Year: 1859

make ascenslons.


To the southeast, then, we started.
After travelling abont mile and ahalf,
we came to the bank of creek, flow
ing down from the westward. At this
point, we were agreeably surprised that
some human being had been there be-
fore US, for we found several small trees
cut down, the Goals from an old fire,
and half barrel, which had contained
pork. eagerly examined the stamp.
1t read "Mess Pork.


p. NJ,


Montreal"


This settled the question that we
were in Canada, for very well knew
that no Montreal inspection of pork
ever found its way into the interior of
New York State. We travelled all day
Friday up the unknown creek, which
kept its general course to the south of
west-crossing it about noon on float
ing log, and striking, on its southern
bank, "blazed track, which led us up
to deserted timber road, lying on the
opposite side from a large numbering
shanty. We hoped one of the lumber
roads might take us out to settlement
but, after travelling up them all until
they terminated in the wilderness, we
we concluded te cross the creek
to the shantY, and stay in it all
night. LaMountain got across safely.
But my weight was greater than his,
and the raft let me into the stream. l
sank in all over, and swan out, though
it required all my strength to do so,
and on reaching the bank / found N.Y.
self SO chilled as scarcely to be able to
stand. / took off my clothes, wrung
and we proceeded to the shanty, where
we found plenty of refuse straw, but it
was dry and under pile We crawled-
pulling it over our heads and faces, in
the hope that our breath might aid in
warming our bodies. think the most
revengeful stony heart would have
pitied our condition then. The weary
hours of night at last wore away, and
we held a new council. 1t was evident
We reasoned, that the creek we were
upon was used for "driving" logs in the
spring season. If, then, we followed
it to its confluence with the Ottawa or
some stream which emitted into the OF
tawa we would in time get out the same
way the timber went out The roof of
the shanty was covered with the halves
of logs, scooped out in manner famil-
lar to all woodman. These were light
and dry, and would form an excellent
raft. Why not, then, take four of
these, tie them to cross pieces by
wythes and such odd things as we could
find around the shanty, and pole the
structure down to that civilization which
saw log ought to be able to reach.
Such was the course we adopted. We
dragged the logs down to the creek,
and LaMountain tied them together, as
he was evidently moro of a sailor than
myself. We got under way, and as We
pushed off crow set dismal cav
ing-an inauspicious sign, and ominous
of the great trials and suffering in store
for us. We polled down the stream
about ten miles, and came abruptly up
on an immense pine tree which had
fallen across the stream, completely
blocking up the passage of tho raft
No other alternative was left but to un.
tie the pieces, AMI attempt to push them
through under the log. This we atlast
did; tied the raft together again, ana
poled her down the stream. To-day
we ate each araw frog, all we could fine
and began to feel that we were hungry
But there was no complaining -oul
talk was of the hopeful future, and the
civilization we hoped yet to reach
! Down the creek we went into Lake
some two miles long, and into which
we, of course, supposed the stream
passed, having its outlet at the lowel
end. We followed down the northern
bank, keeping always in shallow spots
so that our poles could touch the bot
tom, until we arrived at the bottom o
J the lake, where we found no outlet, anc
turned back upon the southern bank il
quest of it. On nreaching the head o
the lake we found that the current o
the creek turned abruptly to the right
: which was the reason of our losing it
!, We felt happy to have found it agail
and piled our poles like heroes. w.
/ passed, during the day, the spot wher,
we had first struck the creek, ant
where we had made slight land


mark which might afterwards aid u
r in finding the Atlantic, should we eve
! wish to do SO in order to get her out
| At night we did nos stop, but kept tn
? raft going down through the shades o


awful forests, whose solemn stilInes
seemed to hold the unrevealed myster,
of our darkening future About tel
, o'clock it began to rain again. w
t stopped the "vessel," and crawled il
. under some "tagn alders on the bank
t where our extreme WEAKNESS enable u
: to get, perhaps, half an hours sleeE
8 Rising again, (for it was easier to pol
: at night in the rain down an unknown
: stream, than to lie on the ground an
freeze) we pressed on for couple c
e hours, until about 3 o'clock, when pur
: exaustion induced US to stop agar
q This time we found a spot where tn
e clay bank lacked a little of comm


down to the water. On the mud W
e threw our little bundle of straw, an
r sat down with ourfeet drawn up unde
o US, 80 that our bent bodies presente
!, as httle surface as possible for the raj