3 o2 June 1749* 



venture one's life in. I In fuch a cafe ano- 

 ther elm muft be looked out ; and it fome- 

 times happens that feveral elms muft be 

 feripped of their bark, before one is found 

 fit for a boat. That which we made was 

 big enough to bear four perfons, with our 

 baggage, which weighed fomewhat more 

 than a man. 



All poflible precautions muft be taken 

 in rowing on the rivers and lakes of thefe 

 parts with a boat of bark. For as the 

 rivers, and even the lakes, contain numbers 

 of broken trees, which are commonly hid- 

 den under the water, the boat may eafily 

 run againft a (harp branch, which would 

 tear half the boat away, if one rowed on 

 very fait, expofing the people in it to 

 ^reat danger, where the water is very deep, 

 efpecially'if fiich a branch held the boat. 



To get into fuch a dangerous veflel, muft 

 be done with great care, "and for the greater 

 lafety, without {hoes. For with the (hoes 

 on, and ftill more with a fudden leap in- 

 to the boat, the heels may eafily pierce 

 through the bottom of the boat, which 

 might 3 fometimes be attended with very 

 difagreeable circum (lances, efpecially when 

 the boat is lb near a rock, and clofe to that a 

 fudden depth of water ; and fuch places are 

 common in the lakes and rivers here. 



_ I never 



