ASCENT OF THE GRAND RAPID. 



471 



laborious duties that has to be performed on a boat 

 voyage from Lake Winnipeg to the Saskatchewan district. 

 The Hon. Hudson's Bay Company's brigades surmount 

 this fearful interruption to the upward navigation of the 

 Saskatchewan in the following way : On arriving at the 

 foot of the rapid, every boat discharges one-half of its 

 cargo of four to five tons. Thus lightened, they are then 

 " tracked" (towed) up to the beginning of the portage — 

 the whole of the crew of six or eight voyageurs, with the 

 exception of the bowsman and steersman who remain in 

 the boat, being engaged in the labour of tracking. Each 

 man is attached to the tracking-hne by a leather belt, or 

 portage-strap, passing round his body ; and harnessed in 

 this manner they drag the boat along, running and 

 scrambling barefooted over the slippery and jagged rocks 

 at the sides of the cataract. When the lower end of the 

 portage is reached, the boat is emptied, and " run" back 

 again to the foot of the rapid, and from thence hauled up 

 as before, with the remainder of its load. The whole of 

 the lading is then carried over the portage, exclusive of 

 fifteen pieces, or about 1,350 lbs., which is left in the 

 boat. With this ballast, the boat is pulled across to the 

 south side of the rapid, to be tracked up, as the towing- 

 path is better there than on the north side. In con- 

 sequence of the rapidity and violence with which the 

 upper portion of the rapid flows, in ascending it, it is 

 necessary to employ the "main line," — a much thicker 

 and stronger rope than is generally used for tracking 

 To this line the crews of one or two boats are lashed, and 

 thus they run along the top of the cliffs of limestone, — 

 there being no footing at the bottom of these walls of 

 rock — hauling the heavy craft up the surging cascades. 

 The utmost strength of the bowsman, with his pole, and 

 the steersman, with his long sweep oar, is required, to 



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