the　great　Southern　Sea。　　In　St。　Louis　County；　Minnesota；　the　water　from　〃Seven　Beaver　Lakes〃　flows　south…southwest；
  and　joins　the　Flood…Wood　River；　there　taking　an　easterly　course　towards　Duluth；　it　empties　into　Lake　Superior。　　This　is　the　St。　Louis　River；　the　first　tributary　of　the　mighty　St。　Lawrence　system。　　From　the　head　waters　of　the　St。　Louis　to　the　mouth　of　the　St。　Lawrence　at　Bic　Islands；　where　it　enters　the　great　estuary；　the　length　of　this　great　water　system；　including　the　great　Lakes；　is　about　two　thousand　miles。　The　area　thus　drained　by　the　St。　Lawrence　River　is　nearly　six　millions　of　square　miles。　　The　largest　craft　can　ascend　it　to　Quebec；　and　smaller　ones　to　　Montreal；　above　which　city；　navigation　being　　impeded　by　rapids；　the　seven　canals　before　　mentioned　have　been　constructed　that　vessels　may　avoid　this　danger　while　voyaging　to　Lake　Ontario。
  The　southern　and　shorter　coast　route　to　the　gulf　leaves　the　great　river　at　the　Acadian　town　of　Sorel；　where　the　quiet　Richelieu　flows　into　the　St。　Lawrence　River。　　Of　the　two　long　routes　offered　me　I　selected　the　southern；　leaving　the　other　to　be　traversed　at　some　future　time。　　To　follow　the　contours　of　rivers；　bays；　and　sounds；　a　voyage　of　at　least　twenty…five　hundred　miles　was　before　me。　　It　was　my　intention　to　explore　the　connecting　watercourses　southward；　without　making　a　single　portage；　as　far　as　Cape　　Henlopen；　a　sandy　headland　at　the　entrance　of　　Delaware　Bay；　there；　by　making　short　portages　from　one　watercourse　to　another；　to　navigate　along　the　interior　of　the　Atlantic　coast　to　the　St。　Mary's　River；　which　is　a　dividing　line　between　Georgia　and　Florida。　　From　the　Atlantic　coast　of　　southern　Georgia；　I　proposed　to　cross　the　peninsula　of　Florida　by　way　of　the　St。　Mary's　River；　to　Okefenokee　Swamp；　thence；　by　portage；　to　the　Suwanee　River；　and　by　descending　that　stream　（the　boundary　line　of　a　geographical　division　　eastern　and　middle　Florida）；　to　reach　the　coast　of　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　which　was　to　be　the　　terminal　point　of　my　canoe　journey。　　Charts；　maps　and　sea…faring　men　had　informed　me　that　about　twenty…three　hundred　miles　of　the　trip　could　be　made　upon　land…locked　waters；　but　about　two　hundred　miles　of　voyaging　must　be　done　upon　the　open　Atlantic　Ocean。
  As　I　now　write；　I　smilingly　remember　how　erroneous　were　my　advisers；　for；　while　　prosecuting　my　voyage；　I　was　but　once　upon　the　open　sea　and　then　through　mistake　and　for　only　a　few　minutes。　　Had　I　then　known　that　I　could　have　followed　the　whole　route　in　a　small　boat　upon　strictly　interior　waters；　I　should　have　　paddled　from　the　Basin　of　Quebec　in　the　light　paper　canoe　which　I　afterwards　adopted　at　Troy；　and　which　carried　me　alone　in　safety　two　　thousand　miles　to　the　warm　regions　of　the　Gulf　of　Mexico。　　The　counsels　of　old　seamen　had　　influenced　me　to　adopt　a　large　wooden　clinker…built；　decked　canoe；　eighteen　feet　long；　forty…five　inches　beam；　and　twenty…four　inches　depth　of　hold；　which　weighed；　with　oars；　rudder；　mast　and　sail；　above　three　hundred　pounds。　The　Mayeta　was　built　by　an　excellent　workman；　Mr。　J。　S。　　Lamson；　at　Bordentown；　New　Jersey。　　The　boat　was　sharp　at　each　end；　and　the　lines　from　amidships　to　stem；　and　from　amidships　to　stempost；　were　alike。　　She　possessed　that　essential　characteristic　of　seaworthiness；　abundant　sheer。　The　deck　was　pierced　for　a　cockpit　in　the　centre；　which　was　six　feet　long　and　surrounded　by　a　high　combing　to　keep　out　water。　The　builder　had　done　his　best　to　make　the　Mayeta　serve　for　rowing　and　sailing　　a　most　difficult　combination；　and　one　not　usually　successful。
  On　the　morning　of　July　4；　1874；　I　entered　the　Basin　of　Quebec　with　my　wooden　canoe　and　my　waterman；　one　David　Bodfish；　a　　〃shoreman〃　of　New　Jersey。　　After　weeks　of　　preparation　and　weary　travel　by　rail　and　by　water；　we　had　steamed　up　the　Gulf　and　the　River　of　St。　Lawrence　to　this　our　most　northern　point　of　departure。　　We　viewed　the　frowning　heights　upon　which　was　perched　the　city　of　Quebec　with　unalloyed　pleasure；　and　eagerly　scrambled　up　the　high　banks　to　see　the　interesting　old　city。　The　tide；　which　rises　at　the　city　piers　eighteen　feet　in　the　spring；　during　the　neaps　reaches　only　thirteen　feet。　　Late　in　the　afternoon　the　　incoming　tide　promised　to　assist　us　in　ascending　the　river；　the　downward　current　of　which　runs　with　torrent…like　velocity；　and　with　a　depth　abreast　the　city　of　from　sixteen　to　twenty　fathoms。　Against　this　current　powerful　steamers　run　one　hundred　and　eighty　miles　up　the　river　to　　Montreal　in　eighteen　hours；　and　descend　in　fourteen　hours；　including　two　hours'　stoppages　at　Sorel　and　Three　Rivers。　　At　six　o'clock　P。　M。　we　pushed　off　into　the　river；　which　is　about　　two…thirds　of　a　mile　wide　at　this　point；　and　　commenced　our　voyage；　but　fierce　gusts　of　wind　arose　and　drove　us　to　the　shelter　of　Mr。　　Hamilton's　lumber…yard　on　the　opposite　shore；　where　we　passed　the　night；　sleeping　comfortably　upon　cushions　which　we　spread　on　the　narrow　floor　of　the　boat。　　Sunday　was　to　be　spent　in　camp；　but　when　dawn　appeared　we　were　not　allowed　build　a　fire　on　the　lumber　pier；　and　were　forced　to　ascend　the　St。　Lawrence　in　quest　of　a　retired　spot　above　the　landing　of　St。　Croix；　on　the　right　bank　of　the　river。　　The　tide　had　been　a　high　one　when　we　beached　our　boat　at　the　foot　of　a　bluff。　　Two　hours　later　the　receding　tide　left　us　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　current。　The　river　was　fully　two　miles　wide　at　this　point；　and　so　powerful　was　its　current　that　steamers　anchored　in　it　were　obliged　to　keep　their　wheels　slowly　revolving　to　ease　the　strain　on　their　anchors。　Early　on　Monday　morning　we　beheld　with　consternation　that　the　tide　did　not　reach　our　boat；　and　by　dint　of　hard　labor　we　　constructed　a　railroad　from　a　neighboring　fence；　and　moved　the　Mayeta　on　rollers　upon　it　over　the　mud　and　the　projecting　reef　of　rocks　some　five　hundred　feet　to　the　water；　then　embarking；　rowed　close　along　the　shore　to　avoid　the　current。　A　deep　fog　settled　down　upon　us；　and　we　were　driven　to　camp　again　on　the　left　bank；　where　a　cataract　tumbled　over　the　rocks　fifty　or　more　feet。　　Tuesday　was　a　sunny　day；　but　the　usual　head　wind　greeted　us。　　The　water　would　rise　along…shore　on　the　flood　three　hours　before　the　downward　current　was　checked　in　the　channel　of　the　river。　　We　could　not　place　any　　dependence　in　the　regularity　of　the　tides；　as　strong　winds　and　freshets　in　the　tributaries　influence　them。　　Earlier　in　the　season；　as　a　writer　　remarks；　〃until　the　upland　waters　have　all　run　down；　and　the　great　rivers　have　discharged　the　freshets　caused　by　thawing　of　the　snows　in　the　spring　of　the　year；　this　current；　in　spite　of　tides；　will　always　run　down。〃　To　the　uninitiated　the　spectacle　is　a　curious　one；　of　the　flood　tide　rising　and　swelling　the　waters　of　a　great　river　some　eight　to　ten　feet；　while　the　current　at　the　surface　is　rapidly　descending　the　course　of　the　stream。
  Finding　that　the　wind　usually　rose　and　fell　with　the　sun；　we　now　made　it　a　rule　to　anchor　our　boat　during　most　of　the　day　and　pull　against　the　current　at　night。　　The　moon　and　the　bright　auroral　lights　made　this　task　an　agreeable　one。　Then；　too；　we　had　Coggia's　comet　speeding　through　the　northern　heavens；　awakening　many　an　odd　conjecture　in　the　mind　of　my　old　salt。
  In　this　high　latitude　day　dawned　before　three　o'clock；　and　the　twilight　lingered　so　long　that　we　could　read　the　fine　print　of　a　newspaper　without　effort　at　a　quarter　to　nine　o'clock　P。　M。　The　lofty　shores　that　surrounded　us　at　Quebec　gradually　decreased　in　elevation；　and　the　tides　affected　the　river　less　and　less　as　we　approached　Three　Rivers；　where　they　seemed　to　cease　　altogether。　　We　reached　the　great　lumber　station　of　Three　Rivers；　which　is　located　on　the　left　bank　of　the　St。　Lawrence；　on　Friday　evening；　and　moved　our　canoe　into　quiet　waters　near　the　entrance　of　Lake　of　St。　Peter。　　Rain　squalls　kept　us　close　under　our　hatch…cloth　till　eleven　o'clock　A。　M。　on　Saturday；　when；　the　wind　being　fair；　we　determined　to　make　an　attempt　to　reach　Sorel；　which　would　afford　us　a　pleasant　　camping…ground　for　Sunday。
  Lake　of　St。　Peter　is　a　shoal　sheet　of　water　twenty…two　miles　long　and　nearly　eight　miles　wide；　a　bad　place　to　cross　in　a　small　boat　in　windy　weather。　　We　set　our　sail　and　sped　　merrily　on；　but　the　tempest　pressed　us　sorely；　　compelling　us　to　take　in　our　sail　and　scud　under　bare　poles　until　one　o'clock；　when　we　　double…reefed　and　set　the　sail。　　We　now　flew　over　the　short　and　swashy　seas　as　blast　after　blast　struck　our　little　craft。　At　three　o'clock　the　wind　　slackened；　permitting　us　to　shake　out　our　reefs　and　crowd　on　all　sail。　　A　labyrinth　of　islands　closed　the　lake　at　its　western　end；　and　we　looked　with　anxiety　to　find　among　them　an　opening　through　which　we　might　pass　into　the　river　St。　　Lawrence　again。　　At　five　o'clock　the　wind　veered　to　the　north；　with　squalls　increasing　in　intensity。　We　steered　for　a　low；　grassy　island；　which　seemed　to　separate　us　from　the　river。　The　wind　was　not　free　enough　to　permit　us　to　weather　it；　so　we　decided　to　beach　the　boat　and　escape　the　furious　tempest。　But　when　we　struck　the　marshy　island　we　kept　moving　on　through　the　rushes　that　covered　it；　and　fairly　sailed　over　its　　submerged　soil　into　the　broad　water　on　the　other　side。　　Bodfish　earnestly　advised　the　propriety　of　anchoring　here　for　the