Meriwether Lewis designed a lightweight, collapsible iron boat frame that could be transported easily and then assembled and covered when needed. The iron frame consisted of eight sections that, when connected, reached a length of 36 feet 4 1/2 inches and had a weight of 176 pounds. The addition of wood braces and an animal hide covering brought the total weight to 690 pounds. Lewis figured that the boat would carry a load of 8000 pounds. Lewis' men began assembly of the boat they referred to as the "Experiment" on June 23, 1805, above the Great Falls in modern-day Montana. The frame pieces were fastened together with screws and covered with the hides of twenty-eight elk and four buffalo. However, no pine trees could be found in the region, and they had no way to make the pitch needed to seal the seams. The mixture of beeswax, tallow, and charcoal they used instead did not seal the seams properly, and the boat quickly filled with water when placed in the river. Lewis' Experiment had to be abandoned.