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Malecite 2}2-Fathom River Canoe of 1890 from the Riviere du Loup region. 

 Canoes in this area had straight stems and sharp Hnes from at least as early as 

 1857- 



but others had nearly vertical sides or the curve of 

 the bilge was carried so high that it ended at the 

 gunwales. 



On the St. Lawrence there was apparently a canoe 

 having rather peaked ends as well as the rather 

 straight-stemmed, low-ended type. A St. Lawrence 

 River canoe found in the Chateau de Ramezay and 

 built sometime before 1867 provides an example of the 

 rather high-peaked ends. The canoe, as illustrated 

 on page 77 , has a well-rounded bilge working into a 

 very round tumble-home above and into a rather 

 flat bottom below, the tumble-home being carried 

 into the extreme ends, so that the headboards are 

 rather wide. The ends round up rather quickly and 

 then continue up to the sheer in a very slight curve, 

 having a very moderate tumble-home near the sheer. 

 The latter follows somewhat the characteristic 

 sheer of the old Malecite canoes, but the straight 

 portion just inboard of the ends is much shorter, so 

 that the quick upsweep of the sheer begins nearer the 

 ends and thus appears somewhat more pronounced. 



The construction is in the usual manner. The 

 rocker of the bottom is 2 inches. The ribs are wider 



amidships than near the ends. The outwale is 

 rounded on the outboard face so that the cap is 

 slightly narrower than the thickness of inner gunwale 

 and outwale combined. The headboard is rather 

 unusual, however, as it is not bellied but stands 

 straight and vertical. The lashing at the upper 

 portion of the stems is the crossed stitch, below it is 

 spiral. The gunwale groups are made up of six passes 

 through the bark, and the spaces between groups are 

 about 2)'i inches. The side panels are sewn with 

 the harness stitch. The canoe is 16 feet long overall 

 and 14 feet 5 inches inside the gunwales; the extreme 

 beam amidships is 37 inches and inside the gunwales 

 32 inches. The depth amidships is about 13 inches 

 and the height of the ends 25 inches, with 2 inches 

 of rocker at the headboards. This canoe, retaining 

 the high ends, marks the transition from the old form 

 to the new. 



A later canoe built on the St. Lawrence about 1890, 

 probably near Riviere de Loup, is shown above. 

 It is 16 feet 11 inches long overall, the beam over the 

 gunwales is 331^ inches and inside it is 31 inches, the 

 curve of the bilge being carried up to the gunwales. 



78 



