about three o'clock in the afternoon
Only the well - tried old steersman of many years ' experience could hope to reach to this position , and when once it was obtained unceasing vigilance was the price paid for the retention of the post . One mistake in running the rapids , or a single neglect to detect the coming of the storm in time to get to shore and the furs securely covered over with the heavy tarpaulins , with which each boat was supplied , was quite sufficient to cause him to lose the much coveted position . About the only liberty taken with him was , if possible , when the boats were crossing a great lake , with each big sail set , to try if possible by superior management of the boat to get to the distant shore ahead of him . The start was made about three o'clock in the afternoon , as is the general custom of these brigades of boats ; the idea being only to go a few miles for the first day and thus find out if everything is in thorough working order , and that nothing has been forgotten . The camp was made on the bank of the river where dry wood was abundant , and where there was some sheltered cove or harbour in which the boats could safely be secured in case of violent storms coming up in the night , which was not an infrequent occurrence . Big Tom appointed one of the Indian oarsmen to look after the boys . His duties were to cook their meals and select for their beds as smooth and soft a place as was possible to find on the granite rocks ; or , if it happened to be in a soft and swampy place where the boats stopped for the night , he was expected to forage round and find some dry old grass in the used-up beaver meadows , or to cut down some balsam boughs on which the oilcloth would be spread , and then their blanket beds would be made .