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E D M O N T O N TO I . E S S E K S I . A V E L A K E 39 recent tires, and that. t « * i, at the possible opening of an era of real value in the near future. The greatest destruction was evidently on the north side of the river, but the south had not escaped. As regards the soil in these parts, it was, so far, impossible to speak favourably. The hunters described the inland country as a wilderness of sand- hills, surrounded by quaking- bogs, muskegs and soft meadows. Judging by exposures on the river bank, there are, here and there, fertile areas which may yet be u t i l i s e d : but probably the best thing that could happen to that part of, the country would be a great clearing fire to complete the destruction of its dead timber and convert its best parts into prairie and a summer range for cattle. , We were now approaching a portion of the river where the difficulties of getting on were great. The men had to cope with the swift current, bordered by a series of steep gumbo glides, whore the tracking was hazardous; where great tree* slanted over the water, tottering to their fall, or deep pits and fissures gaped in the festering clay, into which the men often plunged to their arm- pits. It was horrible to look upon. The cbain- gang, the galley- slaves— bow often the idea of them was recalled by that horrid p u l l ! Yet onward they went, with teeth set and hands bruised by tho rope, surmounting difficulty after difficulty with the pith of lions. At last a better region was reached, with occasionally a better path. Here the destruction by fire had been stayed, the country improved, and the forest outlines became bold and noble. Hour by hour we crept along a like succession of majestic bends of the river, not yet flushed by the summer freshet, but flowing with superb volume and force. Fully ten miles were made that day, the men tracking like Trojans through water and over difficult ground, but fortunately free from mosquitoes, the constant head winds keeping these effectually down. The cool weather in like manner kept the water down, for it is in this month that the freshet from the
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Title | Page 45 |
OCR | E D M O N T O N TO I . E S S E K S I . A V E L A K E 39 recent tires, and that. t « * i, at the possible opening of an era of real value in the near future. The greatest destruction was evidently on the north side of the river, but the south had not escaped. As regards the soil in these parts, it was, so far, impossible to speak favourably. The hunters described the inland country as a wilderness of sand- hills, surrounded by quaking- bogs, muskegs and soft meadows. Judging by exposures on the river bank, there are, here and there, fertile areas which may yet be u t i l i s e d : but probably the best thing that could happen to that part of, the country would be a great clearing fire to complete the destruction of its dead timber and convert its best parts into prairie and a summer range for cattle. , We were now approaching a portion of the river where the difficulties of getting on were great. The men had to cope with the swift current, bordered by a series of steep gumbo glides, whore the tracking was hazardous; where great tree* slanted over the water, tottering to their fall, or deep pits and fissures gaped in the festering clay, into which the men often plunged to their arm- pits. It was horrible to look upon. The cbain- gang, the galley- slaves— bow often the idea of them was recalled by that horrid p u l l ! Yet onward they went, with teeth set and hands bruised by tho rope, surmounting difficulty after difficulty with the pith of lions. At last a better region was reached, with occasionally a better path. Here the destruction by fire had been stayed, the country improved, and the forest outlines became bold and noble. Hour by hour we crept along a like succession of majestic bends of the river, not yet flushed by the summer freshet, but flowing with superb volume and force. Fully ten miles were made that day, the men tracking like Trojans through water and over difficult ground, but fortunately free from mosquitoes, the constant head winds keeping these effectually down. The cool weather in like manner kept the water down, for it is in this month that the freshet from the |
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