I I. 



Sca/f in Fee/- 



-' ^ fafhom A/aonU/n Canoe 



0/<^ mode/, O/fawa /f/yer 



S/em Conj/ri/c//on 



Old Model, Ottawa River, Algonkin Canoe, combining capacity with 

 easy paddling qualities. 



wale cap. In a variation of this stem form, the top of 

 the stem was cut off almost square, forming a straight 

 line that ran parallel to the rise of the bottom below 

 the stems to the point where it would meet the up- 

 turned outwale and cap. The ends of the outwales 

 and caps were thus 3 or 4 inches inboard of the 

 extremities. This form of stem, particularly when 

 to top was rounded in a half-circle, approached the 

 basic form of the ends of the fur-trade canoe. 



All the examples of this form of canoe that were 

 examined were small, from 14 to a little over 16 feet 

 in length overall, but this is not proof that larger 

 canoes of this type had not existed earlier. 



The later and more common form of Algonkin 

 canoe was the wabinaki chiman. A corruption of 

 Abnaki, wabinaki to the later Algonkin meant the 

 Malecite as well as the St. Francis Indians. The 

 wabinaki chiman was built in lengths from 12 to 18 feet. 



Iroquois living in the Algonkin terriotry during 

 the period built this form of canoe as well as the older, 

 high-ended form. The wabinaki chiman was very 



much like the St. Francis and Malecite canoes in 

 appearance, but it was not an exact copy. The 

 Algonkin version was commonly a narrow-bottom 

 canoe with flaring topsides. There was some varia- 

 tion in the end profiles; most had the rather high, 

 peaked ends of the St. Francis canoe. The sheer was 

 rather straight until near the end, where it rose rapidly 

 to the stem. The stem was rounded and was faired 

 into the bottom. The top of the stem was often 

 rather straight and tumbled home slightly, but on 

 some it raked outward, much as did the stem of some 

 Malecite canoes. 



Another form of Algonkin canoe had a low sheer 

 with only a slight lift toward the ends. In this canoe 

 the stem might have a short, hard curve at the heel 

 and an upper portion that was quite straight and 

 slightly tumbled home; or the full height might be 

 well rounded, with a slight tumble-home near the 

 stem head. 



In appearance these canoes were very like the 

 straight-stem Malecite models. The wabinaki chiman 



114 



