Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-10-13

knew that a course south by east would
take US ont, if we had strength enough to
travel the distance La Mountain stepped
up to balloon and gave the edge Of the
basket parting shake, saving, "Good bye,
old Atlantic" &
[They started in Southeast direction
BY the compass they had, and soon found
a spot where trees had been felled, fire
had been, and half of a pork barrel marked
'.Mess Pork, P. NJ, Montreal" By this
Montreal inspection mark they knew they
were in Canada. They travelled all day,
Mr.. H. falling into stream, and at night
happened upon an old shanty, where in
some straw they spent the night almost
frozen. The next day, making raft Of
the roof of the shanty,- and foated and
poled down s.ream-meanwhile each
eating raw frog-until three o'clock the
next morning. Rested short time, again
started, but came TO rapids, where the raft
would not float, and they abandoned it.
We went back, and after examining the
stream attentively, concluded to get the
raft down. We at once commenced, and !
freely confess this the most trying and Ia
borious work of a life of labor. The pieces
would not float over rod at time before
they would stick on some stone which the
low water left above the surface, and then
you must pry it over in some way, and
pass it along to the next obstruction. We
were obliged to get into the stream, Cften
up to the middle, and there l sometimes
fell headlong-completely using up our
compass, which now frantically pointed in
any direction its added head thought de-
sirable. The water had unglued the case,
and it was ruined. After long hours of
such labor, we got the raft down and La
Mountain again tied it together. Passing
on. in about an hour we came TO large
lake-ten miles long, and six miles broad.
Around it wo must, of course, pass until
we should pass the ontlet. So we turned
up to the right, and pressed on with as
much resolution as could be expected. To-
day we found one clam, which insisted
La Mountain should eat, as he was weaker
than myself, and had eaten little or moth
ing on the day We went up. Around we
went, into all the iudentations of the shore,
keeping always in shallow water. At last
we stopped at place we thought least ex-
posed TO the wind. We laid down upon
the cold ground, having lifted up the end
of our raft so that the wind might not drive
it away in the night. We were cold when
we laid down, and both of US trembled by
the hour like men suffering from a severe
attack of the ague. The wind had risen
just at night, and the dismal surging of the
waves upon the shore formed, thought,
fitting lullaby to slumbers so disturbed
and dismal as ours. By this time our
clothes were nearly torn off. My panta-
looms were slit up both legs, and the waist
bands nearly torn off. My boots both
leaked, and our mighty wrestling canons
had torn the skin from ankles and hands.
La Mountains hat was gone; the first day
out he had thrown away his woolen draw
ers and stockings, as they dragged him
down by the weight of the water they alb
sorbed. We slept but little. II really
seemed as though, during the night, we
passed through the horrors of dozen
deaths. At daylight we got up by de-
grees-frst on one knee and then on the
other-so stiff and weak we could hardly
stand.
Again on the almost endless lake we
went-following round its shore for an out
let. About ten o'clock we found broad,
northern stream, which we thought was
the outlet we were seeking, and we enter
ed it with great JOY, believing it would
take us to our long sought Ottawa. Short
ly after entering the stream it widened out,
and assumed the form of a lake. We
poled up the westerly shore for about seven
miles, but we found we were again de-
ceived. On our way up Mr.. La NJ. sang
these pretty lines.
Cheer up your hearts, my men;
Let nothing fright you;
Be of gallant mind !
Let that delight you.
His voice was hardly above a whisper,
but the song was source of great comfort
to me.
1t had now been four full days since we
ate meal. All we DaQ eaten ln the lnean-
time was frog apiece, four clans, and a
few wild berries, whose acid properties and
bitter taste had probably done US more
harm than good. Our strength was be-
ginning to fail very fast, and our systems
we're evidently about to undergo an cx
change. l did not permit my
self TO think of food-the thought of a
table would have been too
much. thought over all of poor Strains
on the Isthmus of Darien, where
lie, too, was padding raft down an un-
Known stream-but never believed he
:ould stand half the amount of suffering
lie did. Besides, he had means to make :
ire-we had none. /
Well, VIC turned our raft around and
'oled her back toward the place where
We had entered this last lake. We had
,one about a mile when we heard the
ound of gun, quickly followed by sec !
md report. No sound was ever heard so
weet to me as that. We haloed as loud
S we could good many times, but could
ct no response. Wekept our poles going
nd had gone about half mile when /
allied Ma Mountains attention to what 1 t
bought was smoke curling up among c
he trees on the side of hill. My own t
yesight had begun to fail me to an ex- Il
,nt that | could not depend upon il when |