NARRATlVi; ft« 51 



and small boulders of syenite, trap rock, and quartz, and other 

 debris of primitive and secondary rocks. One of the party 

 picked up a well characterised piece of zoned agate. 



While the mending of the canoes was in progress, the bag- 

 gage wai put in portable order, and as soon as all was ready, 

 the men moved on unh the canoes and effects, winch were so 

 arranged that all could be carried at one load, and it did not re- 

 quire them to gu back. This was a point originally kept in 

 a ie\v, in the curtailment of the baggage at the island, and it wa» 

 an object of the highest importance to the speed and success 

 of the trip. Each canoe and its apparatus, with some of the 

 lighter pieces was carried by one man. The guide led off 

 the men, with no slight burden on his own shoulders, first scram- 

 bling up the sandy acclivity, and then striking through a growth 

 of scrub oak and pines. The showers of the morning had so 

 thoroughly wet the grass and shrubbery, that a few moments 

 walking through it, was sufficient completely to saturate both 

 pantaloons and stockings. I walked nut a few hundred yards 

 from the trail, towards the left which brought me into the curve 

 of the river, in view of the rapids. There appeared to be a sc- 

 of small rapids, with intervening shallows. The noise of 

 falling water and the white wreaths of foam, induced me to 

 think there might be distinct falls, but I could discern nothing 

 entitled to the name. The average descent of the river, at this 

 series of rapids, appeared to be, however, considerable, and 

 might perhaps be estimated at forty-eight feet. I rejoined the 

 party at the spot they had selected for their first pause, some- 

 what to their relief, probably, as guns had been fired by them, 

 under the belief of my having missed the way. We first came 

 hi sight of the river again, on the brow of an elevated sand-hill, 

 precipitous towards the water. The guide halted to inquire 

 whether it would not be preferable to encamp at this spot, as 

 we should suffer 1 (,<s from m-ects than if we eneamped in the 

 valley of the river, at the termination of the portage. (Lm the 

 daylight was not gone, and some distance still remained, I deem- 



