§luehec. 235 



I HAVE likewlfe feen an Efqiilmaux boat. 

 The outfide of it confifts entirely of ikins, 

 the hair of which has been taken off j and 

 the fides of the fkins on which they were^ 

 inferted are turned outwards, and feel as 

 fmcoth as vellum. The boat was near four- 

 teen feet long, but very narrow, ai i very 

 fharp pointed at the extremities- In the 

 iniide 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 fmgle 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 fkin is faftened, with flraps at 

 its upper end. When the 'Efqiimaux 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 faftens it well with the 

 flraps ; 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 



