Litchfield enquirer., 1881-10-06

itous plnnges and rocky lodges. As we near them the white waves can be seen two miles ahead dashing over the rocks and lodges. About mile ahead and to the right the old Indian pilot can be seen pulling ont from the shore for our steamer His whole life has been spent on the river and he knows all that can be known about the rapids. Government allows no one else to pilot a,gessel down them He receives enormous pay for his services. No white man ever took any kind of craft over them in safety. Last week, four white mem in yacht undertook to run them and were dashed in pieces on the rocks
 We watch the old Indian as he hears us, and performs (what we consider) difficult feat. He heads of our steamer and springs on board with both canoe and steamer in mo- tion. He is greeted with cheers as he takes command at the helm. These he gracefully acknowledges. We had been watching him and had not noticed that we were fast near. ing the first plunge. We enter the narrow rocky pass, and are now in the midst of a foaming, seething mass, with rocks and lodges projecting all about us. We try to watch the situation and the pilot at the same time, each equally interesting in themselves. The ex- citement of the moment can be taken just as well by watching the old Indian, as, at sig nal, he and his three helpers spring to the wheel with all their might and hurl the ves- sel against the foamlng current, tc avoid projecting rock, then instantly hurl it back again to avoid another. The movement at certain points must be instantaneous. The helmsman can calculate that the force of the current one time with another will be about the same. and he can calculate just how much turn of the wheel will swing her in so many seconds, but the force of the wind (which on large vessel is considerable and of course never comes from the same quarter twice with the same velocity), must be left to his swift and unerring judgment. a
 Shooting the rapids of the St., Lawrence can be appreciated only by those who have run rapids in birch canoe. The excitement of watching the old Indian at the wheel is in tense, and his feelings must be identical with those of the canoeist as he passes down strange river and enters rapids, where perhaps there is but one channel just behind this rock, and just grazing that, and a sharp turn be- tween two other ones will allow his boat to pass in safety, and that channel must be de- termined by his own instantaneous judgment. He must be able to judge by the looks of the water just how far beneath t'e surface rock lies. And as he comes out in safety he feels certain pride in that judgment, which spurs him onward to pass other dangers, and he who enjoys canoe can never sight fierce rapids without longing desire to 'run them"' but enough upon this theme. The old pilot brought us out into the smooth waters in safe ty, as he always does. Seven miles of plain sailing carried us under one of the largest and most expensive bridges in the world. The Victoria Bridge, at Montreal, is two miles long and built at an expense of seven million dollars (aud no Tweed Rings in connection with it)
 MONTREAL-''CAMPINGO OUT"
 Our steamer swings into loch in the canal where we had to wait for water to be let in, before we are raised to level with the streets Then we disembarked and went in search of a hotel. We had already been informed that on account of the Montreal Fair the city was filled with thirty five thousand strangers, and that hotel accommodations were like Captain Kldds treasures, much sought for but not often found So, at last. when we discovered that our choice lay between sleeping in the streets or station house, and securing one sol itary room at the Albion hotel, we chose the latter, but had to almost fight to save that one We immediately set about devising ways and means to divide that one room into a suite of rooms to accommodate three hus- bands, three wives and one daughter. We fully realized that necessity is the mother of invention" and consequently had no trouble whatever. We carefully explained to each other that we were camping out in the Adj rondacks and that we would insist upon the comforts, but not the luxuries of civilized lite. A stroll through the hotel at II o'clock found the parlors, corridors. railways and office, filled with sleepers of both sexes. The hotel is rather less than medium in size, but it &C., commodated over 800 guests that night, and every hotel and boarding house in the city was in the same condition. So, as we came. to view the situation later, we gave up the idea that we were camping, regarding our selves as highly privileged individuals, and passed the night in luxurious contentment.
 The next morning, while passing the hotel office from the breakfast table, we discovered the American eagle, stuffed and perched in a prominent position high above the office desk. We suppose the idea of the proprietor was to make his institution appear more homelike 10 his United States guests. This was the first time we had realized that we were in a foreign land, and it almost brought tears from our eyes to gaze at the dear old bird A closer scrutiny. revealed bis antiquity He was evidently one of the Original birds" and dated his birth back towards the Declaration of Independence. He sat there in supreme but neglected majesty,-one eye gone, and the other bulging from its socket. We po- litely informed the proprietor that we were his (the eagle's) loyal subjects, and asked and received permission to rearrange tue .'bird of freedom. With uncovered heads we rev. erently, and with true American patriotism, dusted the old veteran, rearranged his tail feathers, removed the network of cobwebs and dust, an accumulation of years, gently crowded tEe distended eye ball back into it's socket, etc. etc. It was a touching scene, and there those rude Montrealeans stood about and grinned We merely looked severe, and returned to our room.
 Part of our number visited the fair grounds and fenort the disnlav ae ha;nU for cnnor;.,r t,