There Is Just That
Slight Sense Of Danger Which Lends A Zest To Novelty, And It Is Furnished
By The Facts That Some Timid Persons Land Before Coming To The Rapids, And
That Many Vessels Have Come To An Untimely End In Descending Them.
There
is a favourite story of General Amherst, who during the war was sent down
by the river to
Attack Montreal, with three hundred and fifty men, and the
first intimation which the inhabitants received of the intended surprise
was through the bodies of the ill-fated detachment, clothed in the well-
known scarlet, floating by their city, the victims of the ignorance or
treachery of the pilot.
One of the great pleasures which I promised myself in my visit to Canada
was from running these rapids, and I was not disappointed. At the Galouse,
the river expands into a wide shallow stream, containing beautiful
islands, among which the water rushes furiously, being broken into large
waves, boiling, foaming, and whirling round. The steamer neared the
rapids - half her steam was shut off - six men appeared at the wheel - we
glided noiselessly along in smooth, green, deep water - the furious waves
were before us - the steamer gave one perceptible downward plunge - the
spray dashed over the bows - and at a speed of twenty-five miles an hour we
hurried down the turbulent hill of waters, running so near the islands
often that escape seemed hopeless - then guided safely away by the skill of
the pilot.
The next rapid was the Longue Sault, above a mile in length.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 255 of 478
Words from 69389 to 69649
of 129941