( 231 )

timber of the following descriptions and di-mensions procured, from it’s demolition. Sixbeams of dry fir, each about 20 feet long and2 feet square; 3 or 400 rafters, about 10 feetlong, and 4 by 6 inches; 6 large doors; and20 running feet of mangers from the stables.The 6 large beams were formed into a raftabout 20 feet long and 12 wide; the buoyancyof which was therefore about 13,500 lbs. (page214). The rafters formed the beams, and theplanks of the mangers the floor. This raft hadto support a floor about 30 feet long, to whichit was fully adequate; its extreme buoyancybeing sufficient to float 60 or 70 men, exclusiveof the weight of floor; and half it’s extremepowers were not much more than required, forthe weights that had to cross it. In the shallowerparts of the section, piles were driven into thebottom of the river, and caps of light materiallaid across:—the beams were formed of youngpine trees 30 feet long, and about 7 inches indiameter. The doors and mangers of the innbeing too thick for the only nails that wereforthcoming, were secured to the beams by rib-bands, formed of young pines split thus ©, whichw ere laid over the ends of the planks, and tiedwith willow twigs, to the outside beams, and tothe caps of the piles. The raft was made fast