NORTH AMERICA. 
457 
the waters would be again confined within the 
banks. We immediately fat about rigging our 
portable leather boat, about eight feet long, 
which was of thick foal leather, folded up and 
carried on the top of a pack of deer fkins. The 
people foon got her rigged, which was effedted 
after the following manner. We, in the firft 
place, cut down a White-Oak fapling, and by 
notching this at each end, bent it up, which 
formed the keel. Item and (tern poft of one 
piece ; this was placed in the bottom of the boat, 
and pretty ftrong hoop poles being fixed in the 
bottom acrofs the keel, turning up their ends, 
expanded the hull of the boat, which being fatt- 
ened by thongs to two other poles bent round, 
the outfide of the rim formed the gunwhales : 
thus in an hour’s time our bark was rigged, to 
which afterwards we added two little oars or 
fculls. Our boat being now in readinefs, and our 
horfes turned out to pafture, each one retired to 
repofe, or to fuch exercife as moft effedtually 
contributed to divert the mind. I was at this 
time rather dejedted, and fought comfort in re- 
tirement, turning my courfe to the expanfive 
fields, fragrant groves and fublime forefts. Re- 
turned to camp by dufk, where I found my com- 
panions cheerful and thoughtlefs rather to an ex- 
treme. It was a calm ftill evening and warm ; 
the wood-cock (fcolopax) chirruping high up 
in the air, gently defcends by a fpiral circular 
tradt, and alights on the humid plain : this bird 
appears in Pennfylvania early in the fpring, when 
the Elm and Maple begin to flower; and here 
the fcarlet Maple, Elm and Elder began to fhow 
their flowers ; the yellow Jafmin was juft ready 
to open its fragrant golden blotto ms, and the gay 
Azalea alfo preparing to expand its beauties. 
The 
