PLEASURES OF ANGLING. 53 



presented as our six canoes moved off, in " Indian 

 file," up the rapid waters of the Cascapedia. The 

 poles used are tipped with an iron tube, and make 

 pleasant music as they strike upon the pebbly 

 bottom of the river in perfect time. 



The afternoon was charming. The sun shone out 

 in full lustre, but the cool breeze rendered the atmos- 

 phere inexpressibly delightful. The river is broad 

 and its waters are as transparent as crystal. The 

 foliage on either side was rich and varied, and the 

 grand old hills which rise, most of the way, almost 

 perpendicularly from the water, were clothed in 

 gorgeous apparel. All our surroundings the 

 mode of conveyance, our dusky boatmen, the 

 scenery, the object of our journey and the sport 

 anticipated were novel and inspiriting, and the 

 four hours consumed in reaching our first camping 

 ground, were four hours of unalloyed pleasure, 

 to which the excitement of ascending the seemingly 

 unascendable rapids largely contributed. To as- 

 cend rapids safely not only involves hard work but 

 a quick eye and a steady hand. To allow the im- 

 petuous current to obtain a moment's advantage 

 would whirl the frail bark out of its course in an 

 instant, and send it flying down upon the rocks to 

 be dashed to pieces. It is, however, far less dan- 

 gerous, though harder work, to go up than to come 

 down these rapids. And yet, during the three 



