les. However, we landed safely at the head
of the rapids, and upon going ashore to drain the canoes, partook of a
refreshing snack of tea and bannock. Then to the canoes again. The
aspect of the river was now very beautiful, beautiful enough to ponder
over and to dream, so we took it easy. While pipes were going we
gazed, in peace and restfulness, at the reflections, for they were
wonderful.

After dinner we encountered another rapid, but though it was much
shorter than the former, the current ran too strong to attempt the
ascent with the aid of only paddles or poles. The northern tripper has
the choice between five methods of circumventing "white waters," and
his selection depends upon the strength of the current: first,
paddling; second, poling; third, wading; fourth, tracking; and fifth,
portaging. You are already familiar with the method of paddling, and
also with that of portaging, and a description of poling will shortly
follow. Wading is resorted to only when the trippers, unprovided with
poles, have been defeated in their effort to ascend with no other aid
than their paddles. Then they leap overboard and seizing hold of the
gunwales drag the craft up the rapids before it can be overcome by the
turbulent water, and either driven down stream or capsized. Again,
when the trippers encounter, in shallow water, such obstacles as jammed
timbers, wading allows them carefully to ease their craft around or
over the obstruction.

When tracking their six-fathom canoes, or "York boats," or "sturgeon
scows," the voyageurs of the north brigades use very long lines, one
end of which is attached to the bow of the craft while to the other end
is secured a leather harness of breast straps called _otapanapi_ into
which each hauler adjusts himself. Thus, while the majority of the
crew land upon the shore and, so harnessed, walk off briskly in single
file along the river bank, their mates aboard endeavour, with the aid
of either paddles, sweeps, or poles, to keep the craft in a safe
channel.

In the present instance we had to resort to tracking, but it was of a
light character, for the canoes were not too heavily loaded, nor was
the current too strong for us to make fair headway along the rough,
pathless bank of the wild little stream. In each canoe one person
remained aboard to hold the bow off shore with a paddle or pole, while
the others scrambled along the river bank, either to help haul upon a
line, or, in the cas