The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-12-02
A Night I'm she yE,lderue..

While uncle George steered for small
island near the head Of the lake, now Jus,
visible like speck on the water, we rowed
by turns swiftly over its surface, singing
such boat-songs as We could remember
The shores seemed at an indefinite distance
in the moonlight. Occasionally we paused
in our singing, and rested on our oars,
while we listened to hear if the wolves
howled, for this is a common serenade, and
my companions affirmed that it was the
most dismal and unearthly of sounds: but
we heard none this time. If We did not
hear, however, we did listen, not without a
reasonable expectation; that, at least, have
to tell-only some utterly uncivlised, big
throated owl hooted loud and disrnally in
the drear and boughy wilderness, plsinly
not nervous about his solitary life, nor afraid
TO hear the echoes Of his voice there. We
remembered also that possibly moose were
silently watching US from the distant coves,
or some surl y bear, or timid red deer or
caribou had been startled by our singing.
Ii was with new emphasis that we sang there
the Canadian boatsong:
"Row, brothers, row, the stream runs fast:
The rapids are near, and the daylight >. past"
which described precisely our own adven-
ture. and was inspired by the description of
exactly this kind Of life-for the rapids
were ever near, and the daylight long past;
the woods on shore looked dim, ard many
an Utawa's tide here emptied into the lake.
"Why should we yet our sail unfurll
There is not breath the blue wave 10 curl:
But when the wind blows Off the shore,
Oh, sweetly We'll rest our laborinq oar.'
"Utawa's tide! this trembling moon
Shall see us float Ger thy surges soon"
At last we glided past the "gresn isle"
which had been our landmark, all Joining
in the chorus as if by the watery links OF
rivers and lakes we were about to float over
unmeasured zones of earth, bound on un.
imaginable adventures.
"Saint Of this green isle, hear our PRAYER,
Grant us cool days end favoring air"
About nine o'clock we reached the river,
and ran our boat into natural haven be-
tween some rocks, and drew her out on the
sand. This camping ground McCauslin
had been familiar with In his numbering
days, and he now struck it uneriirsly in
the moonlight, and we heard the sound of
the nils which would supply us with cool
water emptying into the lake. The first bu-
siness was to make a fire, an operation
which was little delayed by the wetness
oil the fuel and the ground, owing to the
heavy showers of the afternoon. The fire
is the main comfort Of the camp, whether
in Summer or Winter, anc is about as am.
pie at one season as another. 1t is as well
Tor cheerfulness, as for warmth and dryness.
IL iorms one side Of the camp; one bright
side at any rate. Some were dispersed TO
fetch in dead trees and boughs, while Uncle
George felled the biTches and beeches which
stood convenient, and soon we had fire
some ten feet long by three or four high. |
which rapidly dried the sand before it. |
This was calculated to burn all night. We
next proceeded to pitch our tent; which op-
Grafton was performed by sticking our two
spike poles into the ground in slanting d. |
rection, about ten feet apart, for rafters, and
then drawing our cotton cloth over them,
and tying il down at the ends, leaving it |
open in front, shed-fashion. But this eve
ming the wind carried the sparks on the
ent and burned it. So we hastily drew ND
he batteau just within the edge of the
woods before the fire, and propping up one
'de three or four feet high, spread the tent
IN the ground to lie ON; and with the cor
her OF blanket, or what more or less we
'ould get to put over US, lay down with our
leads and bodies under the boat, and our
eet and legs on the sand toward tn, fire
1t hrst we lay awake, talking of our course
md hnding ourselves in so convenient a
'osture for studying the Heavens, with the
noon and stars shining in our faces, our con.
ersation naturally turned upon Astronomy,
nd We recounted by turns the most inter. I