xlviii A GENERAL HISTORY
and the middle-men obey both; the'latter earn, only two-thirds of die
wages which are paid the two former. Independent of thefe a conductor
or pilot is appointed to every, four or fix of thefe canoes, whom they
aré all obliged to obey; and is, or at leaft is intended to be; a perform
o f fuperior experience, for which he is proportionably paid.
In thefe canoes, thus, loaded, they embark at the North .fide o f the
portage, on the river Au Tourt, which is very incqq^dfigble; fand
after about two miles of a Weftèrly courfe, is obftru&edl by :tbe _
tridge Portage, fix hundred paces long. In the fpring thiynakHa: egi$f I
fiderable fall^ when the water-is high, over a perpendicular rpcki?@Xon?
hundred and twenty feet,j From thence the river contjnqgs tobe sQrab
low, and requires great care to prevent the bottom of the canpe frprn^
being injured by (harp rocks, for a diftance of three n^les and an half to (
the Priarie, or Meadow, when half the lading is taken out, and^carried
by part of the crew, while two of them are conducing t^e.^anoe among
the rocks, with the remainder, to the Carreboeuf Portage, threg,,mijgs
and an half more, when they unload and corne back two Und
embark what was left for the other hands to carry, which they glf^
land with the former; all .of which is carried fix hundred an$ eighty
paces, and the canoe led up againft the rapid., Fr.ong hence, the ^a|g]^is
better calculated to carry canoes, and leads by a winding, courfe to the
North of Weft three miles to the Outard Portage, over which t^egange,
and every thing in her, is carried for two thoufand four hundred pae^.
A t the.further..end is a,very high hill to defcend, over which hangs a
rock upwards of feven hundred feet high. Then fucceeds the Outard
Lake, about fix miles long, lying in a North-Weft courfe, arid about twp
miles
mifes:wideih the brbadeft.part.. After paffieg a very final! rivulet, they
comeito the Elk Portage, ov'er, ..which the; canoe;and; lading are again carried
one thoufand one hundredand,twenty-paces; -when they enter the lake
pf the fame name,which is an handfo me piece ofwater, runningNorth-Weft
ab out fou r.' miles, 1 a?nd: nofiomore than; One; mile and an. half wide®. They
then, land at the ^Portage de Qerife„, over which, and in the face of a oori-
fiderable hill, the canoe and cargo arfe again tranfported. for one" tliou-
iand arid fifty, paces* :This; is only feparated from the fecond Portage
de :C,erife,.;:by ...a .mud-pond' \{where! there is'plenty o f water;-lilies^ o f a
quarterlgf % p ^ jn 4 gngth; and t^isi^Uggin feparalM'by,a fimilar pond,
frpm Jhe .duftl Pc^tgggd€ jperife, which is four hundred and ten payees.
Here' the famqjoperatHJn^ to;bg performed for three hundred jand eighty
paces. ..jjThey next enter -op the Mountain Lake, running North-Weft
eft'^X ruilgs long, fapd -abggf ;t^q |pilps< in jits; greateft.rbreUdth. In
the Cent-Ee of this lake,'and;tQ;thg right i^ $he Old, Road, by -which I
payer pafifed but an adequate notion, maybe formed .of ;it Jrgxn, the
rgad I am going to delcribe, and which is univerfally preferred. This is
firft, 'the'fmall newvp6rtage over which'every thing is carried for fix
hundred and twenty dix. paces, over hills and gullies; the whole is then
emharke4 onp. narrow line^qf.wptpr, th^tmeanjdqr^ South-Weft about two
m^^an^.pq ^1£. It is necefiary to unload here, for the length mf
;capo£, aagd .thpn prqcge.^. Weft- half m upleir to the ;new; Grande Pgrtage,
rough
ground, which reqppjes. the titmoft exertions of the mprvand frequently
lamf from t e e .fhej? approach .the |Rofe Lake, the ponagppf
* Here is a moft excellent fifheiy f©r white fift, vrfSsh-a^eMfuifite,
g g 1 that
m