24 THE PLAINS. 



One summer I had a small row-boat on the South 

 Platte opposite ' Fort Sedgwick.' Every day some one 

 used it in crossing the river, and though the boat drew 

 but about four inches of water, and though the river was 

 impassable to animals except by swimming channels for 

 nearly a third of the distance, the crossing could never 

 be effected twice on the same line. The boatmen soon 

 learned to know the position and contour of a bar by 

 the appearance of the ripples on the surface of the water. 

 The boat, in making its journey from side to side, not 

 unfrequently had to make three or four times the distance 

 up or down, seeking a passage through the constantly 

 shifting bars. It can be readily seen from this description 

 that no permanent ferry is possible on such rivers. Much 

 money was spent, and time lost, in the effort to establish 

 a flying bridge by boats at Fort Dodge. The effort failed 

 of course. The first boat launched in deep water was fast 

 aground in an hour or two, and its wreck now lies 

 imbedded in sand, exactly where the launch took place. 



An ordinary flat boat may be used to great advantage 

 in crossing these streams, provided there be men enough 

 to manage it. After loading, a rope as long as pos- 

 sible, not less than 200 or 300 feet, is attached to one 

 corner. The other end is carried the full length up the 

 bank. Half-a-dozen good swimmers then take hold near 

 this end, and start into the water, wading when possible, 

 and swimming when necessary. They find a good foot- 

 hold well out in the river, when twenty more men are 

 sent out to man the rope. Such of these as cannot swim 

 must hang on to the rope in crossing the channels. The 

 rope being manned (by groups at intervals for mutual 

 assistance in case of danger), a couple of good men armed 

 with long poles are placed on the boat, and when all is 

 ready it is swimjjoff. As it floats towards the middle of 

 the rivei^'th^limmers at the far end of the rope 

 constantly gain ground towards the other bank, swimming 

 or wading, all the other men attached to the rope 



