fell to undermining it by
digging away the sand, and so to make it fall down, setting pieces of
wood to thrust and guide it in the fall. But after this was done, I was
still unable to stir it up, or to get under it, much less to move it
forward towards the water, and so I was forced to give it over.

This disapointment, however did not frighten me. I began to think
whether it was not possible for me to make a canoe or perigua, such as
the Indians make of the trunk of a tree, But here I lay under particular
inconveniencies; want of tools to make it, and want of hands to move it
in the water when it was made. However, to work I went upon it, stopping
all the inquiries I could make, with this very simple answer I made to
myself, _Let's first make it, I'll warrant I'll find some way or other
to get it along when it is done_.

I first cut down a cedar tree, which was five feet ten inches diameter
at the lower part next the stump, and four feet eleven inches diameter
at the end of twenty-two feet, after which it lessened for a space, and
then parted into branches. Twenty days was I a hacking and hewing this
tree at the bottom, fourteen more in cutting off the branches and limbs,
and a whole month in shaping it like the bottom of the boat. As for the
inside, I was three weeks with a mallet and chissel, clearing it in such
a manner, as that it was big enough to carry twenty-six men, much bigger
than any canoe I ever saw in my life, and confequentiy sufficient to
transport me and all my effects to that wished-for shore I so
ardently desired.

Nothing remained now, but, indeed, the greatest difficulty to get it
into the water, it lying about one hundred yards from it. To remedy the
first inconvenience, which was a rising hill between the boat and the
creek, with wonderful pains and labour I dug into the bowels of the
earth, and made a declivity. But when this was done, all the strength I
had was as insufficient to remove it, as it was when I attempted to
remove the boat. I then proceeded to measure the difference of ground,
resolving to make a canal, in order to bring the water to the canoe,
since I could not bring the canoe to the water. But as this seemed to be
impracticable to myself alone, under the space of eleven or twelve
years, it brought me into some sort of consideration: so that I
concluded this also to be impossible, and the attempt altogether vain. I
now saw, and not before, _what stupidity it is to begin a work b