238 A BIRCH-BARK CANOE TRIP 



made a lucky escape, and coming hither in a trading ship, married 

 a squaw and became a great sachem or chief. He lived to a ripe 

 old age, and before his death sent home to His Majesty of England 

 three canoe loads of bear, beaver and otter skins, with a petition 

 for a grant of land for the Indians ; and this was assented to. John 

 Young was Joe's great-grandfather, and though Newgate lost a 

 victim for the noose, Bathurst gained a useful citizen. 



Our canoe showing symptoms of leaking, we hauled her up 

 on the bank to dry, bottom up in the sun, preparatory to applying 

 rosin. Here let me express my intense admiration of the birch- 

 bark canoe, that incomparable vehicle of river navigation ; let me 

 pay tribute to its lightness and strength, its beauty and fitness. 



All the forest life is in it 

 All its mystery and magic, 

 All the toughness of the cedar, 

 All the lightness of the birch bark ; 

 And it glides upon the waters 

 Like a yellow leaf in autumn 

 Like a yellow water lily. 



The very soul and poetry of motion, how serenely it rests upon 

 the distracted waters, calm as the iris that broods over the raging 

 cataract, and with how gentle and swift a flight it can traverse 

 the placid lake, as silently as the silver moonbeam that steals 

 across its surface. No wonder that when the old Micmac warrior 

 lay down for his last sleep, to be borne by his weeping braves to the 

 great burial place at Penhook, or Sable Island near the shore, where 

 the sea was for ever to chant his funeral dirge, he was rolled in the 

 sheet of yellow bark which during his life had served him in such 

 good stead. Had it not formed the house that had sheltered him 

 from the scorching sun and driving snows ? Had it not made the 

 flambeau with which he had searched the dark stream by night 

 for the lurking salmon ? Had it not meant for him kitchen utensils, 

 pots and pans, cups and saucers ? Out of it had he not fashioned 

 the horn with which he had lured the mighty moose to his doom ? 

 Best of all, had it not equipped him with the canoe ? As has been 

 well said : ' What the steed is to the Arab, the camel to the 

 Abyssinian, that is (or was) the canoe to the Micmac Indian '. 



He believes that Providence had his needs in view when were 

 created birch bark and cedar bark these seeming requisites for 

 supporting life in the North American forest. When from the 

 cedar is torn the outer bark, a shaggy covering, there is found 

 inside a strong fibrous sheet, like wood pulp felt, which being cut 

 into long strips, furnishes both cord and rope. Moreover, the 



