Chapter 3

It took me a fortnight to reach the end of the tide's influence on the mighty river, but I beached at night, or when the tide or wind were unfavorable, and if it was light enough, I set counterweight snares of vine hidden rope to catch deer. I caught two, and took the time to jerk them, a day here or there, although I covered the inside of the boat and dried much of the meat in the hot sun. Thinly sliced, it cured well, and if I wished for salt, I also wished for a kettle. I roasted a few haunches I had kept aside for my nightly repast, so the several weeks sped. I also saw natives, but they were busy with their own pursuits, and left me to my own devices. I tanned the hides as best I could, enough to keep them from stinking when wetted, with the view of making shoes and clothing later, perhaps more water containers if I might.

I did see what they were busy with, large fish teemed these waters, so I contrived a twine and nail line myself, rather than the netted poles they seemed to favor, and caught numbers of the weighty red fleshed sea-bounty. I saw that the native camps were drying the splayed open fish in the sun, so I emulated their local wisdom, and added drying fish to my indolent passage. I insured the further neglect of the locals by steering for the opposite bank when I saw an encampment ahead, and they seemed content to avoid me as I did them, as if the river was a highway of agreement and passage. It seems the ignorant savage peoples who lived here had not invented toll highways as yet.

The winds turned contrary about where another river joined mine, blowing in a steady day long hot exhalation to the sea, and the other river came from the south, not my intended direction, so I tried rowing, but found the craft unwieldy for one. I kept to the shallows at the bank, and found I could scull using a single oar while standing in the stern, and managed to continue several more days until I encountered a waterfall, of only sixty feet height, but more than I could easily pass. I thought it might be worth the effort to pass anyway, for the thought of carrying my supplies of dried meat and fish even dragged on a sledge wearied me even in the thinking, and a little effort expended now might save me much sweat and toil.

I scouted the side of the river I was on, and then moved to the other side before finding a reasonable portage, apparently used by others. I had to widen the way in several spots, but the slope wasn't too bad, and the ground was earth not rock, so I was able to drag the boat, unloaded around the falls. I had to hike the way numerous times, so I took the opportunity to construct my sledge, using the benches and thwarts of my boat, keeping only the aft bench for my repose. I couldn't row, only scull, and the sails were useless to me now in the prevailing wind.