100 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



embarked, we should have mistaken for a 

 lake, had it not been for the rapidity of the 

 current against which we made our way. 

 At four P.M. we passed a long portage 

 occasioned by a ledge of rocks, three hun- 

 dred yards in length, over which the river 

 falls seven or eight feet. After crossing 

 another portage we encamped. 



On the 18th we had rain, wind, and 

 thunder, the whole day; but this weather 

 was much preferable to the heat we had 

 borne hitherto. We passed three portages, 

 and at six P.M. encamped on the north 

 bank. Below the third portage is the 

 mouth of the Rapid River, flowing from a 

 large lake to the southward, on which a 

 post was formerly maintained by the North- 

 West Company. Next morning we found 

 ourselves involved in a confused mass of 

 islands, through the openings of which we 

 could not discern the shore. The guide's 

 knowledge of the river did not extend 

 beyond the last portage, and our perplexity 

 continued till we observed some foam float- 

 ing on the water, and took the direction 



