d steered for
the south side of the St Lawrence. Allan was pointing out to Grannie
what was British and what was American; she remarked, on comparing the
houses on the two banks, 'That gin Canadians wad build houses of wood,
they ocht to hae the decency to paint them.' On nearing the
landing-place at the foot of the rapids, Allan pointed to a group of
people and told her they were Yankees. She shook her head, she did not
believe him, they were too like our ain folk to be Yankees. The Soo is
the longest rapid of the St Lawrence measuring nine miles, but is not
nearly so wild as those we had passed, having fewer waves and intervals
of smooth water. There was no canal to help in getting to the head of
it, and it was beyond the strength of our crew to push the boat up with
setting-poles. There was a towpath along the U.S. bank on which stood
three yoke of oxen. A stout cable was hooked to their whiffle-tree and
they started. On getting fairly into the strength of the current the
crew dropped their poles into the water, and it was all men and oxen,
strained to the utmost, could do at times to stem the sweep of the
mighty tide. It was slow work but we won to smoother water and the boat
tied up for the night. It was hot when we entered lake St Francis, it
was sultry now. Alongside us was a Durham boat like ours, but longer. It
was packed worse than our own, men, women, and children huddled as close
as captives on a slaveship, and like ourselves worn out with fatigue and
facing the thunderstorm that we heard coming without covering of any
kind. The quiet determination to endure much in the belief that we were
coming to a country where we would better our condition sustained all in
doing our best to make light of our trials. To a young woman, who was
trying to get a fretful baby to sleep, the mistress sent me with a tin
of milk and we had some talk. I asked if she was not sorry she had left
the Old Land. 'No, no,' she replied, 'we had no prospect there; here,
with hard work we have the prospect of comfort and of depending on
nobody for work or help.' She kissed her babe and speaking to him said,
'Yes, Willie, you will never know in this country what your mother came
through.' It was this hope that sustained us all. There was only a small
house in sight and the near bush was scrub, so we did not ask to go on
shore and had to wait, patiently, for the heat and mosquitoes kept us
awake. The storm did not last long, but wetted all to t