through dense forests, swamps, and creeks; scale the rocky precipice,
or launch the light bark-canoe on some far distant lake. We travel the
same route twenty-five years afterwards, and the forests have bowed
their lofty heads--the swamps are drained--the rivers bridged, and the
steamer ploughs the inland wave, where shortly before glided the canoe
of the hunter. Such is no over-coloured picture. I have seen it in my
day realized many a time. The Huron tract, and the county of
Peterborough, are the proofs of my assertion; and various other
settlements I could name, would equally bear me out.

But to return to our expedition--or as I might with greater truth say--
our _pic-nic_, for we did little else than paddle up and down the
creek, ramble about the falls, and eat and drink whenever we felt
inclined. In this manner we spent the first day; till the coming night,
and the distant growl of the thunder, warned us to prepare for our
night-bivouac.

One of our party, Mr. Brewster--the professor, as we generally called
him--from the circumstance of his being a near relation of Sir David
Brewster, the talented author of "Natural Magic," had a small tent-
cloth with him, but not sufficiently large for the whole party. It was,
therefore, determined that four of us should sleep under the canoe, and
the remaining five under the tent. Quite a contention now arose between
us, as to who should be the favoured possessors of the tent.

Not liking the appearance of the weather, I resigned any pretensions I
might have had to the canvas, knowing the canoe was, from its length
and size, capable of effectually sheltering four persons. We,
accordingly, turned the canoe bottom upwards, and raised one side of it
sufficiently high to allow us to creep under. To keep it in that