﻿1847. BOATS. 41 



generally about 36 feet long from stem to stern-post, 

 8 feet wide, stoutly framed and planked, and are ca- 

 pable of carrying seventy packages of 90 lbs. each, 

 with a creAv of eight men. Tlie thickness of the 

 planks of these boats is such that they sustain with 

 little injury a severe blow against a rock, to which 

 they are much exposed in descending the rapids ; 

 but their weight being proportionally great, they are 

 transported with much labour across the ordinary 

 portages, and it is necessary to avoid this operation 

 altogether at Methy Portage by keeping a relay of 

 boats at each terminus. Moreover, these boats re- 

 semble the London river barges in the great rake 

 of the stem and stern, by which they are better 

 fitted for the descent of a rapid, but from the flat- 

 ness of their floors they are leev/ardly and bad sea- 

 boats. 



Two of the expedition boats measured 30 feet 

 from the fore part of the stem to the after part 

 of the stern-post, 6 feet in breadth of beam, and 2 

 feet 10 inches in depth ; and each of them weighed 

 6^ cwt., or, including littings, masts, sails, oars, 

 boat-hook, anchor, lockers and tools, half a ton. 

 The other two boats measured 28 feet in length, 

 5 feet 6 inches in width, 2 feet 8 inches in depth ; 

 and weighed 5^ cwt., or, with the moveable fittings 

 and equipment, 9 cwt. They were all clinker- 

 built of Avell-seasoned Norway fir planks -^q of an 



