I hired a man, who had been a raftsman on the Delaware, to go with me by land up to the mill, for a few thousand feet of boards, that I required for my new house.  It was only seven miles to the mill by a new cut-out sleigh-track, through the township of Goderich as far as the Falls, which we crossed by wading the river just above them, which at that time we were able to do, though not without some caution; for, although the spring-floods were considerably abated, the water ran with great rapidity, and in some places was up to our middles; but with the help of a strong setting-pole, we got over with safety.

We made our little raft in three cribs, of a thousand feet of boards in each crib, which we connected together by short pieces of scantling, which are bored near each end with a two-inch auger and strung on the corner-pickets of each crib, thus uniting them in one length.  At each end of the raft, a long oar is securely fixed, in temporary rowlocks for that purpose.

The whole course of the river, from the mill to the harbour at Goderich, is a strong rapid:  two perpendicular falls occur in its course to the lake.  The Upper, or Big Fall, is about six feet, and the Little Fall three.  We made a capital run down, though in plunging over the first Fall we were up to our arm-pits in water.  But our little raft rose gallantly to the surface; and we encountered no further difficulty.

I enjoyed my trip down the river amazingly.  I do not know anything more delightful, when all goes well than being borne over the foaming rapids at the rate of eight or ten miles an hour.  The channel of the Maitland is wide, and the banks picturesque.  Our voyage did not exceed an hour, though the distance was above nine miles.

CHAPTER XIX.

MY NEW HOUSE AT GODERICH. —­ CARPENTRY AN ESSENTIAL ART. —­ AMERICAN ENERGY. —­ AGREEABLE VISITORS. —­ MY WIFE’S DISASTERS. —­ HINTS FOR ANGLERS. —­ THE NINE-MILE-CREEK FROLIC. —­ THE TEMPEST. —­ OUR SKIPPER AND HIS LEMON-PUNCH. —­ SHORT COMMONS. —­ CAMP IN THE WOODS. —­ RETURN ON FOOT. —­ LUDICROUS TERMINATION TO OUR FROLIC.

MY new house at Goderich was constructed with cherry-logs neatly counter-hewed both inside and out, the interstices between the logs being nicely pointed with mortar.  I had no upstair-rooms, excepting for stowage.  The ground-story I divided into a parlour, kitchen, and three bedrooms.  After office-hours I used to work a good deal at the carpenter’s bench—­for I was always fond of it when a boy.  I had made some useful observations, as well as tormenting our workmen on repairs at home, with the usual amount of mischief, and I now reaped the benefit of my juvenile experience.  I was able to make the doors, and do nearly all the insidework of my house myself.  Indeed, it is really essential for the well-doing of the emigrant, that he, or some members of his family, should have some knowledge of carpentry—­in fact, be a jack-of-all-trades; and, in that excellent profession, educated persons, healthy in mind and body, excel the most.