A TRIP TO THE LA VAL 71 



gile boat, that a man could lilt with one hand, forced 

 against such a current, between or even over the rocks, 

 swayed about, swept hither and thither, and once in a 

 while caught broadside on, and, unless quickly righted, 

 carried to instant destruction. Imagine the excited 

 efforts, the quick directions of the steersman, or forward 

 boatman, whose care it is to head the canoe straight, to 

 choose at a glance the deepest channel, and to keep her 

 clear as possible from the rocks. '■^ Arrete! avance! 

 pousse ! d droite ! a gauche /" with a thousand others, 

 come streaming forth as she touches, swings round, or 

 tries to take her own head. At times she stops entirely, 

 and by main force alone is she pushed over ; the rock 

 being distinctly felt as it bends the thin bark, that by 

 its elasticity gives to the pressure and springs to its place 

 the next instant. The men stand erect, exerting all their 

 strength, and handle their poles like a Paddy his shille- 

 lah, first on one side, then on the other, then in front 

 and then behind, the iron taking a firm hold of the slip- 

 pery rocks. Such was our ascent, and deeply interesting 

 it proved to me, although at first it seemed inevitable 

 that the foaming water must ingulf us all, and, destroy- 

 ing our provisions, leave us, if we escaped at all, ship- 

 wrecked mariners upon a desolate coast. 



I was glad, therefore, at every opportunity to quit the 

 canoe, and clambering as fast as I could over the slip- 

 pery rocks, post myself ahead upon the point of some 

 hatture or ledge of rocks, and cast the fly till the canoe 

 came toiling painfully along. Great was my success, 

 beautiful the dark pools, ever varying the limpid water. 

 The treacherous banks of clay, so slippery that it was 



