Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: July 9, 1805
In the morning, the crew loaded the canoes and launched the iron-framed boat known as the Experiment, which floated lightly but leaked. A northwest windstorm with rain struck in the afternoon, forcing them to unload some canoes due to high waves, though the evening cleared. The tallow and coal mixture used to seal the Experiment's skin covering cracked and peeled once dry, letting water through. Lacking tar or pitch to fix it, the party was forced to abandon the new boat on shore despite all their work building it.
forenoon we loaded our canoes, and put the Experiment into
the water. She rides very light but leaks some. In the after-
noon a storm of wind, with some rain came on from the north
west, and we had again to unload some of our canoes, the
waves ran so high. After the storm we had a fine evening.
The tallow and coal were found not to answer the purpose;
for as soon as dry, it cracked and scaled off, and the water
came through the skins. Therefore for want of tar or pitch
we had, after all our labour, to haul our new boat on shore,
and leave it at this place.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
In the forenoon we loaded our canoes and put the Experiment into the water. She rides very light but leaks some. In the afternoon a windstorm, with some rain, came on from the northwest, and we had to unload some of our canoes again, since the waves ran so high. After the storm we had a fine evening.
The tallow and coal were found not to serve the purpose; for as soon as it dried, it cracked and scaled off, and the water came through the skins. Therefore, for want of tar or pitch, we had, after all our labor, to haul our new boat on shore and leave it at this place.
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