SOURCE OP ST. Peter's river. 77 



laid in as large pieces as possible, generally so that there 

 shall be but two longitudinal seams, and two or three 

 transverse ; between the bark and the ribs very thin splints 

 of cedar are placed so as to prevent the bark from split- 

 ting ; all the joints are sewed with long threads obtained 

 by splitting the roots of a tree called by the voyagers epi- 

 nette, and which is probably a spruce.* To this thread the 

 term w^ata'p, used by the Chippewas, is applied by the 

 Canadians ; the seams as well as the cracks are covered 

 with pitch, (called by the Chippewas Peke,) made of the 

 gum of the epinette ; this is applied hot, and renders the 

 canoe water tight. In this manner a little vessel is ob- 

 tained, very well calculated for travelling on these wa- 

 ters, as it will carry a burden of upwards of three thou- 

 sand pounds ; and when any obstruction in the navigation 

 is encountered, the cargo may be discharged, and the canoe 

 easily carried by two men. A good view of these canoes 

 maybe seen in Plate 11. Those which we used were 

 thirty feet long, by about four feet wide in the middle, and 

 perhaps thirty inches deep. A number of transverse bars 

 serve to keep the canoe in its proper shape. The seats of 

 the paddlers are suspended to the gunwale. The bow and 

 stern are sharp and turned upwards. The great objection 

 that attends the use of bark canoes is the difficulty of keep- 

 ing them water-tight. It requires the greatest attention 

 to prevent them from touching a rock, or even the shore, 

 as they would otherwise break ; hence they are never 

 brought near to the bank ; two men keep the canoe afloat 

 at a distance, while the rest of the crew load or unload her ; 

 the canoe is unloaded every night, raised out of the water, 

 and left on the beach, bottom upwards ; this is also occa- 

 sionally done when they stop during the day ; it affords an 

 * Abies alba. 



Vol. it. 11 



