82 LAKE SUrEUTOR. 



baok, ami cii^ars in tlicir mouths. Nobody is busy bnt the bar- 

 kocpiM-s, aiui in> one seems to know what ho is going to do next. 



Tho cause, probably, may bo in part the facihtics for smuggUng 

 brandy iVoiu tlio Oana*lian side of the river, where it is clicapcr than 

 on ours. I'ut the mischief lies chiefly in the unsettled state of things, 

 the irrogidarity of employment and wages of labor. Money is not 

 earned and spent from day to day, at home, but comes in lumps, 

 and seasons of labor are followed by intervals of idleness. In short, 

 the life of most of the inhabitants is essentially that of sailors, and 

 brings accordingly the reckless character and the vices of that class. 



Sonu^thing also is due to the admixture of Indian blood, which has 

 a fatal proneness to litjiior. Whilst we were here a number of Indians 

 arrived with the sou of a chief, from Fort William, and after parad- 

 ing* about the town with an American flag, speechifying and offering 

 tJie pipe at all the grog-shops to beg for liquor, they dispersed and 

 devoted themselves to drinking and playing at bowls. In the even- 

 ing, two of us passing one of the bowling-alleys, saw in front of it, 

 lying on a heap of shavings, a dark object which proved to be the 

 chief's son. extended at full length, dead drunk, with several Indians 

 endeavoring to get him home. The only sign of life he gave was a 

 feeble uuitt^^ring in Indian, copiously intei-spersed with the English 

 cui-se : another instance of the natui-alizatiou of John Bull's national 

 imprecation in a foreign tongue. It is said the Indians have no 

 oath in their owi language. Finding it impossible to make him 

 walk, they squatted around him on their haunches and remained still 

 for some time, apparently considering what to do. They were all 

 perfectly sober and evidently greatly tixnibled at tlie state of their 

 leader. At length, seeing us watching them, they came up and 

 stood staring with their foces close to ours, but without speaking. 

 We did not know exactly what they were at, but my companion by 

 signs explained to them tliat diey sliould take up tlie drunken man 

 by the logs and arms and carry him home. The idea struck them 

 as a gvxtd one, for they immediately ** how. howod." set about it, 

 and bore him off, one to each leg and arm. 



The river opposite the village is about a mile wide. Just above 

 are tlie Upper Rapids, which give the name to the place, nearly 

 three-fourths of a mile in length. There is no very great vertical 



