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Sharp-Ended 2^^-Fathom Hunting Canoe for use on tidal river. Built by 

 the Passamaquoddy Indian Peter Denis, it shows what may be the primitive 

 construction method of obtaining a V-form in hull. 



ing each way toward the ends, and its thickness along 

 the longitudinal centerline being about )'% inch and 

 tapering to about ){ inch at the edges; the two lengths 

 of the strake are butted, not lapped, amidships, 

 though the rest of the sheathing is lapped at the butts 

 in the usual way and is uniformly )\ inch thick. In 

 this manner a ridge that gives a V-deadrise is formed 

 down the centerline of the bottom, though the frames 

 are bent in a flattened curve from bilge to bilge. 

 The bottom has very little rocker, the rise being only 

 1 inch, and this takes place in the last 2 feet inboard 

 of the heel of the stem piece. 



Another feature in this canoe is the end profile; 

 the curved ends are strongly raked, the curve used 

 being the same as that in the old Malecite type, but 

 with the stem-pieces reversed, so that the quick turn 

 is at the head, near the sheer, rather than at the heel. 

 As a result, the gunwales come to the ends in a straight, 

 rising line for the last 16)^ inches rather than as a 

 sudden lift near the ends. The stem-heads stand a 

 little above the rail caps. The headboards belly 

 toward the ends and are raked in the same direction. 



The use of a V-shaped keel piece in the sheathing 

 has been found in a St. Francis canoe from the St. 

 Lawrence country; this may be a rather old prac- 

 tice. This racing canoe is very lightly built and 

 much decorated, the date 1888 being worked into 

 the hull near one end. 



Another canoe having a marked V-deadrise was 

 built sometime between 1890 and 1892 by Nicola 

 (sometimes called Peter) Denis (sometimes spelled 

 Dana), a Passamaquoddy, for his son Francis, who 

 used it at Frenchman's Bay, Maine. The drawing 

 above (fig. 67) shows a coastal-type hunting canoe, 

 nailed along the gunwales but sewn elsewhere, and 

 painted. The craft is 15 feet 9 inches overall and 

 14 feet 5 inches over the gunwales. The beam amid- 

 ships is 32 inches over the gunwales, 29)^ inches inside. 

 The depth amidships is 1 1 inches, and at the head- 

 boards, 14)^ inches. The ends are of the low rounded 

 form; the profile shows a moderate tumble-home 

 just below the sheer, which is a long fair curve without 

 any quick lift toward the ends. The construction 

 is of the usual Malecite type described in Chapter 3. 



76 



