Adventure and adventurers > Away in the wilderness, or, Life among the red Indians and fur-traders of North America

AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS.
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might have been thought, was an effectual check
to them at last. Nothing without wings could
have gone up that waterfall, which filled the woods
with the thunder of its roar ; but the canoe had
no wings, so what was to be done ?
To one ignorant of the customs of that country,
going on would have seemed impossible, but
nothing can stop the advance of a back-woods
voyager. If his canoe won’t carry him, he carries
his canoe ! Jasper and his friends did so on the
present occasion. They had reached what is
called a portage or carrying-place, and there are
hundreds of such places all over Rupert’s Land.
On arriving at the foot of the fall, Heywood set
off at once to a spot from which he could obtain
a good view of it, and sat down to sketch, while
his companions unloaded the canoe and lifted it
out of the water. Then Jasper collected together
as much of the baggage as he could carry, and
clambered up the bank with it, until he reached
the still water at the top of the fall. Here he
laid it down and returned for another load.
Meanwhile Arrowhead lifted the canoe with great
ease, placed it on his shoulders, and bore it to the
same place. When all had been carried up, the
canoe was launched into the quiet water a few
hundred yards above the fall, the baggage was re¬
placed in it, and the travellers were ready to con¬
tinue their voyage. This whole operation is called