we travelled through a number of small
swamps or reedy lakes, and stagnant rivers, among which I got so
bewildered that I gave up the attempt to chronicle their names as
hopeless; and indeed it was scarcely worth while, as they were so small
and overgrown with bulrushes that they were no more worthy of a name in
such a place as America than a _dub_ would be in Scotland. The weather
was delightfully cool, and mosquitoes not troublesome, so that we
proceeded with pleasure and rapidity.

While thus threading our way through narrow channels and passages, upon
turning a point we met three light canoes just on the point of putting
ashore for breakfast, so I told my Indians to run ashore near them. As
we approached, I saw that there were five gentlemen assembled, with whom
I was acquainted, so that I was rather anxious to get ashore; but, alas!
fortune had determined to play me a scurvy trick, for no sooner had my
foot touched the slippery stone on which I intended to land, than down I
came squash on my breast in a most humiliating manner, while my legs
kept playfully waving about in the cooling element. This unfortunate
accident, I saw, occasioned a strange elongation in the lateral
dimensions of the mouths of the party on shore, who stood in silence
admiring the scene. I knew, however, that to appear annoyed would only
make matters worse; so, with a desperate effort to appear at ease, I
rose, and while shaking hands with them, expressed my belief that there
was nothing so conducive to health as a cold bath in the morning. After
a laugh at my expense, we sat down to breakfast. One of the gentlemen
gave me a letter from the Governor, and I now learned, for the first
time, that I was to take a passage in one of the light canoes for
Montreal. Here, then, was a termination to my imaginary rambles on the
Rocky Mountains, or on the undulating prairies of the Saskatchewan; and
instead of massacring buffalo and deer in the bush, I was in a short
time to endeavour to render myself a respectable member of civilised
society. I was delighted with the idea of the change, however, and it
was with a firmer step and lighter heart that I took my leave and once
more stepped into the canoe.

After passing through a succession of swamps and narrow channels, we
arrived at Robinson's Portage, where we found _voyageurs_ running about
in all directions, some with goods on their backs, and others returning
light to the other end of the porta