CHAPTER III. 
RUNNING THE RAPIDS. 
BEFORE leaving the Grand Rapid several good photo- 
graphs of it were obtained, and then on the morning of 
the 7th of June, bidding adieu to Inspector Howard, and 
leaving our supplies in the freighters’ hands, we started 
down the river for Fort McMurray. The first object of 
special interest passed was a natural gas flow, occurring 
on the left bank about fifteen miles below the Rapid. 
At this place a considerable volume of gas is continually 
discharging, and may be seen bubbling up through the 
water over a considerable area, as well as escaping from 
rifts in the bank. The gas burns with a hot pale blue 
flame, and is said to be used at times by boatmen for 
cooking purposes. Eight or ten miles farther down 
stream came the Brule Rapids, the first of the long 
series, and though they might easily have been run, we 
did not try it, as my brother wished to remain on shore 
for some time to collect fossils. Meanwhile our stuff 
was portaged, and without difficulty the empty canoes 
run down to the foot of the rapids, where camp was 
made. Just at this place commence the wonderful tar 
sand-beds of the Athabasca, extending over an enormous. 
area. These certainly present a very striking appear- 
ance. During warm weather, in many places, the faces 
