nce we left
Scotland. It was late in the day when the boat got to the end of the
canal; the conductor, who told us to call him Treffle, said we would
wait and have supper before going on the lake. Driftwood was gathered
and fires made, pots and pans being set on stones. The crew fried fat
pork, which, with bread, was their supper. We made porridge, for we had
still a good supply of oatmeal, and of ship-biscuit. The sails were
hoisted and we got away before it was quite dark. The wind was westerly,
so we had to tack. Had it not been that the boat had a centreboard we
would have made small progress. The centreboard was a novelty to us, and
we could see how close it helped the little vessel to sail in the eye of
the wind. The size of the lake surprised everybody and all the more when
Treffle told us it was the St Lawrence. 'My, it is a big river and it is
in a big country!' exclaimed Mrs Auld. Everybody had to sleep as they
best could; some slept sitting, more by leaning against one another,
nobody had room to stretch himself. We were tired and glad to rest in
any way. Mrs Auld said we were like herring in a barrel, packed heads
and thraws. In waking at daylight we heard the sound of water dashing
and roaring, and looking upwards saw the river tumbling downwards in
great waves, which were, for all the world, like those of the Atlantic
in a gale, except that they stayed in the same place. Treffle said these
waves were due to the rushing water striking big rocks in the bed of the
river, over which they kept pouring, and gave the name Cascades to the
rapid. The boat was tied up, as the crew were to have breakfast before
their hard work in making a passage past the rapids. I went with the
mistress to a house that was not far away for milk. A smiling woman met
us at the door and asked us inside; the house was clean and neat. We
tried to make her understand what we wanted but failed until I put the
pail between my knees and imitated milking a cow. She laughed heartily
and by signs made us know she did not have a cow. Stepping to the
fireplace she dipped a tin into a big pot that simmered in a corner and
handed it to the mistress. It was soup. Holding out some money, she made
signs to fill the pail. Having done so she picked out five coppers from
the money offered, and bade good-by with many a smile and nod. The soup
proved to be fine, just one drawback, its flavor of garlic. 'They use no
split peas to make their pea-soup here,' re