CLIFF OF THE HARP. 23 
If the boat, in going over the falls, chances to get caught in some side cur 
rent, and is turned from its course, so as to strike the wave "broadside on," 
and the wave breaks at the same instant, the boat is capsized. Still, we must 
cling to her, for, the water tight compartments acting as buoys, she cannot 
sink ; and so we go, dragged througli the waves, until still waters are reached. 
We then right the boat, and climb aboard. We have several such experi 
ences to day. 
At night, we camp on the right bank, on a little shelving rock, between 
the river and the foot of the cliff; and with night comes gloom into these 
great depths. 
After supper, we sit by our camp fire, made of drift wood caught by 
the rocks, and tell stories of wild life; for the men have seen such in the 
mountains, or on the plains, and on the battle fields of the South. It is late 
before we spread our blankets on the beach. 
Lying down, we look up through the canon, and see that only a little 
of the blue heaven appears overhead a crescent of blue sky, with two or 
three constellations peering down upon us. 
I do not sleep for some time, as the excitement of the day has not worn 
off. Soon I see a bright star, that appears to rest on the very verge of the 
cliff overhead to the east. Slowly it seems to float from its resting place on 
the rock over the canon. At first, it appeared like a jewel set on the brink 
of the cliff ; but, as it moves out from the rock, I almost wonder that it does 
not fall. In fact, it does seem to descend in a gentle curve, as though the 
bright sky in which the stars are set was spread across the canon, resting on 
either wall, and swayed down by its own weight. The stars appear to be 
in the canon. I soon discover that it is the bright star Vega, so it occurs to 
me to designate this part of the wall as the "Cliff of the Harp." 
June 9. One of the party suggests that we call this the Canon of 
Lodore, and the name is adopted. Very slowly we make our way, often 
climbing on the rocks at the edge of the water for a few hundred yards, to 
examine the channel before running it. 
During the afternoon, we come to a place where it is necessary to make 
a portage. The little boat it landed, and the others are signaled to come up. 
When these rapids or broken falls occur, usually the channel is sud- 
