mpany.]

I hired a man, who had been a raftsman on the Delaware, to go with me
by land up to the mill, for a few thousand feet of boards, that I
required for my new house. It was only seven miles to the mill by a new
cut-out sleigh-track, through the township of Goderich as far as the
Falls, which we crossed by wading the river just above them, which at
that time we were able to do, though not without some caution; for,
although the spring-floods were considerably abated, the water ran with
great rapidity, and in some places was up to our middles; but with the
help of a strong setting-pole, we got over with safety.

We made our little raft in three cribs, of a thousand feet of boards in
each crib, which we connected together by short pieces of scantling,
which are bored near each end with a two-inch auger and strung on the
corner-pickets of each crib, thus uniting them in one length. At each
end of the raft, a long oar is securely fixed, in temporary rowlocks
for that purpose.

The whole course of the river, from the mill to the harbour at
Goderich, is a strong rapid: two perpendicular falls occur in its
course to the lake. The Upper, or Big Fall, is about six feet, and the
Little Fall three. We made a capital run down, though in plunging over
the first Fall we were up to our arm-pits in water. But our little raft
rose gallantly to the surface; and we encountered no further
difficulty.

I enjoyed my trip down the river amazingly. I do not know anything more
delightful, when all goes well than being borne over the foaming rapids
at the rate of eight or ten miles an hour. The channel of the Maitland
is wide, and the banks picturesque. Our voyage did not exceed an hour,
though the distance was above nine miles.

CHAPTER XIX.

MY NEW HOUSE AT GODERICH. -- CARPENTRY AN ESSENTIAL ART. -- AMERICAN
ENERGY. -- AGREEABLE VISITORS. -- MY WIFE'S DISASTERS. -- HINTS FOR
ANGLERS. -- THE NINE-MILE-CREEK FROLIC. -- THE TEMPEST. -- OUR SKIPPER
AND HIS LEMON-PUNCH. -- SHORT COMMONS. -- CAMP IN THE WOODS. -- RETURN
ON FOOT. -- LUDICROUS TERMINATION TO OUR FROLIC.

MY new house at Goderich was constructed with cherry-logs neatly
counter-hewed both inside and out, the interstices between the logs
being nicely pointed with mortar. I had no upstair-rooms, excepting for
stowage. The ground-story I divided into a parlour, kitchen, and three
bedrooms. After office-hours I used to work a good deal at the
carpenter's bench--for I was