"best" we
had seen. There were few rocks to avoid. Some of the rapids were
violent, but careful handling took us past every danger. There was
little chance to make a portage at several of these places had we
desired to do so. We gave them but a glance from the decks of the
boats, then dropped into them. In one instance I saw the _Edith_
literally shoot through a wave bow first, both ends of the boat being
visible, while her captain was buried in the foam.

We had learned to discriminate by its noise, long before we could see
a rapid, whether it was filled with rocks, or was merely a descent of
big water. The latter, often just as impressive as the former, had a
sullen, steady boom; the rocky rapids had the same sound, punctuated
by another sound, like the crack of regiments of musketry. All were
greatly magnified in sound by the narrow, echoing walls. We became so
accustomed to this noise that we almost forgot it was there, and it
was only after the long, quiet stretches that the noise was noticed In
a few instances only we noticed the shattering vibration of air that
is associated with waterfalls. Still there is noise enough in many
rapids so that their boom can be heard several miles away from the top
of the canyons.

Guided by these sounds, and aided by our method of holding the boat in
mid-stream, while making a reconnaissance, we were quite well aware of
what we were likely to find before we anchored above a rapid. We were
never fearful of being drawn into a cataract without having a chance
to land somewhere. The water is strangely quiet, to a comparatively
close distance above nearly all rapids. We usually tied up anywhere
from fifty feet to a hundred yards above a drop, before inspecting it.
If it was a "big-water" rapid, we usually looked it over standing on
the seat in the boats, then continued. By signals with the hands, the
one first over would guide the other, if any hidden rocks or dangerous
channel threatened. While we did not think much about it, we usually
noted the places where one might climb out on the plateau. Little
could be told about the upper walls from the river.

A chilling wind swept up the river, penetrating our soaked garments.
But we paid little attention to this, only pulling the harder, not
only to keep the circulation going, but every pull of the oars put us
that much nearer home. We never paused in our rowing until we anchored
at 4.30 P.M. under Rust's tramway, close to the mouth of