RUNNING OUT OF THE GRANITE. 91 
of a mile below camp the river turns abruptly to the left, and between camp 
and that point is very swift, running down in a long, broken chute, and 
piling up against the foot of the cliff, where it turns to the left. We try to 
pull across, so as to go down on the other side, but the waters are swift, and 
it seems impossible for us to escape the rock below ; but, in pulling across, 
the bow of the boat is turned to the farther shore, so that we are swept 
broadside down, and are prevented, by the rebounding waters, from strik 
ing against the wall. There we toss about for a few seconds in these bil 
lows, and are earned past the danger. Below, the river turns again to the 
right, the canon is very narrow, and we see in advance but a short distance. 
The water, too, is very swift, and there is no landing place. From around 
this curve there comes a mad roar, and down we are carried, with a dizzying 
velocity, to the head of another rapid. On either side, high over our heads, 
there are overhanging granite walls, and the sharp bends cut off our view, 
so that a few minutes will carry us into unknown waters. Away we go, on 
one long, winding chute. I stand on deck, supporting myself with a strap, 
fastened on either side to the gunwale, and the boat glides rapidly, where 
the water is smooth, or, striking a wave, she leaps and bounds like a thing 
of life, and we have a wild, exhilarating ride for ten miles, which we make 
in less than an hour. The excitement is so great that we forget the danger/ 
until we hear the roar of a great fall below ; then we back on our oars, and 
are carried slowly toward its head, and succeed in landing just above, and 
find that we have to make another portage. At this we are engaged until 
some time after dinner. 
Just here we run out of the granite! 
Ten miles in less than half a day, and limestone walls below. Good 
cheer returns; we forget the storms, and the gloom, and cloud covered can 
ons, and the black granite, and the raging river, and push our boats from 
shore in great glee. 
Though we are out of the granite, the river is still swift, and we wheel 
about a point again to the right, and turn, so as to head back in the direc 
tion from which we come, and see the granite again, with its narrow gorge 
and black crags ; but we meet with no more great falls, or rapids. Still, we 
run cautiously, and stop, from time to time, to examine some places which 
