"The boat having now become sufficiently dry, we gave her a coat
of the composition, which after a proper interval was repeated,
and the next morning, Tuesday, July 9th, she was launched into the water,
and swam perfectly well.
The seats were then fixed and the oars fitted;
but after we had loaded her, as well as the canoes, and were on the point
of setting out, a violent wind caused the waves to wet the baggage,
so that we were forced to unload the boats. The wind continued
high until evening, when to our great disappointment we discovered
that nearly all the composition had separated from the skins and left
the seams perfectly exposed; so that the boat now leaked very much.
To repair this misfortune without pitch is impossible, and as none of that
article is to be procured, we therefore, however reluctantly, are obliged
to abandon her, after having had so much labor in the construction.
We now saw that the section of the boat covered with buffalo-skins
on which hair had been left answered better than the elk-skins,
and leaked but little; while that part which was covered with hair
about one-eighth of an inch retained the composition perfectly,
and remained sound and dry. From this we perceived that had we employed
buffalo instead of elk skins, not singed them so closely as we did,
and carefully avoided cutting the leather in sewing, the boat would
have been sufficient even with the present composition; or had we
singed instead of shaving the elk-skins, we might have succeeded.
But we discovered our error too late; the buffalo had deserted us,
and the travelling season was so fast advancing that we had no time
to spare for experiments; therefore, finding that she could be no
longer useful, she was sunk in the water, so as to soften the skins,
and enable us the more easily to take her to pieces.
"It now became necessary to provide other means for transporting
the baggage which we had intended to stow in her.
For this purpose we shall want two more canoes; but for many miles -
from below the mouth of the Musselshell River to this place -
we have not seen a single tree fit to be used in that way.
The hunters, however, who have hitherto been sent after timber,
mention that there is a low ground on the opposite side of the river,
about eight miles above us by land, and more than twice that
distance by water, in which we may probably find trees large
enough for our purposes. Captain Clark determined, therefore,
to set out by land for that place with ten of the best workmen,
who would be occupied in building the canoes till the rest
of the party, after taking the boat to pieces, and making
the necessary deposits, should transport the baggage, and join
them with the other six canoes.
"He accordingly passed over to the opposite side of the river
with his party next day, and proceeded on eight miles by land,
the distance by water being twenty-three and three quarter miles.
Here he found two cottonwood trees; but, on cutting them down,
one proved to be hollow, split at the top in falling, and both
were much damaged at the bottom.
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