oyageur's life; men whose heads were
cool, and eyes sharp, and hands ready and powerful, in the mad whirl of
boiling rapids, in the sudden attack of wild beast and hostile man, or
in the unexpected approach of any danger; men who, having been well
tried, needed not to boast, and who, having carried off triumphantly
their respective brides many years ago, needed not to decorate their
persons with the absurd finery that characterised their younger
brethren. They were comparatively few in number, but they composed a
sterling band, of which every man was a hero. Among them were those who
occupied the high positions of bowman and steersman, and when we tell
the reader that on these two men frequently hangs the safety of a boat,
with all its crew and lading, it will be easily understood how needful
it is that they should be men of iron nerve and strength of mind.

Boat-travelling in those regions is conducted in a way that would
astonish most people who dwell in the civilised quarters of the globe.
The country being intersected in all directions by great lakes and
rivers, these have been adopted as the most convenient highways along
which to convey the supplies and bring back the furs from outposts.
Rivers in America, however, as in other parts of the world, are
distinguished by sudden ebullitions and turbulent points of character,
in the shape of rapids, falls, and cataracts, up and down which neither
men nor boats can by any possibility go with impunity; consequently, on
arriving at such obstructions, the cargoes are carried overland to
navigable water above or below the falls (as the case may be), then the
boats are dragged over and launched, again reloaded, and the travellers
proceed. This operation is called "making a portage;" and as these
portages vary from twelve yards to twelve miles in length, it may be
readily conceived that a voyageur's life is not an easy one by any
means.

This, however, is only one of his difficulties. Rapids occur which are
not so dangerous as to make a "portage" necessary, but are sufficiently
turbulent to render the descent of them perilous. In such cases, the
boats, being lightened of part of their cargo, are ran down, and
frequently they descend with full cargoes and crews. It is then that
the whole management of each boat devolves upon its bowman and
steersman. The rest of the crew, or _middlemen_ as they are called,
merely sit still and look on, or give a stroke with their oars i