Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-09-29
THE RAPIDS OF THE ST. LAWRENCE.

a steamer. Now all the rapids from Dickin-
sons Landing, about forty miles below Ogdens-
burg to Montreal, are passed over by the daily
lines Of steamers, and we think we can assert
without fear of contradiction, that the passage
of the st. Lawrence from Kingston to Quebec
is the most interesting of any known TO the
traveller. Those who have passed through the
Lachine rapids will bear testimony to the truth
fulness Of the following description, which we
find in the last number of the Presbyterian, es-
pecially the appearance of the Indian pilot while
the boat is dashing through the troubled wa
ters:
SHOOTING THE RAPIDs-But the rapids or
what is technically called shooting the rapids,
l. e., going through them in the steamer, will be
ample compensation for the trip; at least when
you have once got safely through with the shoot
ing. One or two of these rapids are from nine
to twelve miles long, the current descending
with great rapidity-in some of them, it is said
at the rate Of twenty-five miles an hour-so
that the water is broken into quite white cap
ped sea and pitching as it does over lodges Of
rocks. makes novel and not altogether CON-
Portable sort of river steamboat navigation.
Whenever we approached one of them, four
men were stationed at the wheel in the pilots
house, the narrow sinuous, and turbulent chan.
mel requiring great power, and dexterity in man.
aging the boat. In passing the "spt-rock" in
the Cedar rapids, you seem at one time to be
dashing right on the threatening ledges which
jut up apparently but a few feet below the sur
face but just as you are making up your mind
to the catastrophe, the watchful pilot has inter-
posed, and the gallant boat turns gracefully
aside, and glides swiftly and safely on her way.
Until very recently, the steamers were not
accustomed to 90 over the Lachine rapids the
last passed before reaching Montreal--the pas
sengers being sent from above them to the city
by railway. Now, however, practicable chan
mel has been discovered, and the boats daily de-
scend in safety even over the boiling torrents
of the Lachine Just before entering this most
difficult part Of the river, an Indian pilot is ia
ken on board from an Indian village on the
shore.
The tall son Of the forest, who has learned
the way through this seething labarynth of wa
ter and rocks, in his frail canoe, mounts to the
pilots house, and assisted by three or four 9TH
er stalwart men, takes his place at the Wheel
whilst another man goes aft and laps hold Of the
lever attached to the rudder, so that in case Of
accident to the tiler ropes, there may still be
a hand at the helm. A moment more, and the
boat is rolling and dashing forward on the un-
steady current. The Indian pilot gazes down
on the pitching waters, as if he would penetrate
their very depths, his eye fairly flashing fire.
In an instant the eight hands are running over
the wheel like fingers over well played instru-
men, and the tiller chains rattle as if they were
all running away; the boat trembes for mo-
ment, makes a heavy plunge, then wheels grace
fully round, and goes on her course. She has
passed one Of the shoots, and is moving off TO
find the entrance to new and worse one.
Once more the Indians eye is ablaze, every
muscle in his face is working, and as the bows
of the steamer droop for fall into the "cellar,"
as the French appropriately term the watery
chasms, his tongue protrudes, and his whole
face is like that of man frenzicd. Safely out
Of the "cellar," we are jostled first to one side,
then the other, still dashing down the boiling
current, when sudden conclusion careens the |
boat over, and "She has touchedr y falls at
once from the lips of dozen passengers who
ire anxiously looking down on the rocks just
under the bows but she has cleared the rocks
md the concussion was only from the angry |
waves, apparently indignant that presumptu-
,us steamer should venture in the domains
where they hold their revels.
Another dropping of the bows and descent
nto cellar" and another tossing about in all
directions Mt once, and we are once more DASH
ng steadily along fairly the last of the rap
DIS and alike agreed among the passengers, that
We should not care to 60 over the Lachne every
lay. Once safely over, however, no one will
ver regre: the beautiful and exciting spectacle
le witnessed in passing them. In ascending
he river the steamers avoid the rapids by means
If canals.