The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-10-20

found unmistakable evidence of lum-
bermen, as they had evidently camped
at this point, to be handy by in the at
tempts they were doubtless obliged to
make to get the timber down the canon.
The rapids were about a third of a
mile long, and in all the rapids of the
Black River there is nothing so wild
and romantic as these. Wedescended
the bank, and thought it best to try our
luck on foot. After travelling about a
mile, we found the banks so tangled
and rugged, and ourselves so much ex-
hausted, that locomotion was impossi-
BILE. So We concluded to go back, and
if we could get the raft down piece
at time, we would 60 on with her-if
not, we would build as good place as
possible to crawl into, and prepare for
death. M -a0 1eif~t eo
We went back, and after examining
the stream attentively, concluded to try
to get the raft down. We at once
commenced, and I freely confess this
the most trying and laborious work of
a life of labor. The pieces would not
go 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 along to the next obstruction.
We were obliged to get into the stream
often up to the middle, and there l sew
eral times fell headlong-completely
using up our compass, which now fran
tically pointed in any direction its ad-
died head thought desirable. The
water had unglued the case and it was
ruined. After long hours of such labor
we got the raft down and La NJ. again
tied it together. Passing on, in about
an hour we came to a large lake-ten
eslong and six miles broad. Around
it we must of course pass until we
should find the outlet. SO we tnrned
up to the right and pressed on with as
much resolution as could be expected.
To-day we found one clam, which 1 in
sisted LaMountain should eat, as he
was weaker than myself, and had ate
little or nothing on the day we went
up. Around we went, into all the in
dentations of the shore, keeping always
in shallow water. At last We stopped
at place we thought least exposed to
the wind. We laid down upon the
cold ground, having lifted up the end of
the raft SO that the wind might not drift
it away, in the night We were cold
when we laid down, and both of us
trcmblcd by the hour like men suffer
ing from severe attack of the ague
The wind had risen just at night,
and the dismal surging of the waves
upon the shore, formed, l thought, a
fitting lullaby to slumbers so disturbed
and dismal as ours. By this time our
clothes were nearly torn off. My pan
falcons were slit up both legs and the
Wristbands nearly torn off, My boots
both leaked, and our mighty wrestlings
in the canon had torn the skin from
ankles and hands. LaMountain's hat
was gone, the first day out he had
thrown away his wooden drawers and
stockings, as they dragged him down
by the weight of water they absorbed
We slept but little. 1t really seemed
as though, during that night, we passed
through the horrors of dozen deaths
At daylight we got up, by Degrees
first OH one knee and then ON the othe,
so stiff and weak that we could hard
ly stand.
Again upon the almost endless Lake
we went-following round its shore fol
an outlet. About 10 o'clock we found
broad, northern stream, which We
thought was tho outlet we were seeking
and we entered it with great Joy, be
lieving it would take US to our lons
sought Ottawa. Shortly after entering
the stream it widened out and assumed
the form Of lake. We poled up th'
western shore for about I miles, bu
found we were again deceived. o.
our way up Mr.. La NJ. sang thes,
pretty lines:
! s'Cheer up your hearts, my men,
/ 81 Let nothing fright you, r I 7a
i Be of gallant mind
! Let that delight YOU"
His voice was hardly above whis
per, but the song was course of grea
comfort to me- His, indeed, was
"gallant mind" which the extraordin
ary hardships and dangers of our posi-
ton had not daunted. But when w
found that all the weary miles of ou
morning travel had been in vain, an,
) had to be retraced, my resolution Ger
tainly failed me for moment, and
sat down upon my end of the raft, AM
: felt like shedding tear of genuin
regret. Yet we felt that our duty, as
Christian men, was to press on as Ion,
as we could stand, and leave the issu
with God.
1t had now been four days since w
ate meal. All we had to eat in tn
meantime was one frog apiece, fou
CLAIMS and few wild berries, who's
acid properties and bitter taste ha'
probably done us more harm than good
Our strength was beginning to fail YER
f fast, and our systems were eyidentl
, about to undergo an extraordinar
change. / did not permit myself
, think of food-the though of a we
, covered table would have been to
) much. l thought over all of poo
| Stain suherings on the Isthmus of Da
r rien, where he, too, was padding a raj
down an unknown stream-but neye
/, believed we could stand halfthe amour
"