54 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA : 
ston, is commonly fonad to be about seven 
days. If the vend should be strong and very 
favourable, the passage may be performed in a 
less time; bid should it, on the contrary, be 
adverse, and blow very strong, the passage will 
be protracted somewhat longer ; an adverse or 
favourable wind, however, seldom makes a dif- 
ference of more than three days in the length @ 
of the passage upwards, as in each case it is 
necessary to work the bateaux along by means 
of poles for the greater part of the way. The 
passage downwards is performed in two or 
three days, according to the wind. The cur¬ 
rent is so strong', that a contrary wind seldom 
lengthens the passage in that direction more 
than a day. 
The Mississippi is the only river in North 
America, which, for grandeur and commodi- 
ousness of navigation, comes in competition 
with the St. Lawrence, or with that river 
which runs from Lake Ontario to the ocean. 
If, however, we consider that immense body 
of water that flows from Lake Winnipeg 
through the Lake of the Woods, Lake Su¬ 
perior, &c. down to the sea, as one entire 
stream, and of course as a continuation of the 
St. Lawrence, it must be allowed to be a very 
superior river to the Mississippi in every point 
of view; and we may certainly consider it as 
one stream, with as much reason as we look 
