40. THE FOREST LANDS OF FINLAND. 
feet high. There were bad. stones on the shallow side ; 
it seemed quite impracticable ; our. pilot only grasped. his - 
paddle the tighter, and set his teeth, and off,we went. It 
was grand, but somewhat terrible, to feel the frail boat 
whirl round as we entered the stream; but it was worse. 
when we got fairly into it, and dashed at the wall of rock. 
We were covered with spray in an instant. No one spoke, 
and no one could have heard for the noise. On we rushed. | 
over the waves, nearer and nearer, faster and faster, to- 
wards the bank—the high bow slapping hard into the 
waves; but skill and coolness were at the helm, An 
eddy seemed to throw us bodily off from the rock into the _ 
tail of the stream, and the steersman knew all about it. 
The old boat writhed and cracked from stem to stern, and 
pitched headlong into the waves, till I thought, she must 
part or founder. The man in the bow was nearly upset 
by a wave which jumped on his back, and he nearly cut 
a crab; but the pilot was working his paddle with might 
and main, and we shot into a great boiling, black pool, . 
safe, but well ducked. I know nothing grander than such | 
a torrent, unless. it be the rolling Atlantic; and nothing, 
gives one such an idea of irresistible force as Atlantic 
waves after a storm. 
‘The rest of the rapid was bad enough ; but all hands. 
seemed to think it child’s play. I would have stared at. 
the notion of shooting down such.a place a month ago; 
now we thought nothing of it, | 
‘We reached the last shoot at 2.45. We had made about. 
seven miles in less than an hour, including stoppages to. 
bale. : ; 
‘I paid the river guardian, shook his hand heartily, and. 
with a volley of Muastes we parted. ; 
‘It was cold, wet, and miserable; but our men pulled. 
well, and we chatted. merrily as we glided down a smooth 
stream.’ 
The narrative goes on to tell of a voyage of successive. 
days—of the river being ‘wide and, smooth, the banks 
