Show its validity important item that had to be prepared for was the "India-Rubbe- r" boat which Fremont describes The most the trip as being eighteen ® feet long in the form of a bark canoe of the northsides were formed by two air-tig- ht cylinders eighteen inches in diameter connected with others forming the bow and stern To lessen the danger from accidents to the boat these were divided into four different compartments and the interior space was suffi- made somewhat ern lakes The ciently large to contain five or six persons and considerable weight of baggage This boat was made of waterproof linen with seams "pasted in a very insecure manner" making it a very frail craft indeed A bellows was used to inflate the bags The craft had recently been used on Bear river and was in need of repairs prepared cloth and gum being carried for that This work was completed and the boat inflated on purpose the evening of September 7 The next morning while float- cylinders were found to be leaking so badly that one man was kept busy at the bellows to keep the craft afloat However progress was made to the mouth of the river On the morning of September 9 three airtight bags about three feet long and having a capacity of about five gallons each were filled with fresh water These were ing down Weber river 10 Fremont two Report of Exploring Expedition 147 |