*793*
June.
who was not fufficientfy aöive, was left to get on fhore in the bed manner
in his power. We had hardly regainedOOtRi&tdatioiis when w-U
drove againft a rock which fhattered the ftern Of-the canoe in inch a
manner; that it held only by the gunwales, fo. that thé :ft|erh»ap ee»ld
no longer keep his place* The violence of thisdlroke drove us; to the
oppofite fide of the river, which is but narrow, when the how met with
the fame fate, as-the ten .- : At thismoment the foreman feized; on Joihi
branches o f a fmall tree in the hope of bringing up the canoe, buf fuch:
was their elafticity that, in a manner not eafiiy defcrlbed; :he was jerked
on fhore in an inftant, and with a degree o f violence that .threatened hi$
deftrufiion; But wë had no time to tumfrom our ©wufituation toincppe
what had befallen him; for, in a few moments, we came acrofs ajeafcado
which broke feveral large holes in the bottom o f the canoe* and darted
all .the bars, except one behind the fcooping feat, If this accident, however,
had not happened^ the veffel muft have been ? kretrieval^.
The wreck becoming flat on the water, We «11- jumped 'Od&^bije,
tteerfman; who had been compelled’ to abandon his place, and had $$1
recovered from his fright, called out to his companiOns t-o fa/ve tfemfelVes,
My peremptory commands feperfeded the cffeSs of his feari; and they all
held fall to the. wrecks to-wfii«h.fi>rtonate--te&4utióff'V^'i»,«^,.èx|iP..fef^l'*;
as we fhould otherwife have been dafhed againft the reteks: fey tjxéiforcé?
o f the water^ or driven .-over the „cafe^des. J» this Gonditfeit1; were’
forced feveral hundred yards, and every yard os the: veuge o f defeuélion ;
but, at length, we mod fortunately arrived? *« fhalfow water and a final!
eddy, where we wemenatbled to make a ttand; from thé weight of thecanoe
retting on the ftones, rather than from* any exertions.'of our exhaufted:
ftrength. For though our efforts were fhort, they were pufhed to.the
utmoft,
utmoff, ds life or deathidependedilon them; This; salarming feene, with
all"its terrors and dangers,;occupied only a few minutes; and, in the pre-
fent fufpenfion :©f-itpwe called to the people on fhore to come to our
affiftance, and thfey immediately1 obeyed the fummons. The foreman,
however, was the fuff with us; he had efcaped unhuit from the extraordinary:
Jerk with which he was- thrown out- of the boat, and juft as we
were beginning to take our efMlstout ofthe water,: he; appeared, to give his
affiftance. The Indians, when they faw sour deplorable Gtuation, inftead
ta^ndp-usi-rfafr down and gave vent to their
Mars. I was on the ou t fide of the canpe;wberel remained till every
thing was got on There, in a ftate of great pain from the extreme cold of
the water ; fo that at'length, it was with difficulty I could Hand, from
the "benumbed ftate of my limbs.
APhflois'was cbofiderable and ifepprmm, for'it confrfted ©f oar whole
ftdek of balls,' and' feme o f our furniture ; but thefe confiderations were
forgotten in the impreflions: of our miraculous efcapeu Our firft inquiry
v^s after the’abfent man, whom in the firft moment of danger, we had left
fo g dl ©n fhobe, and in a fhait time bis appearance remoldi©ur anxiety.
We had, however, fuftained no perfonal injury,of confcquenee, and my
braifes feemed to be in the greater proportion.
All. the different articles Were now fpread out to dry. The powder
had Fortunately received no damage; and allmyinftr uments had efcaped.
Indeed, when my people began to. ifocoverifrom their alarm, and to enjoy
afenfe of fafety,: fome o f them, if not ail,; wereby no means forry for
F f 2 our