p30 1817 Journal Thomas Dean

ou.r host, John McDaniel or Donil, and started about 3 or 9 A. M. It was said that we were ten miles from the mouth of the Wabash and two miles from the Ohio River. We had a fair wind, though very light, and soon found that the navigation of the river was obstructed in some places by large bars of fine sand, which in many places extended one mile across the river, and the water was not more than twelve or eighteen inches deep, while in the channel it is live or six feet. We here found the current to be stronger, though it was very smooth. The bank of the river was from ten to fifteen feet high, and by the appearance of the leaves on the Bats the water Bowed eight or ten feet on them. In times of high water the land on the shore in some places appeared to be very rich and fertile and in other places not so good. About 2 P. M. we had a shower of rain, then the wind became ahead, though it was not hard. We ran up to within a half mile of what is called the Little Cutoff. About 30 minutes past 5 P. M. we went to cook dinner. We were told that we had come sixteen miles, and were four miles from the Ohio River. We took dinner, it being near sun- set. No other house nearer than ten miles on the river, and passage up the river difficult, it was thought best to put up for the night, and we lay on the Boor. We carne about sixteen miles this day.

July 11. We started about 5 A. M. and ran up to the Cutoff or chute as it is called. This is a part of the river that cuts oH a great bend and forms an island. To go around the bend would be seven miles and to go across is about two, so that the island was nine miles in circumfer- ence. We entered the chute and found a swift current, and