Volume 1

294 GRANDE TREMBLAIE—MIDDLE RIVER—HAIR HILLS.
Fort Dauphin being strangers, they requested permission
to embark, which was granted. At this time there was
;
no mention of the smallpox, but the first day they embarked
one of the lads complained of being unwell. The people
gave him the loan of a blanket to cover himself with. . .
Having passed through several ugly trembliers, we
came to what is called the Grande Trembliere [Tremblaie],
supposed to be about three leagues in length. Through
this wood the road was horrid—mud and mire up to our
horses' knees, and sometimes to their bellies; in some
places they stuck fast, and obliged us to dismount. What
added to our misery was the great number of trees which
had been blown down, and lay across the track in every
direction. We found ourselves clear when we came to a
dry, sandy soil, where we unsaddled and allowed our horses
two hours to rest.
At four o'clock we crossed Riviere du Milieu.'" Two
very steep hills confine this small river, which comes in
from the N. In going down the first hill, our horses stuck
fast several times, and, in climbing up the other, they could
scarcely support themselves. The path leads up a narrow
ridge, which is
on both sides ;
one
continually crumbling into the valley below
false step would dash us into the trees
at the bottom. From the top we had a delightful view of
the country and of the river which runs near the foot of
those hills, and whose winding course is seen for many miles
E. and W.
The Hair hills here come within about two miles of the
The valley between
river at their most northern extremity.
the river and the hills is delightfully intercepted by patches
of meadow, poplar, and stunted oak
;
and to enliven the
prospect, we had the pleasure of seeing several herds of red
deer. On the N. the view is confined by rising ground,
and the country is
very rough.
'»
Middle r. orcr., called Middle brook by Thompson, who remarks upon
the difficulty he had here on Thursday, March 1st, 1798, when it took him an
hour to get his dog-train up the steep banks.