Reminiscences of life in territorial Wisconsin

              1824-42.] LIFE  IN TERRITORIAL WISCONSIN. 22/
Prom choice they carried it on their shoulders, as it was light. The baggage had previously been carried over. The Mackinac boat, as before described, was carried just out of the water. The men walked in the water with their load, but kept near shore. It was remarkable to see with what a zest these voyageurs enjoyed this kind of work. The more the rapids foamed and dashed by them, the happier they seemed to be. When opposite our resting place, they greeted us in their ever joyful manner — un cri dejoy from the French¬ men, and a hearty saw-saw-qua from the Indians.
We had greatly admired all the rapids of the river, as in turn we reached them, from the rapides des peres onward; but we were not prepared for the spectacle that awaited us ^t Grand Chute.
At the "upper landing " our mess baskets furnished our dinner. We did not pitch a tent, but had a picnic under the trees. The crew made a fire, and the ladies made the coffee.
Soon after, our canoe and boat were ready and we em¬ barked again. We crossed Little Butte des Morts, where the long railroad bridge now crosses above Appleton. We reached the island early, and here our escorts' tent was pitched under a large tree; ours was pitched near by. All lent a willing hand in the preparation of supper.
The party who escorted us from home had planned on this occasion to give us a tea party before leaving us, and a superb one it was too. The evening was very pleas* ant, and we sat around the fire near our tents, and en¬ joyed the stories that one and another told, as the evening wore on. Many are now recalled, that bring the narrator vividly to mind. In the enjoyment of the hour no one thought of watching the clouds. Fancy then, the surprise of most of us, the horror of some, when, soon after we had retired to our tents and were fairly asleep, we were aroused shortly after midnight by a severe thunder storm. The tent under the tree was not considered safe. The gentlemen who liad taken shelter under the canoe came to the rescue. They took the tent down and pitched it in a safer place.   The con-