Thoreau writes in his journal:
Thoreau writes in “The Allegash and East Branch” chapter of The Maine Woods:
When we awoke it had done raining, though it was still cloudy. The fire was put out, and the Indian’s boots, which stood under the eaves of the tent, were half full of water. He was more improvident is such respects than either of us, and he had to thank us for keeping his powder dry . . .
When we reached the shore, the Indian appeared from out the woods on the opposite side, but on account of the roar of the water it, was difficult to communicate with him . . . But to my surprise, when I rounded the precipice, though the shore was bare of trees, without rocks, for a quarter mile at least, my companion [Joseph Polis] was not to be seen. It was as if he had sunk into the earth. This was the more unaccountable to me, because I knew that his feet were, since our swamp walk, very sore, and that he wished to keep up with the party; and besides this was very bad walking, climbing over or about the rocks. I hastened along, hallooing and searching for him, thinking he might be concealed behind a rock, yet doubting if he had not taken the other side of the precipice, but the Indian had got along still faster in his canoe, til he was arrested by the falls, about a quarter of a mile below. He then landed, and said that we could go no farther that night . . .
