THE MAINE WOODS. 
Having carried round Pockwockomus Falls, our oars 
soon brought us to the Katepskonegan, or Oak Hall 
carry, where we decided to camp half way over, leaving 
our batteau to be carried over in the morning on fresh 
shoulders. One shoulder of each of the boatmen showed 
a red spot as large as one’s hand, worn by the batteau 
on this expedition; and this shoulder, as it did all the 
work, was perceptibly lower than its fellow, from long 
service. Such toil soon wears out the strongest consti¬ 
tution. The drivers are accustomed to work in the cold 
water in the spring, rarely ever dry; and if one falls in 
all over he rarely changes his clothes till night, if then, 
even. One who takes this precaution is called by a par¬ 
ticular nickname, or is turned off. None can lead this 
life who are not almost amphibious. McCauslin said 
soberly, what is at any rate a good story to tell, that he 
had seen where six men were wholly under water at 
once, at a jam, with their shoulders to handspikes. If 
the log did not start, then they had to put out their 
heads to breathe. The driver works as long as he can 
see, from dark to dark, and at night has not time to eat 
his supper and dry his clothes fairly, before he is asleep 
on his cedar bed. We lay that night on the very bed 
made by such a party, stretching our tent over the poles 
which were still standing, but reshingling the damp and 
faded bed with fresh leaves. 
In the morning; we carried our boat over and 
launched it, making haste lest the wind should rise. 
The boatmen ran down Passamagamet, and, soon after. 
Ambejijis Falls, while we walked round with the bag¬ 
gage. We made a hasty breakfast at the head of Am¬ 
bejijis Lake, on the remainder of our pork, and were soon 
rowing across its smooth surface again, under a pleasant 
