Through Canal-Land in a Canadian Canoe | Page 6

their hands along its polished sides, all the while expressing their opinions in such a broad vernacular as to be almost unintelligible to our Southern ears. They thought it was a joke upon our part when we told them that we had paddled all the way from London in the canoe. The way they nudged each other and winked solemnly was most expressive.
Their attentions at last became so overwhelming that we were compelled to give the craft into the care of the friendly lock-keeper and beat a hasty retreat.
Our host at Leigh very kindly afforded us a much-wished-for opportunity of exploring a coal-mine. Getting up early in the morning, we proceeded to the mouth of the pit, entered the cage, and soon were speeding downward at a most alarming pace, accomplishing the distance of 700 yards in forty-five seconds.
The sensation accompanying this rapid descent into the bowels of the earth was far from pleasant, but we quickly recovered when we reached terra firma, and, when we had become accustomed to the intense darkness, were soon able to follow our guide through the almost deserted workings.
The miners were on strike, and only the engineers and others necessary to attend to the machinery for keeping the shafts and workings ventilated and free from water were on duty, so that the desolate stillness of the place impressed us more profoundly, perhaps, than if we had been surrounded by busy toilers.
After going all over the mine, each with Davy lamp in hand--during which we had several times to chase our head-gear, which was blown off by the strong draught from the ventilating fans--we once more entered the cage and were quickly whirled upwards to the light of day.
Next day we embarked rather later than was our usual custom, and paddled on towards Preston, having to traverse a portion of the river Ribble before we reached this town. Nothing very interesting or exciting occurred upon this day, except for a rather narrow shave we had of getting smashed up by a barge.
It happened that one of us was towing, while the other remained in the canoe to steer. Just as we got to a very narrow strip of the canal near the entrance to a lock, we met some barges coming down in tow of a tug, and, as luck would have it, our tow-line fouled a tree stump just at the moment when the tail barge began to swing ominously over towards our bank.
For a moment or two it looked as if the canoe must be crushed like an egg-shell between the bank and the barge, but fortunately at the critical moment an extra strong jerk on the tow-line got it clear, and with a run Jacky whisked the canoe through the narrow streak of open water, and we were safe.
We stayed with friends at Preston for the next three days, and managed to put in a highly enjoyable round of sight-seeing, during which we paid a flying visit to Southport.
Our stay at an end, we embarked once more, taking three of our friends with us in the canoe as far as Garstang.
Five people (in addition to luggage) in a small craft of this description was an exceedingly tight pack, and we had to strictly taboo any skylarking, else we should very quickly have got a ducking. At Garstang we left our friends, after a high tea; and after passing several towns and villages, at eventide reached Lancaster, which we made our headquarters for the night.
I may mention that we met with great kindness and consideration from the officials during the whole of our journey along the Lancaster canal, one of the employees being told off to clear all barges out of our way, and see us safely, and with the least trouble to ourselves, to its end at Kendal; this thoughtfulness saving us much delay and inconvenience, and rendering this portion of our trip one of the most delightful experiences throughout the whole of our journey.
Getting afloat in good time next morning, we bade farewell to Lancaster, and pushed on towards Crooklands, passing Nately and Ashton on the way.
For a great portion of this part of our journey the surroundings were truly beautiful, the trees meeting overheard in many places, and forming a cool leafy canopy, while the water was so clear that we could distinguish objects lying upon the bottom quite distinctly, although the water averaged a depth of seven or eight feet. Our silent approach allowed us to come upon shoals of fish, which only darted away when our bows cleared the water immediately above them, a sight that roused all our angling instincts.
At other spots along the canal the towering hills, with their crests enshrouded in mist, combined to make up as impressive a picture as can be conjured up