Fort Anne. 299 



or againft the ground. With this view 

 fome people do not fell the trees, but climb 

 to the top of them, fplit the bark, and 

 ftripit off, which was the method our car- 

 penter took. The bark is fplit on one 

 fide, in a ftrait line along the tree, as long 

 as the boat is intended to be -, at the fame 

 time, the bark is carefully cut from the 

 ftem a little way on both fides of the flit, 

 that it may more eafily feparate ; the bark 

 is then peeled off very carefully, and parti- 

 cular care is taken not to make any holes 

 into it ; this is eafy when the fap is in the 

 'trees, and at other feafons the tree is heated 

 by the fire, for that purpofe. The bark 

 thus ftript off is fpread on the ground, in 

 a fmooth place, turning the infide down- 

 wards, and the rough outfide upwards, and 

 to ftretch it better, fome logs of wood or 

 ftones are carefully put on it, which prefs it 

 down. Then the fides of the bark are 

 gently bent upwards, in order to form the 

 fides of the boat ; fome flicks are then fixed 

 into the ground, at the diflance of three or 

 four feet from each other, in the curve line, 

 in which the fides of the boat are intended 

 to be, fupporting the bark intended for the 

 fides ; the fides of the bark are then bent in 

 the form which the boat is to have, and ac- 

 cording to that the fticks are either put nearer 



or 



