sted with labor, and the thrilling
excitement of the day. It seemed, while flying through its furious
passes, as if this stream was impatient for its development, and, like
an unrestrained youth, was bent on overthrowing every obstacle, on the
instant, that opposed its advance and expansion. A war horse could not
have been more impatient to rush on to his destiny.

We were in motion again in our canoes at five o'clock the next morning.
At an early hour my Indian guide landed to fire at some deer. He could
not, however, get close enough to make an effectual shot. Before the
animals were, however, out of range, he loaded, without wadding, and
fired again, but also without effect. After passing a third plateau
through which the river winds, with grassy borders, we found it once
more to contract for another descent, which we made without leaving our
canoes, not, however, without imminent peril and loss. Lieut. Allen had
halted to make some observations, when his men incautiously failed for a
moment to keep his canoe direct in the current. The moment it assumed a
transverse position, which they attempted to fix by grasping some bushes
on the opposite bank, the water dashed over the gunwales, and swept all
to the bottom. He succeeded in gaining his feet, though the current was
waist high, and recovered his fowling piece, but irretrievably lost his
canoe-compass, a nautical balanced instrument, and everything besides.
Fortunately I had a fine small land-compass, which Gen. Macomb had
presented to the late John Johnston, Esq., of St. Mary's, many years
before, and thus I measurably repaired his loss. On descending this
channel, the river again displayed itself in savannas, and assumed a
width which it afterwards maintained, and lost its savage ferocity of
current, though still strong.

On this plateau, the river receiving on its left the War River, or
Piniddiwin (the term has relation to the mangled flesh of those slain in
battle), a considerable stream, at the mouth of which the Indian reed
first shows itself. We had, the day previous, noticed the Chemaun, or
Canoe River, tributary from the right bank. Minor tributaries were not
noticed. The volume of water was manifestly increased from various
sources. At a spot where we landed, as evening came on, we observed a
species of striped lizard, which our guide called Okautekinabic, which
signifies legged-snake. Various species of the duck and other water fowl
were almost continual