164 NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY 



The more sedate amongst us did not much approve of this some- 

 what hasty measure of our principal ; it appeared like a useless 

 and daring exposure of human life, not warranted by the exigen- 

 cies of the case. Mr. N. remarked that he would rather lose all 

 his plants than venture his life in that canoe. 



On the 13th the wind shifted to due north, and was blowing 

 somewhat less furiously than on the previous day. At about 

 noon we loaded our canoes, and embarked ; our progress, how- 

 ever, during the afternoon, was slow ; the current was not rapid, 

 and the wind was setting up stream so strongly that we could 

 not make much headway against it ; we had, also, as before, to 

 contend with turbulent waves, but we found we could weather 

 them with much less difficulty, since the change of the wind. ' 



I4:th. — Before sunrise, a light rain commenced, which in- 

 creased towards mid-day to a heavy shower, and continued 

 steadily during the afternoon and night. There was, in the 

 morning, a dead calm, the water was perfectly smooth, and dis- 

 turbed only by the light rain pattering upon its surface. We 

 made an early start, and proceeded on very expeditiously until 

 about noon, when we arrived at the " cascades," and came to a 

 halt above them, near a small Indian village. These cascades, 

 or cataracts are formed by a collection of large rocks, in the bed 

 of the river, which extend, for perhaps half a mile. The cur- 

 rent for a short distance above them, is exceedingly rapid, and 

 there is said to be a gradual fall, or declivity of the river, of 

 about twenty feet in the mile. Over these rocks, and across 

 the whole river, the watei dashes and foams most furiously, and 

 with a roar which we heard distinctly at the distance of several 

 miles. 



It is wholly impossible for any craft to make its nCay through 

 these difficulties, and our light canoes would not live an instant 

 in them. It is, therefore, necessary to make a portage, either by 

 carrying the canoes over land to the opposite side of the cataracts, 

 or by wading in the water near the shore, where the surges are 



