"LA GRANDE DECHAKGE" OF LAKE ST. JOHN 163 



through the woods, about three-quarters of a mile in 

 length. One guide belonging to each tourist picks up, 

 as usual, and carries the birch - bark canoe over the 

 portages on his shoulders, while the other takes the 

 baggage and provisions. The canoes are replaced in 

 the water at the foot of the portage in a calm, placid 

 bay, but are soon paddled into the wild rapids below 

 the chute, to hasten and facilitate their descent of the 

 stream. Across the current are the splendid pools of 

 Mr. Griffiths, which afford such capital sport in the 

 end of June and first part of July, and two minutes 

 later the rapids have carried us down opposite Camp 

 Scott and the neighboring scum-covered pools that are 

 the main resort of the angling guests of the Island 

 House in their expeditions against the ouananiche. 

 The descent of the rapids, the crossing of some of 

 their currents, and the skilful dodging of rocks and 

 falls and whirlpools and waves that threaten to engulf 

 all within their reach, make of this passage of the 

 Grande Decharge a trip that can never be forgotten. 

 The rapidity of the descent, and the irregular though 

 gliding motion of the canoe as it skims over the sur- 

 face of the broken rapids, now rushing down a steep 

 descent, now with its nose pointed skyward, swept 

 speedily up an inclined plane of water by the resistless 

 impetuosity of the stream, is an experience that quick- 

 ens every pulsation of the heart and hastens the cours- 

 ing of the blood through the veins. The excitement 

 of a toboggan ride down a properly prepared slide is 

 mere child's play to the thrilling sensation of a trip 

 down the rapids of the Grand Discharge. But if this 

 was our experience in the heaviest of the rapids im- 



