NARRATIVE, fro. 11 ;j 



passing olf. Tho next morning brought with it, a resumption of 

 thu toil of tho evening. The canoes were not on entirely 

 empty. All the baggage wad carried about a mile, at which 



distance the stream il perhaps doubled in width, and more than 

 doubled in depth. The next mile rendering the going quite 

 easy. At this point, say three miles from the portage, we em- 

 barked all our baggage, and after this, found no want oi* water, 

 till we came to- the rapids. These, commence about twenty. 



lour miles below the portage, and they extend with intervals of 

 smooth water. u few and for between," to within three or lour 

 miles of the point of the entrance of the river, into Lake Supe- 

 rior. The entire length of this river may be estimated at one 

 hundred miles, more than eighty miles of this distance consists 

 of rapids. It has been said that there are two hundred and 

 forty distinct rapids. At most of these, there is several feet 

 fall. At some of them eight to ten feet. Four of them require 

 portages of short extent. £ix or seven hundred feet would not 

 appear to be an cxtrn\aL r ant estimate for the entire fall. The 

 rivet itself is a perfect torrent; often on looking down its 

 channel, there are wreaths of foam constituting a brilliant vista, 

 rhung with foliage. It would never be used at all, lor the 

 purposi - of the trade, were it not, that there is much water on 

 the rapids, so that experienced men can conduct loaded canoes 

 both up and down them. The river might appropriately !"• 

 Called Rapid, or Mad River, or almost any thing else, but by 

 its popular name of Brule. This is. in (act, rather a depar- 

 ture, than a derivative from the Indian, Wisakoda, i. e. burnt- 

 pines, or burnt-wood, in allusion to a signal destruction ol 

 . by fire. We were two days, and part ol 



an evening, in effecting the descent, and regained our out- 

 ward track, at the point of its di into the Fond d:i I 

 ol Lk<> Superior. \ I this point on the fourth of 

 Aanjust, 1 it-' at night, having gone later than usual, from the (act 

 of finding oursch.es | )( l- rA i.. isequently know- 



