p31 1817 Journal Thomas Dean

very full of lags and trees, so that it was difficult getting ~ along. However, we with great exertion rode through in one hour and forty minutes; went up one~half mile and crossed onto the Illinois side, took breakfast on the bank, and then went on. The wind being fair, but light, it helped us some; the current being strong, rising, and smooth. We ran up to Wilkenson's Ferry and took dinner of mush and milk. This is ten or twelve miles from where we started. Near this place we saw the first rocks or stones since we came on the Wabash, as big as birds' eggs. After dinner we went two or three miles and came to a rapid called the Grand Chain. This swift water, with some rocks in the bottom, we ran up without difficulty, then passed several bends in the river, which brought the wind ahead, though it was light, and the clouds gathered on every side as though it would rain very hard, and there was much hard thunder and lightning. We ran until a little after sunset and put up at a cabin. The people very properly call them all cabins, here, they being small huts, though this one was poorer than common. We supped on mush and milk and turned down on the hours, where we rested indifferently. The man told us we had come twenty miles this day.

July 12th. We started about sunrise and ran up the river against a strong current most of the way three miles to the Grand Cutoff, which is about two and one-half miles across and twelve or fifteen around the island. It was thought we could not get up with our boat through the chute; we landed at the point and went to reconnoitre. We went up to the rapids, about a quarter of a mile, while breakfast was pre- paring, and found strong rapids with rocky bottom. As bad