reat St. Lawrence, has its
source in the dividing ridge between Minnesota and the British territory.
From these rugged Laurentian ridges it foams down in an impetuous torrent
through wild pine-clad steeps of rock and towering precipice, apparently
to force an outlet into the valley of the Mississippi, but at the Dalles
it seems to have suddenly preferred to seek the cold waters of the
Atlantic, and, bending its course abruptly to the east, it pours its
foaming torrent into the great Lake Superior below the old French
trading-post of Fond-du-Lac. The load which I carried was not of itself a
heavy one, but its weight became intolerable under the rapidly increasing
heat of the sun and from the toilsome nature of the road. The deep narrow
gorges over which the railway was to be carried were yet unbridged, and
we had to let ourselves down the steep yielding embankment to a depth of
over 100 feet, and then clamber up the other side almost upon hands and
knees-this under a sun that beat down between the hills with terrible
intensity on the yellow sand of the railway cuttings! The Ohio man
carried no baggage, but the Jew was heavily laden, and soon fell behind.
For a time I kept pace with my light companion; but soon I too was
obliged to lag, and about midday found myself alone in the solitudes of
the Dalles. At last there came a gorge deeper and steeper than any thing
that had preceded it, and I was forced to rest long before attempting its
almost perpendicular ascent. When I did reach the top, it was to find
myself thoroughly done up--the sun came down on the side of the
embankment as though it would burn the sandy soil into ashes, not a
breath of air moved through the silent hills, not a leaf stirred in the
forest. My load was more than I could bear, and again I had to lie down
to avoid falling down. Only once before had I experienced a similar
sensation of choking, and that was in toiling through a Burmese swamp,
snipe-shooting under a midday sun. How near that was to sun-stroke, I
can't say; but I don't think it could be very far. After a little time, I
saw, some distance down below, smoke rising from a shanty. I made my way
with no small difficulty to the door, and found the place full of some
twenty or more rough-bearded looking men sitting down to dinner.

"About played out, I guess?" said one. "Wall, that sun is h--; any how,
come in and have a bit. Have a drink of tea or some vinegar and water."

They filled me out a