hv_coatesi_account_1798_054

was done at our clearing. One of our youngmen was employed in baking bread andsome others of our company in writing,plastering up the holes in our house, and so forth. We have had very little rain since weleft home till yesterday and the river is so low,that some of the Indians, who know this nav-igation well, began to doubt whether ourboat could come up, but the present rain appears likely to afford a seasonable and plen-tiful supply, the river is already rising. We notice a great appearance of strawberries. 26th 7 day. This morning the river appearsto have risen about 18 inches, yet it is butvery little muddy; the day being fair consider-able progress was made in our clearing; cutting andheaping old logs, grubbing &;c., in which wesometimes had the help of a neighboringIndian, whose strength and activity, evincethere was nothing wanting but the will, tomake him a full workman at businessof this kind. 27th First day. This being First-day, about11 o'clock we sat down together for religious retire-ment, which through favor was a strengtheningtime to some of us, May such seasons be re-membered with gratitude and thankfulness,