86 
avoided, and that vessels may ascend with more ease, the govern¬ 
ment has had a canal dug along the river, which has two locks, 
and is covered by a small fort, Fort du Coteau. 
Our captain had business at the custom-house; he stopped 
therefore for an hour, during which I had time to look at the fort; 
after which we continued our course in a strong wind which was 
brought on by a thunder-storm. The shores and islands of the 
river are generally covered with cedar trees, and amongst them 
we observed some neat houses and churches, with bright tin roofs. 
At the village of Coteau des Cedres, we were obliged to encounter 
the last and most dangerous rapid, called the Cascades. The 
waves were uncommonly high, and our vessel passed over the dan¬ 
gerous parts with incredible velocity. Along these rapids there 
is also a canal provided with locks, and intended to facilitate the 
ascent of vessels. If these rapids are viewed from the shore, 
it appears incredible that a canoe should venture in without being 
swallowed up. Such a misfortune, however, does not happen, 
as we had just proved. Below this rapid the river, where it re¬ 
ceives the Ottawa, again spreads out so as to form another lake 
called Lac St. Louis, North of this lake, and at the place where 
the Ottawa unites with the St. Lawrence, it forms another lake, 
Lac des deux Montagnes, which is separated from Lac St. 
Louis by three islands, called Jesus, Perrot, and Montreal. 
The thunder-storm passed close by us; the wind blew heavy, but 
favourably. We met a steam-boat, having a corpse on board, and 
her flag at half-mast; this was a bad omen! Another steam-boat 
got ahead of us as we were passing towards La Chine, and excited 
our desire to sail faster; but suddenly we saw a terrible storm 
approaching. In an instant every hand was endeavouring to take 
down the sails, and the small one was fortunately drawn in be¬ 
fore the arrival of the squall, but the large one, in consequence 
of its bad cordage, was only half way down when it struck us. 
Near us we observed a sound, with a dangerous cliff, which it was 
necessary to avoid by steering to the left, but we were driven direct¬ 
ly towards it. Six men could scarcely manage the helm. Half of 
the sail floated in the water, and our destruction appeared inevita¬ 
ble. No one knew who commanded; the sailors thought them¬ 
selves better qualified than the captain, and every thing was hurry 
and confusion. I deemed it best to remain silent, and commit 
myself to the care of Providence, who guides the destinies of man. 
At length a sailor climbed the mast and cut the cord, so that the 
sail could be taken down, by which time we had fortunately 
passed the sound. The storm also, which altogether did not last 
much longer than five minutes, began to abate. The steam-boat 
a^ead had been in the same dangerous situation, and would 
have been cast upon the rocks in the sound, had she not speedily 
