THE XAMEAUKAN RAPIDS. 



73 



Charley, an Ojibway Indian, as bow-man Lambert was 

 not strong enough to give the proper direction to the canoe 

 in order to avoid a rock jutting out at the head of the 

 rapid. Just as we made the leap, the stern, borne swiftly 

 round by the current, grazed the rock and tore the bark, 

 without, however, doing serious damage. The moment 

 Charley felt the graze, he turned round, brandished his 

 paddle, and shook it at the unfortunate Lambert ; we shot 

 down the rapid with great velocity, and embraced the 

 opportunity afforded by the first safe eddy to examine 

 the bark of the canoe. We were deeply laden, and the 

 bottom of the canoe was so covered with our baggage, 

 that no part was visible. " Put your fingers to the bot- 

 tom of the canoe, monsieur," said Lambert to me ; " how 

 much water?" " Two inches," I replied. "That will do, 

 we shall not make more water now we are out of the 

 rapid, it is only a crack, and the bark is tough." We 

 made, however, three inches of water in a short time, 

 and as the baggage was in danger of being wetted, it 

 was deemed advisable to gum the leak without unneces- 

 sary delay. 



The shores of Nameaukan River are fringed with the 

 Banksian pine, and where an alluvial soil has accumulated, 

 the aspen grows to a large size. Where the river de- 

 bouches into Nameaukan Lake, there is a fine grove 

 of ancient elms, and underneath their wide-spreading 

 branches we found a large encampment of Indians. 



The traverse across Nameaukan Lake is six and a half 

 miles in length, the lake itself extending for more than 

 double that distance in a direction due west. At the 

 extremity of the traverse is the Nu Portage, where the 

 descent is eight and a half feet, leading us into a nar- 

 row circuitous river, without perceptible current, which 

 meanders through a reedy expanse, fringed with low 



