BOURGEOIS - Toronto Public Library

100 LES BOURGEOIS DE LA
Comme il importait de creer une bonne et durable
impression et ne pas" faire pitie", tous se couvrirent de
leurs meilleurs vetements.
This morning ow' men pu,t on their bf.st clothes. Our
two Indians having on7y Ct beaver rone and an or1'gnal
skin, 1 gave them each a blanket and a braillet so that we
might appear to more advantage to the eyes of the new
Indians we were to meet at the Rapide Cmwf!!t. At 7 A. M.
our arms and eve1'ything bei'ftg in due order, we embar/(ed
and in a few hou,rs we were at our distination.
Here the channel contracts to about forty yards and is
enclosed by two precipices of immense height which, bend·
ing towards each othe1' made it narrower above tllan below,
The wafer which rolls down the extraordinary passage in
twnultuous waves and with great velocity, had a frightful
appearance. However, it being absolutely impos8ible to
carry canoes by 7and, all hands, with01d hesitation,
embarked as it we1'e " a corps perdu" 'Upon the mercy of
this awful tide. Once engaged, the die was cast! !
Our great difficulty was keeping the canoes within the
fil d' eau, that i8 clear of the precipices on one side and
from the gulfs formed by the waves on the other. Thus
skimmiug alollg ({8 fast as Ughtning, the crews calm and
detfJrmined followed each other in awful8ilence, and wheJn
we arrived at the encl, we sio'od gazing at each other in
silent congratulation at our narrow escape from total des·
tnwtioll.