Retrieving data directly from a table adapter

In working with ADO.NET in VS2005, I need to find specific rows in the filled
adapter and get values from specific columns in those rows. To do this, I
first have to query the table adapter's binding source:

bs1.find("datafield",value to find in the datafield)

then I need an integer to store the position of the returned row:

intPos = bs1.position

Then I can retrieve data from the table adapter:

?me.ta1.GetData.Item(intpos).Item(2).ToString

The only way to get the information is using the ToString property, so I
have to convert any returned value that is not a string back to its actual
data type (number, date, etc.)

In addition, the find only works with one column value, so I can't find a
row or rows in the datatable based on multiple columns.

Last, if the find returns multiple rows, I only get the position of the
first one.

There must be a better way...