June 1749. 



or further off. The ribs of the boat are made 

 of thick branches of hiccory, they being 

 tough and pliable. They are cut into feve- 

 ral flat pieces, about an inch thick, and 

 bent into the form which the ribs require, 

 according to their places in the broader or 

 narrower part of the boat. Being thus bent, 

 they are put acrofs the boat, upon the 

 back, or its bottom, pretty clofe, about a 

 fpan, or ten inches from each other. The 

 upper edge on each fide of the boat is made 

 of two thin poles, of the length of the 

 boat, which are put clofe together, on the 

 fide of the boat, being flat, where they 

 are to be joined. The edge of the 

 bark is put between thefe two poles, and 

 fewed up with threads of baft, of the 

 moufe-wood, or other tough bark, or with 

 roots. But before it is thus fewed up, the 

 ends of the ribs are likewife put between the 

 two poles on each fide, taking care to keep 

 them at fome diftance from each other. 

 After that is done, the poles are fewed to- 

 gether, and being bent properly, both their 

 ends join at each end of the boat, where 

 they are tied together with ropes. To 

 prevent the widening of the boat at the 

 top, three or four tranfverfe bands are put 

 acrofs it, from one edge to the other, at 

 the diftance of thirty or forty inches from 



each 



