rmed by the union of
these streams, is about three-quarters of a mile wide. We descended this
magnificent river with much rapidity and, after passing through several
narrow channels, formed by an assemblage of islands, crossed a spot where
the waters had a violent whirling motion which, when the river is low, is
said to subside into a dangerous rapid; on the present occasion no other
inconvenience was felt than the inability of steering the canoes which
were whirled about in every direction by the eddies until the current
carried them beyond their influence. We encamped at seven on the swampy
bank of the river but had scarcely pitched the tents before we were
visited by a terrible thunderstorm; the rain fell in torrents and the
violence of the wind caused the river to overflow its banks so that we
were completely flooded. Swarms of mosquitoes succeeded the storm and
their tormenting stings, superadded to other inconveniences, induced us
to embark and, after taking a hasty supper, to pursue our voyage down the
stream during the night.

At six on the following morning we passed the Reindeer Islands and at ten
reached the entrance of the Dog River where we halted to set the fishing
nets. These were examined in the evening but, to our mortification, we
obtained only four small trout and were compelled to issue part of our
preserved meats for supper. The latitude of the mouth of Dog River was
observed 59 degrees 52 minutes 16 seconds North.

DIFFICULTIES OF THE VARIOUS NAVIGATIONS OF THE RIVERS AND LAKES, AND OF
THE PORTAGES.

The nets were taken up at daylight but they furnished only a solitary
pike. We lost no time in embarking and crossed the crooked channel of the
Dog Rapid when two of the canoes came in such violent contact with each
other that the sternmost had its bow broken off. We were fortunately near
the shore or the disabled canoe would have sunk. The injury being
repaired in two hours we again embarked and, having descended another
rapid, arrived at the Cassette Portage of four hundred and sixty paces,
over which the cargoes and canoes were carried in about twenty-six
minutes. We next passed through a narrow channel full of rapids, crossed
the Portage d'Embarras of seventy yards, and the portage of the Little
Rock of three hundred yards, at which another accident happened to one of
the canoes by the bowman slipping and letting it fall upon a rock and
breaking it in two. Two hours were occupied in sewing the de