But HOW they took it is a story in itself. Of course they started on a keel boat, but what do you know about such things back then? Sure the boat was loaded with everything they had decided they needed, but what if the boat got stuck on a snag or the water was down and they got stuck on a sand bar. It wasn't motorized. The only thing they could do was unload cargo until the boat was light enough to let go of the snag or sand bar. A lot of work!
But what happened when they came to a waterfall? or the end of the waterway altogether? They had to unload the boat and manhandle everything past the problem - including the boat!!
Well, what did they have to carry? How about these boogers - loaded with whatever:
Tobacco twists - remember our blog post from Virginia? - tobacco leaves twisted into "carrots" for shipment and storage. Tobacco was one of the most asked-for trade items by Indians and fur trappers alike.
Straw was used for packing - but they definitely used as little as possible in order to get as much product as possible in those barrels. They would hoist these, what? 50-gallon barrels? 100 gallon? onto their shoulders and clamber up and down banks and mountains and rocks until they were past the problem, and then have to reload everything and re-lash it down. These guys must have been the forerunners of today's Navy SEALs!!
Trade goods for the Indians was priceless. It could mean life or death. It was used to get those horses I was talking about earlier - with the help of Sacagawea. But how much would a barrel of beads weigh? Wow. Or flour? or sugar? or more importantly, salt? Mercy me!
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| No, this isn't the Rocky Mountains This is looking into the Grand Canyon of the Pacific on Kauai - taken August 2, 2010 Nice picture, and I'd bet those guys would be glad they were hiking the Rockies instead of trying to get through THIS canyon! |
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