第 5 节
作者:垃圾王      更新:2021-04-30 16:11      字数:9322
  he broad water on the other side。  Bodfish earnestly advised the propriety of anchoring here for the night; saying; 〃It is too rough to go on;〃 but the temptation held out by the proximity to Sorel determined me to take the risk and drive on。  Again we bounded out upon rough water; with the screeching  tempest upon us。  David took the tiller; while I sat upon the weather…rail to steady the boat。  The Mayeta was now to be put to a severe test; she was to cross seas that could easily trip a boat of her size; but the wooden canoe was worthy of her builder; and flew like an affrighted bird over the foaming waves across the broad water; to the shelter of a wooded; half submerged island; out of which rose; on piles; a little light…house。 Under this lee we crept along in safety。  The sail was furled; never to be used in storm again。 The wind went down with the sinking sun; and a delightful calm favored us for our row up the narrowing river; eight miles to the place of  destination。
  Soon after nine o'clock we came upon the Acadian town; Sorel; with its bright lights  cheerily flashing out upon us as we rowed past its river front。  The prow of our canoe was now pointed southward toward the goal of our  ambition; the great Mexican Gulf; and we were about to ascend that historic stream; the lovely  Richelieu; upon whose gentle current; two hundred and sixty…six years before; Champlain had  ascended to the noble lake which bears his name; and up which the missionary Jogues had been carried an unwilling captive to bondage and to torture。
  We ascended the Richelieu; threading our way among steam…tugs; canal…boats; and rafts; to a fringe of rushes growing out of a shallow flat on the left bank of the river; just above the town。  There; firmly staking the Mayeta upon her soft bed of mud; secure from danger; we enjoyed a peaceful rest through the calm night which followed; and thus ended the rough passage of one week's duration  from Quebec to Sorel。
  CHAPTER III。  FROM THE ST。 LAWRENCE RIVER TO TICONDEROGA; LAKE CHAMPLAIN。
  THE RICHELIEU RIVER。  ACADIAN SCENES。 … ST。 OURS。 ST。 ANTOINE。  ST。 MARKS。  BELCEIL。  CHAMELY CANAL。  ST。 JOHNS。  LAKE CHAMPLAIN。   THE GREAT SHIP…CANAL。  DAVID BODFISH 'S CAMP。  THE  ADIRONDACK SURVEY。  A CANVAS BOAT。  DIMENSIONS OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN。  PORT KENT。  AUSABLE CHASM。  ARRIVAL AT TICONDEROGA。
  Quebec was founded by Champlain; July 3; 1680。  During his first warlike expedition into the land of the Iroquois the following year; escorted by Algonquin and Montagnais Indian allies; he ascended a river to which was  afterwards given the name of Cardinal Richelieu; prime minister of Louis XIII。 of France。  This stream; which is about eighty miles long;  connects the lake (which Champlain discovered and named after himself) with the St。 Lawrence River at a point one hundred and forty miles above Quebec; and forty miles below Montreal。 The waters of lakes George and Champlain flow northward; through the Richelieu River into the St。 Lawrence。  The former stream flows through a cultivated country; and upon its banks; after leaving Sorel; are situate the little towns of St。 Ours; St。 Rock; St。 Denis; St。 Antoine; St。 Marks; Beloeil; Chambly; and St。 Johns。  Small steamers; tug…boats; and rafts pass from the St。 Lawrence to Lake Champlain (which lies almost wholly within the United States); following the Richelieu to Chambly; where it is necessary; to avoid rapids and shoals; to take the canal that follows the river's bank twelve miles to St。 Johns; where the Canadian custom…house is located。 Sorel is called William Henry by the Anglo…Saxon Canadians。  The paper published in this town of seven thousand inhabitants is La  Gazette de Sorel。  The river which flows past the town is called; without authority; by some  geographers; Sorel River; and by others St。 Johns; because the town nearest its source is St。 Johns; and another town at its mouth is Sorel。  There are about one hundred English…speaking families in Sorel。 The American Waterhouse Machinery supplies the town with water pumped from the river at a cost of one ton of coal per day。  At ten o'clock on Monday morning we resumed our journey up the Richelieu; the current of which was nothing compared with that of the great river we had left。  The average width of the stream was about a quarter of a mile; and the grassy shores were made picturesque by groves of trees and quaintly constructed farm…houses。
  It was a rich; pastoral land; abounding in fine herds of cattle。  The country reminded me of the Acadian region of Grand Pre; which I had visited during the earlier part of the season。 Here; as there; were delightful pastoral scenes and rich verdure; but here we still had the  Acadian peasants; while in the land of beautiful Evangeline no longer were they to be found; The New Englander now holds the titles to those deserted old farms of the scattered  colonists。  Our rowing was frequently interrupted by heavy showers; which drove us under our hatch…cloth for protection。  The same large; two…steepled stone churches; with their  unpainted tin roofs glistening like silver in the sunlight; marked out here; as on the high banks of the St。 Lawrence River; the site of a village。
  Twelve miles of rowing brought us to St。 Ours; where we rested for the night; after wandering through its shaded and quaint streets。  The  village boys and girls came down to see us off the next morning; waving their kerchiefs; and  shouting 〃Bon voyage!〃  Two miles above the town we encountered a dam three feet high; which deepened the water on a shoal above it。  We passed through a single lock in company with rafts of pine logs which were on the way to New York; to be used for spars。  A lockage fee of twenty…five cents for our boat the lock…master told us would be collected at Chambly Basin。 It was a pull of nearly six miles to St。 Denis; where the same scene of comfort and plenty  prevailed。  Women were washing clothes in large iron pots at the river's edge; and the hum of the spinning…wheels issued from the doorways of the farm…houses。  Beehives in the well…stocked gardens were filled with honey; and the  strawthatched barns had their doors thrown wide open; as though waiting to receive the harvest。 At intervals along the highway; over the grassy hills; tall; white wooden crosses were erected; for this people; like the Acadians of old; are very religious。  Down the current floated 〃pin…flats;〃 a curious scow…like boat; which carries a square sail; and makes good time only when running before the wind。  St。 Antoine and St。 Marks were passed; and the isolated peak of St。 Hilaire loomed up grandly twelve hundred feet on the right bank of the Richelieu; opposite the town Beloeil。  One mile above Beloeil the Grand Trunk Railroad crosses the stream; and here we passed the night。  Strong winds and rain squalls interrupted our progress。  At Chambly Basin we tarried until the evening of July 16; before entering the canal。  Chambly is a  watering…place for Montreal people; who come here to enjoy the fishing; which is said to be fair。
  We had ascended one water…step at St。 Ours。 Here we had eight steps to ascend within the distance of one mile。  By means of eight locks; each one hundred and ten feet long by  twenty…two wide; the Mayeta was lifted seventy…five feet and one inch in height to the upper level of the canal。  The lock…masters were courteous; and wished us the usual 〃Bon voyage!〃 This canal was built thirty…four years prior to my visit。 By ten o'clock P。 M。 We had passed the last lock; and went into camp in a depression in the bank of the canal。  The journey was resumed at half past three o'clock the following morning; and the row of twelve miles to St。 Johns was a  delightful one。  The last lock (the only one at St。 Johns) was passed; and we had a full clearance at the Dominion custom…house before noon。
  We were again on the Richelieu; with about twenty…three miles between us and the boundary line of the United States and Canada; and with very little current to impede us。  As dusk  approached we passed a dismantled old fort;  situated upon an island called Ile aux Noix; and entered a region inhabited by the large bull…frog; where we camped for the night; amid the  dolorous voices of these choristers。  On Saturday; the 18th; at an early hour; we were pulling for the United States; which was about six miles from our camping…ground。  The Richelieu  widened; and we entered Lake Champlain; passing Fort Montgomery; which is about one thousand feet south of the boundary line。  Champlain has a width of three fourths of a mile at Fort  Montgomery; and at Rouse's Point expands to two miles and three quarters。  The erection of the fort was commenced soon after 1812; but in 1818 the work was suspended; as some one  discovered that the site was in Canada; and the cognomen of Fort Blunder was applied。  In the Webster treaty of 1842; England ceded the ground to the United States; and Fort  Montgomery was finished at a cost of over half a  million of dollars。
  At Rouse's Point; which lies on the west shore of Lake Champlain about one and one…half miles south of its confluence with the Richelieu; the Mayeta was inspected by the United States  custom…house officer; and nothing contraband being discover