I ran my own canoe near shore and got by the rapid safely, waiting for the others to come also.

They did not obey my signals but thought to run the rapid the same as I did.

The channel here was straight for 200 yards, without a boulder in it, but the stream was so swift that it caused great, rolling waves in the center, of a kind I have never seen anywhere else.

The boys were not skillful enough to navigate this stream, and the suction drew them to the center where the great waves rolled them over and over, bottom side up and every way.

The occupants of our canoe let go and swam to shore.