The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-12-02
Climbing O Rapid.


To avoid The difficulties Of the portage,
our men determined to "warp up" the Pas
samagamet Falls; 50 while the rest walked
over the portage with the baggage, | re-
manned in the batteau, to assist in warping
up. We were soon in the midst of the rap
ids, which were more swift and tumultuous
than any we had poled up, and had turned
to the side Of the stream for the purpose Of
warping, when the boatmen, who felt some
pride in their skill, and were ambitious to
do something more than usual, for my ben
eft, as | surmised, took one more view OF
the rapids, or rather the falls. and in answer
to our question, whether we couldn't get up
there, the other answered that he guessed
he'd try it: so we pushed again into the
midst Of the stream, and began to struggle
with the current. | sat in the middle OF
the boat, TO trim it, moving slightly TO the
right or left as it grazed rock. With an un.
certain and wavering motion we wound and
bolted our way up, until the bow was actu-
ally raised two feet above the stern at the
steepest pitch; and then, when everything
depended upon his exertions, the bowman's
pole snapped in two; but before be had
time to take the spare one which had reach
ed, he had saved himself with the fragment
upon a rock; and so We got up by hairs
breadth; and Uncle George exclaimed, that
that was never done before and he had not
tried it. if he had not known whom he had
got in the bow-nor he in the bow, if he
had not known him in the stern. AT this
place there was regular portage cut through
the woods; and our bOatmen had never
known a batteau to ascend the falls. As
near as can remember, there was per-
pendicular fall here, at the worst place Of
the whole Penobscot River, two or three
feet at least. could not sufficiently adj
mre the skill and GOODNESS with which they
performed this feat, never speaking to each
other. The bowman, not looking behind,
but knowing exactly what the other is about,
works as if he worked alone; now sounding
in vain for bottom in fifteen feet of water,
while the boat falls back several rods, held
straight only with the greatest skill and ex.
erton; or, while the sternman obstinately
holds his ground, like turtle. the bowman
springs from side to side with wonderful sup.
pleness and deIterity, scanning the rapids
and the rocks with a thousand ewes; and
now, having got bite at last, with lusty
shove, which makes his pole bend and quv-
er, and the whole boat tremble, he gains a
few feet upon the river. To add to the
danger. the poles are liable at any time to
be caught between the rocks, and wrenched
out Of their hands, leaving them at the mer-
cy Of the rapids-the rocks, as il were, ly-
ing in watt like so many alligators, to
catch them. in their teeth, and jerk them
from your hands, before you have stolen an
efectual shove against their palates. The
pole is set close to The boat, and the Prov
is made to overshoot, and just turn the cor
neTs Of the rocks, in the very teeth Of the
rapids. Nothing but the length and light
ness, and the slight draught of the batteau,
enables them to make any headway. The
bowman must quickly choose his course;
there is no time to deliberate. Frequently
the boar is showed between rocks where both
sides touch, and tirUwaters on either hand
are perfect Maelstroom.
Half mile above this, two Of US tried
our hands at polling up slight rapid; and
were just surmounting the last difficulty,
when an unlucky rock COMPOUNDED our cal. |
and while the ba,teau was sweep
ing round irrecoverably amid the whirlpool,
we were obliged to resign the poles to more
skilful hands.