SOURCE OP ST. PETER S RIVER. 145 



longitudinal cut, uniting these two, allowed the bark to be 

 shelled off in a single piece. It had then been reversed, so 

 that the inner surface, while on the tree, formed the outside 

 of the boat; the whole was finished by causing the middle 

 part to bulge out, by means of sticks placed athwart, while 

 each end was pressed in, and rendered water-tight. This path 

 having misled us, we retraced our steps until we ascended 

 a bank, about twenty-five feet high, which runs parallel 

 with the river, and we continued along the edge of this 

 through thick woods of elm, prickly ash, red haw, spice 

 wood, papaw in flower, &c. Our situation during the night 

 was a very uncomfortable one, and little calculated to 

 please those of the party, who were, for the first time, en- 

 gaged on an exploring expedition. To be placed in the midst 

 of a dense forest, surrounded by bogs, from which our horses 

 had been extricated with great difficulty, uncertain as to the 

 possibility of reaching by this route the spot at which 

 we wished to arrive, tormented by insects, our horses faint 

 for want of food, and all this at the commencement of our 

 journey through the woods, was rather a discouraging si- 

 tuation. Anxious to escape from these difficulties, we re- 

 sumed our journey on Sunday, the 1st of June, at as early 

 an hour as we could, and were engaged for about five 

 hours, in difficulties still greater than those of the preced- 

 ing day. The thickness of the forest having obliged us to 

 dismount and lead our horses, we waded knee deep in the 

 mire, and met with a new obstacle in the necessity of making 

 frequent halts, to replace on the horses the baggage which 

 was thrown off, during the many leaps which they had 

 to take over the fallen trees. After a while we reached a 

 high and dry prairie, partly covered with young aspen 

 bushes, rising to the height of from eight to ten feet, and 

 so thick that it was almost impossible to keep the whole of 

 Vol. T. 19 



