July 10th. Wednesday 1805
a fair windey day wind hard the most of the day from the
S.W. rained moderately all last night (by Showers) we dispatched
Serjt. Ordway with 4 Canoes loaded & 8 men by water
to assend as high as I should have found timber for Canoes &
formed a Camp. I Set out with Serjt. Pryor four Choppers
two Involeds & one man to hunt, Crossed to the Std. Side
and proceeded on up the river 8 miles by land (distance by
water 23 1/4 ms.) and found two Trees which I thought would
make Canoes, had them fallen, one of them proved to be
hollow & Split at one End & verry much wind Shaken at
the other, the other much win[d]-shaken, we serched the
bottoms for better trees and made a trial of Several which
proved to be more indifferent. I deturmined to make Canoes
out of the two first trees we had fallen, to Contract their
length so as to clear the the hollow & winshakes, & ad to
the width as much as the tree would allow. The Musquitors
emencely noumerous & troublesom, Killed two deer & a
goat The Canoes did not arrive as I expected, owing to the
hard wind which blew a head in maney places. we ar much at
a loss for wood to make ax helthes [helves], 13 hath been
made & broken in this piece of a day by the four Choppers,
no other wood but Cotton Box elder Choke Cherry and red
arrow wood we Substitute the Cherry in place of Hickory
for
ax helthes ram rods, &c. &c.
