Nov. 30, 1912 
FOREST AND STREAM 
687 
Seven Hundred Miles by Canoe 
A 700-MILE trip, which we took from Buf¬ 
falo to Cincinnati via the Allegany and 
Ohio rivers, is not so tame as one might 
think, even though it is through civilized and 
thickly populated country. However, we found 
some portions of it which were evidently as 
rough and uncivilized as the days when the In¬ 
dians plied the rivers in their “birch-barks.” 
Originally, we intended to go through to 
the Gulf, but as cold weather set in as we 
reached Cincinnati we abandoned the trip. 
Four were to compose the original party 
and go in two canoes, but as one of the fellows 
decided that the trip was too risky to be under¬ 
taken by canoe, he dropped out. The other 
three were anxious to go, and as we could not 
find a fourth one, we three decided to take a 
chance in one canoe. 
For information concerning the trip we 
found most reliable information given by the 
people along the route. We did not find river 
maps of much use, although in the case of a 
larger boat they would be a necessity. They 
can, however, be procured from the U. S. Geo¬ 
detic Survey, Washington, D. C., or along the 
Ohio most any wharf-boat can supply maps 
and other river information. 
We shipped our canoe and duffle from Ol- 
cott Beach, N. Y., to Salamanca, and on Oct. 
5, 1911, took the first stroke of our long jour¬ 
ney. The canoe was an eighteen-footer, with 
extra long decks and keel. We attached lazy- 
backs to the seats; they saved 11s many a stiff 
neck and back ache. 
Our duffle outfit consisted of one 7x9 rope 
ridge tent, one pair blankets apiece, one special 
compact cooking outfit, oilskins, two-quart can¬ 
vas water bottle, two duffle bags containing 
extra clothes, toilet articles, camera, hunting 
knives, etc. We also, carried one repeating No. 
12 shotgun, camp ax, coil of rope, folding lantern 
and a can of marine glue. Our grub-box was 
a large telescope case, handy and compact. 
Large baking-powder cans fitted into the case 
for butter, lard, matches, etc. Potatoes, onions 
and canned goods were carried in a canvas bag 
stowed under deck. With the three of us and 
the outfit, the canoe was carrying about 650 
pounds, but as the water was high and swift, we 
experienced no difficulty. We made our first 
By J. FRANK NEWELL 
camp about forty miles below Salamanca, after 
a fine day’s run. Two of us hiked over to a 
nearby farmhouse for fresh milk and a bundle 
of straw to sleep on, as we had no folding cots 
or other beds. The straw spread on the ground 
with the blankets on top made a fine bed. 
We arrived at Warren at noon next day, 
stopped and stocked up our larder. A few 
miles below we found a half-mile of rapids, 
which we shot with great pleasure. That night 
we found a pretty camp site on an island with 
the tree-covered mountains looming up on all 
sides of us. 
Saturday we passed the towns of Tidioute 
and Tionesta. At night we camped on an old 
camping place near Walnut Pond. 
Sunday was a fine day and we stayed in 
camp until noon, making repairs and airing out 
our outfit. 
We were now in the midst of the oil coun¬ 
try, oil wells and refineries on every side of us 
and the hills studded with the oil derricks. 
The odor of petroleum filled the air. Even the 
river was covered with a coating of oil. After 
noon we paddled as far as Oil City, stopped, 
looked over the town, then started out again, 
camping a short distance from the city. The 
river seemed to be getting swifter and camp¬ 
ing places harder to find after we left the oil 
section. We were getting into wilder and 
thinly populated country. Occasionally we 
would hear the clank of a cow bell attached to 
some bovine wanderer grazing on the hills, 
then we would begin to look for a farmhouse, 
which we usually found hidden in a hollow be¬ 
hind the trees. The scenery was beautiful 
through this section. High, tree-covered moun¬ 
tains rose directly from the water’s edge. 
Owing to the swiftness of the river, we 
made excellent time, averaging about thirty- 
five miles in eight to nine hours’ paddling. 
Here is a suggestion for keeping posted on the 
distance traveled each day along the Allegany: 
Get a Pennsylvania R. R. timetable, fo.r the 
road parallels the river nearly its entire length. 
By this method distance can be figured almost 
to a fraction of a mile. This also applies to 
the Ohio River. 
Tuesday, at 11:30 o’clock, we arrived at 
Emlenton, where we stopped and stocked with 
groceries. About four o’clock it began to rain 
quite hard, so we pulled ashore and donned our 
oilskins, and as it continued to rain, we de¬ 
cided to look for a place to pitch our tent. As 
we neared the shore we ran upon a submerged 
log and stuck there. In trying to push off 
with the paddles against a rock they slipped 
and the side of the canoe went under, causing 
it to ship about a barrel of water, soaking 
everything we had. We saw a barn a short 
distance away, so we immediately started out 
to see if we could get permission to stay in it, 
and the “old mountaineer” who owned it bade 
us welcome. We heaved the canoe ashore, 
took our blankets, which, fortunately, did not 
get wet, as we had them tied up in waterproof 
canvas, and “beat it for the hay.” This place 
was between Upper and Lower Hillsville. 
Wednesday the going was so good that we 
paddled eight and one-half hours without stop¬ 
ping; we ate lunch while drifting along. That 
day’s run was through the coal and gas coun¬ 
try. We passed many large mines and gas 
wells. 
At Mosgrove we met the first big paddle- 
wheel steamer. As we had been cautioned to 
beware of those “paddle-wheelers,” we kept 
our distance. She was not kicking up much of 
a wash, however. Good landing places through 
this section were scarce; for miles we saw 
nothing but quicksand shores. Near Kelly we 
found a fine camp site on a high point-at a big 
bend in the river. 
Thursday morning we started out, hoping 
to complete the first leg of our journey by 
reaching Pittsburgh. We locked through the 
first dam about 1:30 p. m., encountering rough 
water on leaving the lock. We were very busy 
for a few moments keeping right side up. 
Locking through the next one, nine miles be¬ 
low, was still more thrilling, as coupled with 
the rush of water out of the lock, was the wash 
of an upward bound steamer making for the 
lock. Flowever, we succeeded in passing it in 
safety. We arrived at Pittsburgh at 5:30 p. M. 
and tied up at a boat house on Duquesne Way. 
The distance from Salamanca, approximately 
220 miles, we made in about forty-seven hours 
of paddling. 
Friday and Saturday we spent sight-seeing 
ON OHIO ABOVE PARKERSBURG, W. VA. WALNUT BEND CAMP. DISH WASHING NEAR WHEELING, W. VA. 
