SKELETON OF FISH AKD BOAT. 29 



skin, if it may be so termed. As far as I know, the two 

 original types of this structure are the Coracle of the ancient 

 Briton, and the birch-bark Canoe of the North American 

 Indian, and it is not a little remarkable that both exist to the 

 present day, with scarcely any modification. 



The Coracle has been already represented on page 22. It is, 

 perhaps, "Or was in its original form, the simplest boat in exist- 

 ence, next to the " dug-out." In the times of the very ancient 

 Britons, who were content with blue paint by way of dress, 

 and lived by hunting and fishing, the Coracle was a basin- 

 shaped basket of wicker-work, rather longer than wide, and 

 covered with the skin of a wild ox. This was sufficiently light 

 to be carried by one man, and sufficiently buoyant to bear him 

 down rapids, if he were a skilful paddler, and, of course, formed 

 a considerable step in civilisation. 



The modern Coracle is identical in form, and almost in 

 material. The frame is still oval and basin-shaped, and made 

 of wicker, but the outer covering is not the same. An ox-hide 

 is an expensive article in these days, and, especially when 

 wetted, is very heavy. So the modern Coracle builder covers 

 the wicker skin with a piece of tarpaulin, which is much 

 cheaper than the ox-hide, much lighter, is equally water-tight, 

 and has the great advantage of not absorbing moisture, so that 

 it is as light after use as before. 



The Esquimaux make a boat on very similar principles. It 

 is simply hideous in form, resembling a huge washing- tub in 

 shape, but, as it is only intended for the inferior beings called 

 women, this does not signify. 



Best, most perfect, and most graceful of all such boats is the 

 Birch-bark Canoe of the North American Indians, whose shape 

 has evidently been borrowed from that of a fish. I have seen 

 many of these canoes, and have now before me several models 

 which are exactly like the originals, except in point of size. 

 Instead of being mere elongated bowls, like the coracle, they 

 are long and slender, swelling out considerably in the middle, 

 and coming to an almost knife-like edge at each end. Both stem 

 and stern are alike, so that the canoe can be paddled in either 

 direction, and, as one of the paddlers always acts as steersman, 

 no rudder is needed. 



The mode of construction is perfectly simple. The labour is 



