voyage of the paper canoe-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


wed　is　northwesterly　about　one　hundred　and　thirty…five　nautical　miles。　The　island　which　divides　an　upper　arm　of　the　gulf　into　two　wide　channels　is　one　hundred　and　twenty…three　miles　long；　and　from　ten　to　thirty　miles　wide。　　Across　the　entrance　of　this　great　arm；　or　estuary；　from　the　high　cape　of　Gaspe　on　the　southern　shore　of　the　mainland　to　　Anticosti　in　the　narrowest　place；　is　a　distance　of　about　forty　miles；　and　is　called　the　South　　Channel。　From　the　north　side　of　the　island　and　near　its　west　end　to　the　coast　of　Labrador　the　North　Channel　is　fifteen　miles　wide。　The　passage　from　St。　Paul　to　Anticosti　is　at　times　dangerous。　Here　is　an　area　of　strong　currents；　tempestuous　winds；　and　dense　fogs。　When　the　wind　is　fair　for　an　upward　run；　it　is　the　wind　which　usually　brings　misty　weather。　　Then；　from　the　icy　regions　of　the　Arctic　circle；　from　the　Land　of　Desolation；　come　floating　through　the　Straits　of　Belle　Isle　the　dangerous　bergs　and　ice…fields。　　Early　in　the　spring　these　ice　rafts　are　covered　with　colonies　of　seals　which　resort　to　them　for　the　purpose　of　giving　birth　to　their　young。　　On　these　icy　　cradles；　rocked　by　the　restless　waves；　tens　of　　thousands　of　young　seals　are　nursed　for　a　few　days；　then；　answering　the　loud　calls　of　their　mothers；　they　accompany　them　into　the　briny　deep；　there　to　follow　the　promptings　of　their　instincts。　　The　loud　roarings　of　the　old　seals　on　these　ice　rafts　can　be　heard　in　a　quiet　night　for　several　miles；　and　strike　terror　into　the　hearts　of　the　　superstitious　sailor　who　is　ignorant　of　the　origin　of　the　tumult。

Frequently　dense　fogs　cover　the　water；　and　while　slowly　moving　along；　guided　only　by　the　needle；　a　warning　sound　alarms　the　watchful　master。　　Through　the　heavy　mists　comes　the　roar　of　breaking　waters。　　He　listens。　The　dull；　swashy　noise　of　waves　meeting　with　resistance　is　now　plainly　heard。　　The　atmosphere　becomes　suddenly　chilled：　it　is　the　breath　of　the　　iceberg！

Then　the　shrill　cry　of　〃All　hands　on　deck！〃　startles　the　watch　below　from　the　bunks。　　　Anxiously　now　does　the　whole　ship's　company　lean　upon　the　weather…rail　and　peer　out　into　the　thick　air　with　an　earnestness　born　of　terror。　〃Surely；〃　says　the　master　to　his　mate；　〃I　am　past　the　　Magdalens；　and　still　far　from　Anticosti；　yet　we　have　breakers；　which　way　can　we　turn？〃　The　riddle　solves　itself；　for　out　of　the　gloom　come　whitened　walls；　beautiful　but　terrible　to　behold。

Those　terror…stricken　sailors　watch　the　slowly　moving　berg　as　it　drifts　past　their　vessel；　fearing　that　their　own　ship　will　be　drawn　towards　it　from　the　peculiar　power　of　attraction　they　believe　the　iceberg　to　possess。　　And　as　they　watch；　against　the　icy　base　of　the　mountain　in　the　sea　the　waves　beat　and　break　as　if　expending　their　forces　upon　a　rocky　shore。　　Down　the　furrowed　sides　of　the　disintegrating　berg　streamlets　trickle；　and　miniature　cascades　leap；　mingling　their　waters　with　the　briny　sea。　　The　intruder　slowly　drifts　out　of　sight；　disappearing　in　the　gloom；　while　the　sailor　thanks　his　lucky　stars　that　he　has　rid　himself　of　another　danger。　　The　ill…omened　Anticosti；　the　graveyard　of　many　seamen；　is　yet　to　he　passed。　　The　ship　skirts　along　its　southern　shore；　a　coast　destitute　of　bays　or　harbors　of　any　kind；　rock…bound　and　inhospitable。

Wrecks　of　vessels　strew　the　rocky　shores；　and　four　light…houses　warn　the　mariner　of　danger。　Once　past　the　island　the　ship　is　well　within　the　estuary　of　the　gulf　into　which　the　St。　Lawrence　River　flows；　contributing　the　waters　of　the　great　lakes　of　the　continent　to　the　sea。　　As　the　north　coast　is　approached　the　superstitious　sailor　is　again　alarmed　if　perchance；　the　compass…needle　shows　sympathy　with　some　disturbing　element；　the　cause　of　which　he　believes　to　exist　in　the　mountains　which　rise　along　the　shore。　　He　　repeats　the　stories　of　ancient　skippers；　of　vessels　having　been　lured　out　of　their　course　by　the　deviation　of　the　guiding…needle；　which　　succumbed　to　the　potent　influence　exerted　in　those　hills　of　iron　ore；　heeding　not　the　fact　that　the　disturbing　agent　is　the　iron　on　board　of　his　own　ship；　and　not　the　magnetic　oxide　of　the　distant　mines。

The　ship　being　now　within　the　estuary　of　the　St。　Lawrence　River；　must　encounter　many　risks　before　she　reaches　the　true　mouth　of　the　river；　at　the　Bic　Islands。

The　shores　along　this　arm　of　the　gulf　are　wild　and　sombre。　　Rocky　precipices　frown　upon　the　swift　tidal　current　that　rushes　past　their　bases。　A　few　small　settlements　of　fishermen　and　pilots；　like　Metis；　Father　Point；　and　Rimousky；　are　discovered　at　long　intervals　along　the　coast。

In　these　St。　Lawrence　hamlets；　and　　throughout　Lower　Canada；　a　patois　is　spoken　which　is　unintelligible　to　the　Londoner　or　Parisian；　and　these　villagers；　the　descendants　of　the　French　colonists；　may　be　said　to　be　a　people　destitute　of　a　written　language；　and　strangers　to　a　　literature。

While　holding　a　commission　from　Francis　the　First；　king　of　France；　Jacques　Cartier　discovered　the　Gulf　of　St。　Lawrence；　during　his　first　　voyage　of　exploration　in　the　new　world。　　He　　entered　the　gulf　on　St。　Lawrence's　day；　in　the　spring　of　1534；　and　named　it　in　honor　of　the　event。　　Cartier　explored　no　farther　to　the　west　than　about　the　mouth　of　the　estuary　which　is　divided　by　the　island　of　Anticosti。　　It　was　　during　his　second　voyage；　in　the　following　year；　that　he　discovered　and　explored　the　great　river。　Of　the　desolate　shores　of　Labrador；　on　the　north　coast；　he　said；　〃It　might　as　well　as　not　be　taken　for　the　country　assigned　by　God　to　Cain。〃

The　distance　from　Quebec　to　Cape　Gaspe；　measured　upon　a　course　which　a　steamer　would　be　compelled　to　take；　is　four　hundred　and　seven　statute　miles。　　The　ship　first　enters　the　current　of　the　river　St。　Lawrence　at　the　two　Bic　Islands；　where　it　has　a　width　of　about　twenty　miles。　　By　consulting　most　maps　the　reader　will　find　that　geographers　carry　the　river　nearly　two　hundred　miles　beyond　its　usual　current。　In　fact；　they　appropriate　the　whole　estuary；　which；　in　places；　is　nearly　one　hundred　miles　in　width；　and　call　it　a　river　　a　river　which　lacks　the　characteristics　of　a　river；　the　currents　of　which　vary　with　the　winds　and　tidal　influences；　and　the　waters　of　which　are　as　salt　as　those　of　the　briny　deep。

Here；　in　the　mouth　of　the　river；　at　the　Bics；　secure　anchorage　for　vessels　may　be　found；　but　below；　in　the　estuary；　for　a　distance　of　more　than　two　hundred　and　forty…five　miles；　to　Gaspe；　there　is　but　one　port　of　refuge；　that　of　Seven　Islands；　on　the　north　coast。

As　the　ship　ascends　the　river　from　Bic　Islands；　a　passage　of　about　one　hundred　and　sixty　statute　miles　to　Quebec；　she　struggles　against　a　strong　current。　　Picturesque　islands　and　little　villages；　such　as　St。　Andre；　St。　Anne；　St。　Rogue；　St。　Jean；　and　St。　Thomas；　relieve　the　monotony。　But　very　different　is　the　winter　aspect　of　this　river；　when　closed　to　navigation　by　ice　from　November　until　Spring。　　Of　the　many　tributaries　which　give　strength　to　the　current　of　the　St。　Lawrence　and　contribute　to　its　glory；　the　Saguenay　River　with　its　remarkable　scenery　is　counted　one　of　the　wonders　of　our　continent。　　It　joins　the　great　river　from　the　north　shore；　about　one　hundred　and　thirty…four　statute　miles　below　Quebec。　Upon　the　left　bank；　at　its　mouth；　nestles　the　little　village　of　Tadousac；　the　summer　retreat　of　the　governor…general　of　the　Dominion　of　Canada。

American　history　claims　for　the　Roman　　Catholic　church　of　this　settlement　an　age　second　only　to　that　of　the　old　Spanish　cathedral　at　St。　Augustine；　Florida。　　For　three　hundred　years　the　storms　of　winter　have　beaten　upon　its　walls；　but　it　stands　a　silent　yet　eloquent　monument　of　the　pious　zeal　of　the　ancient　Fathers；　who　came　to　conquer　Satan　in　the　wilderness　of　a　new　world。　The　Saguenay　has　become　the　〃Mecca〃　of　northern　tourists；　ever　attracting　them　with　its　wild　and　fascinating　scenery。　Capes　Eternity　and　Trinity　guard　the　entrance　to　Eternity　Bay。　The　first　towers　sublimely　to　a　height　of　　eighteen　hundred　feet；　the　other　is　only　a　little　lower。　　A　visit　to　this　mysterious　river；　with　its　deep；　dark　waters　and　picturesque　views；　will　repay　the　traveller　for　the　discomforts　of　a　long　and　expensive　journey。

Where　the　turbulent　current　of　the　Saguenay　mingles　angrily　with　that　of　the　St。　Lawrence；　there　may