THE THOUSAND ISLES. 189 



CHAPTER XX. 



TBE THOUSAND ISLES. 



At the upper edge of the State of New York, where 

 civilization terminates and Canada begins, a mighty 

 river, the outlet of a hundred lakes and thousand streams,, 

 flows amid innumerable islands in a fierce current 

 toward the sea. It bears upon its broad bosom in im- 

 mense rafts the wealth of the forests of the Northwest. 

 Enormous quantities of timber, collected from all its 

 tributaries, even from the region around Lake Superior, 

 are brought in large vessels, mostly three-masted schoon- 

 ers, to the head-waters of this stream, and there, at Cape 

 Vincent or its neighborhood, are bound together into 

 rafts, preparatory to descending the rapids. These rafts 

 cover acres in extent, and sometimes have as many as 

 fifty shanties built upon them to accommodate one hun- 

 dred men for months, or until they shall reach Quebec or 

 Montreal. Launched upon their journey, they are car- 

 ried along by the current, and by sails when the wind 

 is favorable, and even without the latter, moving as they 

 do by the force of gravity faster than the stream, can be 

 steered to some extent. Eough oars are fastened on the 

 fore and after part, by a vigorous use of which the raft 

 can be kept from danger and retained in the middle of 

 the stream. They press on with resistless force, some- 



