CANOES OF THE NORTH PACIFIC COAST INDIANS 245 
into the shallow water 
and carried their women 
ashore, then returned 
to the canoe, flung the 
dogs into the sea to 
swim ashore by them- 
selves and next carried 
arm loads of small slabs 
to the women. ‘These 

slabs the women placed 
crosswise on the beach 
and as the men pushed Chinook canoe. Note overhanging prow 
and vertical stern. Seaworthy and outside of 
the Haida the most extensively used 
the canoe on to the im- 
provised skidway, the 
women gathered up the 
slabs as fast as the canoe 
passed over them and 
ran ahead to repeat the 
operation. 
Curiously enough a 
canoe sometimes has a 
width greater than the 
diameter of the cedar 
tree from which it was 
dug out. ‘To effect this 
result, the dug out canoe 

is filled with water, then 
River canoes owned by Kwakiutl. Semi- 
circular in cross section, spoon-shaped at the 
hot stones are added, 
and after the wood is ends. Poled by two men, one in the prow, one 
somewhat softened, the nEmnetatenn 
sides of the canoe are 
pressed outward and fastened in place by means of thwarts which are tied 
in with spruce or cedar rootlets. When the canoe is nearly finished great 
care is taken in adzing it down, measures being used to get it to the proper 
thickness throughout. The surface of the canoe is usually charred, which 
not only serves to give it a good black color but tends to prevent it from 
decaying. 
There is some doubt as to whether sails were used on any of the canoes 
before the Indians first saw white navigators, but it is certain that they 
were used before canvas was a commodity in the country, strips of 
cedar bark being woven together for the purpose as in some of the mats of 
to-day. 
