Quebec. 235 



I HAVE likewife feen an Efquimaux boat. 

 The outfide of it confifts entirely of fkins, 

 the hair of which has been taken off; and 

 the fides of the fkins on which they were 

 inferted are turned outwards, and feel as 

 foiooth as vellum. The boat was near four- 

 teen feet long, but very narrow, and very 

 (harp pointed at the extremities. In the 

 infide of the boat, they place two or three 

 thin boards, which give a kind of form to the 

 boat. It is quite covered with fkins at the 

 top, excepting, near one end, a hole big 

 enough for a fingle perfon to fit and row in, 

 and keep his thighs and legs under the deck. 

 The figure of the hole refembles a femi-cir- 

 cle, the bafe or diameter of which is turned 

 towards the larger end of the boat. The 

 hole is furrounded with wood, on which a 

 foft folded fkiri is faftened, with ftraps at 

 its upper end. When the Efquimaux makes 

 ufe of his boat, he puts his legs and thighs 

 under the deck; fits down at the bottom of 

 the boat, draws the fkin before mentioned 

 round his body, and fattens it well with the 

 ftraps ; the waves may then beat over his 

 boat with confiderable violence, and not a 

 fingle drop comes into it ; the cloaths of 

 the Efquimaux keep the wet from him. 

 He has an oar in his hand, which has .a 

 paddle at each end ; it ferves him for. 



rowing 



