RIVER LIFE. ■ 



. PART III. 



CHAPTER I. 



" Breaking Up." — Grotesque Parading down River. — Rum and Intemper- 

 ance. — Religious Rites profaned. — River-driving on Temperance Princi- 

 ples. — The first E.xperimeut. — A spiritual Song. 



Having completed our winter's work in hauling logs, another 

 period commences in the chain of operations, " breaking up," 

 moving down river, and making preparations for " river-driving." 



The time for breaking up is determined by various circum- 

 stances ; sometimes an early spring, warm rains, and thawing 

 days render the snow roads impassable for further log hauling. 

 In other cases, when it is the intention to take the teams down 

 river, where lakes and rivers are to be crossed on the route, it is 

 necessary to start before the ice becomes too weak to bear up the 

 oxen. Sometimes scarcity of timber renders an early removal 

 necessary, while in those instances where it is concluded to turn 

 the oxen out to shift for themselves, on browse and meadow grass, 

 we haul as long as it can be done, esteeming every log hauled 

 under such circumstances clear gain. 



Breaking up is rather a joyful occasion than otherwise, though 

 camp life, as a whole, is very agreeable. Change is something 

 which so well accords with the demands of our nature, that in 

 most cases, when it occurs, its efiects are most exhilarating. Un- 

 der such circumstances, after three or four months spent in 

 the wild woods, away from home, friends, and society, the an- 

 ticipation of a renewed particijiation in the relations of life, in 

 town and country, creates much buoyancy of feeling. All is good 



