verdant
banks of Britain's streams, and transporting the beholder from the wild
scenes of the western world to his native home. The trees along its
banks were larger and more varied than any we had hitherto seen--ash,
poplar, cedar, red and white pines, oak, and birch being abundant,
whilst flowers of gaudy hues enhanced the beauty of the scene. Towards
noon our guide kept a sharp lookout for a convenient spot whereon to
dine; and ere long a flat shelving rock, partly shaded by trees and
partly exposed to the blaze of the sun, presented itself to view. The
canoe was soon alongside of it, and kept floating about half a foot from
the edge by means of two branches, the two ends of which were fastened
to the bow and stern of the canoe, and the other two to the ground by
means of huge stones. It is necessary to be thus careful with canoes,
as the gum or pitch with which the seams are plastered breaks off in
lumps, particularly in cold weather, and makes the craft leaky. A
snow-white napkin was spread on the flattest part of the rock, and so
arranged that, as we reclined around it, on cloaks and blankets, our
bodies down to the knees were shaded by the luxuriant foliage behind us,
while our feet were basking in the solar rays! Upon the napkin were
presently placed, by our active waiter Gibault, three pewter plates, a
decanter of port wine, and a large ham, together with a turret of salt
butter, and a loaf of bread, to the demolition of which viands we
devoted ourselves with great earnestness. At a short distance the men
circled round a huge lump of boiled pork, each with a large slice of
bread in one hand and a knife in the other, with which he _porked_ his
bread in the same way that civilised people _butter_ theirs! Half an
hour concluded our mid-day meal; and then, casting off the branches from
the canoe, we were out of sight of our temporary dining-room in five
minutes.

On the evening of the following day we arrived at the Company's post,
Fort Frances. The fort is rather an old building, situated at the
bottom of a small bay or curve in the river, near the foot of a
waterfall, whose thundering roar forms a ceaseless music to the
inhabitants. We found the post in charge of a chief trader, who had no
other society than that of three or four labouring men; so, as may be
supposed, he was delighted to see us. Our men carried the canoe,
etcetera, over the portage to avoid the waterfall, and as it was then
too late