks began to be visible as the water became 

 clearer, we drew the chaloupe to the shore, and anchor- 

 ing her stem and stern, loaded our canoes for the ascent 

 of the river. We took with us the essentials of our 

 camp life, intending to send back for the superfluities 

 after we had established a permanent camp ; the river 

 being too low, our canoes would not carry a heavy load. 



Armed with iron-shod poles to shove up the rapids, 

 and paddles for the deeper pools, our Canadians took 

 their places and we commenced our ascent. My com- 

 panion was an expert canoeman, but for myself it was 

 my first real lesson in the unsteady little shells, and 

 seated upon the bottom I awaited every moment a 



