976 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



appeared from the seas. A discussion of the causes of 

 that unfortunate state of affairs does not fall within the 

 scope of this article. The early builders of ships and 

 boats in America brought 

 the art with them when 

 they crossed the sea. 

 Among them were men who 

 were masters of the busi- 

 ness. They belonged to the 

 foremost seafaring people 

 of that period ; and when 

 they landed on the eastern 

 coast of the New World 

 their practiced eyes quickly 

 surveyed the unbroken for- 

 ests and saw an abundance , 

 of ship material ready for 

 cutting. They had scarcely 

 set foot on the shore before 

 some of them began to 

 build ships, and their de- 

 scendants have been build- 

 ing ships ever since. They 

 received occasional hints 

 from the native Americans, 

 but no serious lessons, for 

 the Indians were poor sea- 

 farers. Some of them ven- 

 tured in their light boats a 

 a few miles from shore to fish, fight, or hunt, but their 

 cheif activities afloat were confined to rivers, lakes, and 

 other inland waters. The Indians' boats were built for 



THE IDEAL BARK CANOE 



Canoes like that in the picture may be seen in dreams and heard of in 

 romance, but such things in real life are not much in evidence. Let no 

 one look for a canoe, which is little longer than a man, carrying two 

 persons while floating high and graceful as a white swan. They are met 

 with only on the pages of summer resort folders. 



smooth waters, for the most part, and along that par- 

 ticular line they were able to teach the newcomers, and 

 they did so. Nevertheless, not much that was new in 



making boats or in sailing 

 them was found in Ameri- 

 ca. Nearly all that the 

 aborigines knew had been 

 known hundreds or thou- 

 sands of years before by 

 people of the Old World. 

 The Indian's canoe was the 

 most interesting of his in- 

 ventions or discoveries as a 

 means of water travel, and 

 he had two kinds of canoes, 

 one of bark, and one of 

 wood. It is not necessary 

 to deal with these at length, 

 but it is proper to speak of 

 them, because canoes mod- 

 eled after those of the In- 

 dians preformed a very 

 important part in our early 

 history, and these canoes 

 are with us yet, though in 

 modified form. They are 

 used now for pleasure more 

 than for business. 



The bark canoe was most 

 in use on northern waters, and it was generally made of 

 the bark of paper birch, though some were made of the 

 bark of elm, basswood, hickory, and of other trees. The 



ADJUNCTS OF PLEASURE BOATS 



These articles consist of a single and a double paddle, three styles of back rests and two folding canoe chairs, and adjustable rowing seats. 

 Such articles belong in the industry which makes boats and supplies, and they are produced in very great quantities. 



