Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-06-22
AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE,

ing, amer 0eanS UreCkeu among We fu-
pids of the 81 Lawrence.
On the 99d day of April, 1910, our par
ty set sail in large schooner from Fort
George, or Niagara Town, and in two
days crossed Lake Ontario to Kingston, at
the head of the river St. Lawrence, dis
tant from Niagara about Goo miles. Here
we hired an American barge IA large fiat
bottomed boat) to carry US to Montreal, a
further distance of Zoo mile. =; then set
out from Kingston on the 28th of April, f.
arrived the same evening at Ogdensburg,
a distance of IS miles.-The following
evening we arrived at Cornwall, and the
succeeding night at Pointe du Lac, on Lake
St. Francis. Here our bargemen obtained
our permission TO return up the river; and
we embarked in another barge, deeply la
den with pot ashes, passengers, and lug
gage. Above Montreal, for nearly loo
miles, the St. Lawrence is interrupted in
its course by rapids, which are occasiored
by the river being confined in compare.
lively narrow, shallow, and rocky chan
nels; through these it rusbes with great
force and noise and is agitated like the
ocean in storm.-Many people prefer
these rapids, for grandeur Of appearance
to the Falls Of Niagara. They are from
half mile to 9 miles long each, and re-
quire regular pilots. On the 3oth of A.
pril we arrived at the village ofthe Cedars
Immediately below which are three sets of
very dangerous rapids (the' Cedars, the
Split.rock, and the Cascades) distant from
each other about one mile. On the morn
ing of the LIST OF May we set out from the
Cedars, the barge very deep and very
leaky. The captain, daring rash msn,
refused to take pilot. After we passed
the Cedar rapid, not without danger, the
captain called for some Ium, swearing, al
the same time, that God Almighty could
moi steer the barge better than he did,
Soon after this We entered the Split-rock
rapids by wrong channel, and IounG
ourselves adv ancing rapidly towards
dreadful watery precipice, down which
we went. The barge slightly grazed her
bottom against the rock, ana the tall was
so great as nearly to take away The breath.
We here took in great deal OF water,
which was mostly baled out again before
We were hurried on 20 what the Canadians
call the grand bouilion,' or great boil
ing, In approaching Inns place the cap
tain let 90 the helm, saying, BY God!
here we fill" The barge vas almost i'm
medalely overwhelmed in the midst Of
immense ioaming breakers, which rushed
over tue bows, carrying away planks,
oars, &C. About halt a minute elapsed
between he filing anu going down OF The
barge, during which hai sufficient pre-
sence oi mud 10 strip off my three coat,,
and was IUoSlng my suSpenuers, when the
barge sunk, anu | found myself floating IN
the niGst OF people, baggage, &c. Zach
man caught mold OF something, one OF The
Crew caught hold OF me, and kept Inc
down under the water, but, contrary to
my expectation, let NE go again On rs-
ing to the surface, got hold OF a trunk, Oh
which two DINER men were then holding.
Just al tins spot, where the Spiit-roCk la
pids terminate, the bank OF The river is
well inhabited {; and we could see women
Oh shore running aboul.much agilaied. A
canoe put off, aud plckeI up three OF our
number, who had gained the bottom OF
the barge, winch had upset and got rid OF
It's cargo these they landed on an island.
/ he canoe put OF again, and was approach
ing near 10 where | was, " th two Others,
holding on the trunk, when, terrified with
the vicinity Of the cascades, to which we
were approaching, 1t put back, notwith-
standing my celebrations Iii French and
English, to induce the two men Oil board TO
advance. The bad hold which one man
had of the Trunk, to which we were ad-
bering, subjected him to constant INNER
sion, and, III order to escape his seizing
hold OF me, lei go the trunk, and, in con-
junction with another man, got hold OF the
boom (which, with The gaff, sails, &c. had
been detached from the mast, 10 make
room Tor the cargv) and floated of had
just time to grasp this boom, when we
were hurried into the Cascades in these
was instantly buried, and nearly suaoca
tod On risinr tn the surface found one