323 



t!iat they never escape without being much 

 bruised, if not absolutely shivered to pieces : in 

 this distance of three quarters of a mile the 

 whole descent is from 170 to 180 feet. At this 

 place the scows and boats are unloaded, their 

 contents carried to the end of the fall, and 

 there re-embarked in other craft ready to re- 

 ceive them ; from hence they are borne down 

 by a gentle current about six miles, to the Great 

 Brompton Falls, that are about two miles 

 in length : as empty boats can run down 

 them on the west side only, the cargoes are 

 again taken out and conveyed to the foot of 

 the falls, where the boats are re-laden, and pro-* 

 ceed about seven miles further to the Little 

 Brompton Falls ; a repetition of the former 

 labours must again take place, as they can 

 be passed by nothing but hght craft : at this 

 point the portage is no more than 250 yards. 

 A mile or two further on is Dutchman's Shoot, 

 where the river is narrowed by a ledge of rocks, 

 and two small islands forming a rapid, that with 

 much care and some difficulty loaded boats 

 may pass through. After this a current, rapid 

 and slow in succession, continues without im- 

 pediment for fifteen miles to Kingsey portage ; 

 this is a confined part of the river, with a large 

 rock in the middle of it, that is covered when 

 the water is very high, and at which time only 



