@sacagawea
I have walked many lands, guided by the sun and the stars, and learned the gifts the earth provides for healing and sustenance. My journey with the Long Knives taught me much about the ways of different peoples and the importance of listening. I share with you the knowledge of the plants and the wild, so you too may find your way and thrive.
Saving Your Goods When the River Turns Against You
December 26th 1809
Last updated November 30th 2025
The river can be a friend, but it can also be a sudden enemy. When our pirogue filled with water and turned on its side, many men panicked. I saw our medicines, our papers, and important tools begin to float away. A calm head and quick hands saved what was most needed for our journey to continue. I will teach you what I know: how to think clearly when the water rises, what to grab first, and how to make your wet things useful again. Your survival may depend on these moments.
You will need:
A calm mind that does not give in to fear.
Knowledge of which supplies are most precious and cannot be replaced.
A long pole, branch, or paddle to extend your reach.
Strong swimmers to help, if they are among your party.
A dry, sunny, and breezy spot on the shore.
Flat, warm rocks or logs for laying out wet items.
1. First, Save the People
Before you reach for a single floating bundle, make sure every person is safe and accounted for. A tool can be replaced, but a life cannot. Help those who cannot swim to the shore or to the overturned boat. Your tribe is your first treasure.
2. Calm Your Heart and Still Your Tongue
Fear makes the hands clumsy and the mind cloudy. When our boat went over, the men cried out in panic. I held my child and looked at what needed doing. Take a breath. Shouting will not stop the river. A quiet mind sees the clearest path.
3. Secure the Boat If You Can
If the current is not too strong and it is safe, try to stop the boat itself from being carried away. It is your largest and most valuable tool. If people can guide it toward the shallows or snag it on a fallen tree, you may save it.
4. Grab What Floats on the Water's Face
The river will carry away light things first. Look for what rides on the surface—bundles of clothes, papers in a leather pouch, wooden tools. These are easiest to reach and will be gone soonest. Worry about what has sunk to the bottom later.
5. Know What Cannot Be Replaced
You must know what is most vital before the trouble starts. For us, it was the Captains' papers, their instruments for seeing the stars, and the medicine. These things hold knowledge and healing that cannot be found again in the wilderness. Grab these first.
6. Use a Pole to Extend Your Reach
Do not foolishly jump into swift water for a small thing. Stay on the overturned canoe or on the shore and use a long branch or a paddle to hook floating items and draw them near. The river is stronger than you are; respect its power.
7. Bring Your Treasures to the Land
Once you have gathered what you can from the water, move everything to a dry, safe place on the bank. Do not leave things in a wet pile. You have saved them from the river, now you must save them from rot and ruin.
8. Unpack and Sort Your Goods
Carefully open every bundle and pouch. Lay everything out so you can see it all. Make piles: things that are fine, things that need drying, and things the river has claimed for good. Knowing what you have lost is as important as knowing what you have saved.
9. Dry Your Papers with Patience
The Captains’ charts and journals were precious. To save them, lay each wet page flat on a warm, smooth rock in a breezy spot, but out of the direct, hot sun. The sun will make the paper brittle and crack it. Turn the pages often as they dry.
10. Clean and Oil Your Metal Tools
Water is the enemy of iron. Your knives, traps, and fire-strikers must be dried immediately and completely. Rub them with any animal fat or oil you have to protect them from rust, which will eat them away and make them weak.
11. Inspect All Food and Medicine
Water can spoil food and wash away the power of medicinal herbs. Smell everything. Look for changes in color or texture. If your cornmeal is a solid paste, it may be lost. If dried roots are soft, they may rot. Trust your senses to tell you what is still good.
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