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Journal of a Voyage through the 



It now became necessary for us to make a traverse, 

 where the water was so rapid, that some of the people 

 stripped themselves to their shirts that they might be the 

 better prepared for swimming, in case any accident hap- 

 pened to the canoe, which they seriously apprehended ; 

 but we succeeded in our attempt without any other incon- 

 venience except that of taking in water. We now came to 

 a cascade, when it was thought necessary to take out part 

 of the lading. At noon we stopped to take an altitude, 

 opposite to a small river that flowed in from the left : 

 while I was thus engaged, the men went on shore to 

 fasten the canoe, but as the current was not very strong, 

 they had been negligent in performing this office ; it prov- 

 ed, however, sufficiently powerful to sheer her off, and if 

 it had not happened that one of the men, from absolute 

 fatigue had remained and held the end of the line, we 

 should have been deprived of every means of prosecuting 

 our voyage, as well as of present subsistence. But not- 

 withstanding the state of my mind on such an alarming 

 circumstance, and an intervening cloud that interrupted 

 me, the altitude which I took had been since proved to be 

 tolerably correct, and gave 56. North latitude. Our last 

 course was South-South-West two miles and a quarter. 



We now continued our toilsome and perilous progress 

 with the line West by North, and as we proceeded the ra- 

 pidity of the current increased, so that in the distance of 

 two miles we were obliged to unload four times, and carry 

 every thing but the canoe : indeed, in many places, it was 

 with the utmost difficulty that we could prevent her from 

 being dashed to pieces against the rocks by the violence of 

 the eddies. At five we had proceeded to where the river 

 was one continued rapid. Here we again took every thing 

 out of the canoe, in order to tow her up with the line, 

 though the rocks were so shelving as greatly to increase 

 the toil and hazard of that operation. At length, however, 

 the agitation of the water was so great, that a wave striking 

 on the bow of the canoe, broke the line, and filled us with 

 inexpressible dismay, as it appeared impossible that the 

 vessel could escape from being dashed to pieces, and those 

 who were in her from perishing. Another wave, how- 

 ever, more propitious than the former, drove her out of 

 the tumbling water, so that the men were enabled to bring 

 her ashore, and though she had been carried over rocks 



