p6 1817 Journal Thomas Dean

that lake. The waters of Chautauqua Lake are discharged into the Allegheny River, so that it was possible to sail down the Allegheny into the Ohio River and thus reach the mouth of the Wabash River.

The southern part of Indiana he found sparsely settled, but the central and northern parts were still wildernesses. In his voyage from Fort Harrison up the Wabash to the mouth of the Mississinewa River and return, a distance of about 360 miles, he does not mention having seen a single white man. The Indians he met on the river could not speak English and he therefore had great difficulty in com- municating with them. He was looking for good land. well watered, and describes the ine, fertile, silent prairies near the Wabash. In his journey on foot from Fort Harrison to the White River country and return, he passed through a wilderness of forests sparsely inhabited by Indians. The hardships were most severe. What would a man of today think of making a journey from Terre Haute to Fort Wayne, about 220 miles, most of the way on foot, with a heavy pack on his back? Some days Dean and his party traveled forty miles.

His unusual resourcefulness was exhibited at Fort Wayne, where he was unable to obtain a boat for taking himself and party down the Maumee River. He at once went into the forest, cut down a big tree, and made a large canoe, not only sufficient for his party, but in which he was able to take two additional passengers. The canoe was made in two working days, launched into the Maumee River, served its purpose, and was afterward sold for a good price at Fort Meigs.