WATER-CRAFT OF THE BACK-WOODS. 237 
his hand until he can use more powerful levers; once 
well started, he will worm his body between the bark 
and the trunk, and thus tear it off, throwing it upon the 
ground, like an immense scroll. The ross, or outside of 
the bark, is scraped off until it is quite smooth, the 
scroll is then opened, and the braces inserted in order to 
give the proper width to the gunnels of the canoe. 
Strong cords are then made from the bark of the linn 
tree or hickory, the open ends of the bark scroll are 
pressed together and fastened between clamps, the clamps 
secured by the cord. If the canoe be intended only for 
a temporary use, the clamps are left on. 
But if to usefulness there can be added the highest 
beauty, then the rude clamps are displaced by the sew- 
ing together of the ends of the bark. A preparation 
is then made of deer’s tallow and pounded charcoal, 
which is used instead of pitch to fill up the meshes of 
the seams, and the boat is complete. 
This simple process produces the most beautiful 
model of 2 boat that can be imagined; art can neither 
embellish the form, or improve upon the simple mechan- 
ism of the back-woods. Every line in it is graceful, and 
its sharp bows indeed seem almost designed to cleave the 
air as well as water, so perfectly does it embrace every 
scientific requisite for overcoming the obstructions of 
the element in which it is destined to move. In these 
apparently frail machines, the red man, aided but by a 
single paddle, will thread the quiet brook and deep run- 
