Clark: July 9, 1805
On a clear, warm morning with southwest winds, the party launched the leather boat and discovered it leaked. Without tar, they had used a coal-and-tallow substitute to seal the seams, but it separated from the skins in water, leaving the boat unusable. This failure was a major disappointment, as the remaining canoes could not hold all their baggage. They cached a skin and some papers, then decided to build additional canoes. With no suitable timber nearby, Clark resolved to travel upriver to a bottom where hunters had reported large trees.
July 9th Tuesday 1805 a clear worm morning wind from the S W. Lanced the
Leather boat, and found that it leaked a little; Corked Lanced &
loaded the Canoes, hurried our truk wheels, & made a Carsh for a Skin
& a fiew papers I intend to leave here on trial found the leather boat
would not answer without the addition of Tar which we had none of, haveing
Substituted Cole & Tallow in its place to Stop the Seams &c. which
would not answer as it Seperated from the Skins when exposed to the water
and left the Skins naked & Seams exposed to the water this falire of
our favourate boat was a great disapointment to us, we haveing more
baggage than our Canoes would Carry. Concluded to build Canoes for to
Carry them; no timber near our Camp. I deturmined to proceed on up the
river to a bottom in which our hunters reported was large Trees &c.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
July 9th, Tuesday, 1805. A clear, warm morning, wind from the S.W. Launched the leather boat and found that it leaked a little; caulked, launched, and loaded the canoes, readied our truck wheels, and made a cache for a skin and a few papers I intend to leave here. On trial we found the leather boat would not answer without the addition of tar, of which we had none, having substituted coal and tallow in its place to stop the seams, etc., which would not answer, as it separated from the skins when exposed to the water and left the skins naked and the seams exposed to the water. This failure of our favorite boat was a great disappointment to us, we having more baggage than our canoes would carry.
Concluded to build canoes to carry it; no timber near our camp. I determined to proceed on up the river to a bottom in which our hunters reported there were large trees, etc.
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