282 PREHISTORIC FISHING. 



food ; but at present this is the business of the Dutch and English, who live in 

 Long Island and other maritime provinces. As soon as the shells are caught, 

 the fish is taken out of them, drawn upon a wire, and hung up in the open air, 

 in order to dry by the heat of the sun. When this is done, the flesh is put into 

 proper vessels, and carried to Albany upon the river Hudson; there the Indians 

 buy them, and reckon them one of their best dishes. Besides the Europeans, 

 many of the native Indians come annually down to the sea shore, in order to 

 catch clams, proceeding with them afterwards in the manner I have just de- 

 scribed." (Vol. I, pages 187, 189, etc.). 



[Raccoon, New Jersey, January, 1749]. " When the Indians intended to 

 fell a thick strong tree, they could not make use of their hatchets, but for want 

 of proper instruments, employed fire. They set fire to a great quantity of wood 

 at the roots of the tree, and made it fall by that means. But that the fire might 

 not reach higher than they would have it, they fastened some rags to a pole, 

 dipped them into water, and kept continually washing the tree, a little above the 

 fire. Whenever they intended to hollow out a thick tree for a canoe, they laid 

 dry branches all along the stem of the tree, as far as it must be hollowed out. 

 They then put fire to those dry branches, and, as soon as they were burnt, they 

 were replaced by others. Whilst these branches were burning, the Indians were 

 very busy with wet rags, and pouring water upon the tree, to prevent the fire 

 from spreading too far on the sides, and at the ends. The tree being burnt 

 hollow as far as they found it sufficient, or as far as it could, without damaging 

 the canoe, they took the above described stone-hatchets, or sharp flints, and 

 quartzes, or sharp shells, and scraped off the burnt part of the wood, and 

 smoothened the boats within. By this means they likewise gave it what shape 



they pleased. A canoe was commonly between thirty and forty feet 



long." (Vol. I, page 340, etc.).* 



" The Indians employ hooks made of bone, or bird's claws, instead of fishing- 

 hooks. Some of the oldest Swedes here told me, that when they were young, a 

 great number of Indians had been in this part of the country, which was then 

 called New Sweden, and had caught fishes in the river Delaware with these hooks." 

 (Vol. I, page 345). 



Morgan (Lewis H.}: League of the Ho-de-no-sau-nee, or Iroquois; Rochester, 

 1851. " In the construction of the bark canoe, the Iroquois exercised consider- 

 able taste and skill. The art appears to have been common to all the Indian 

 races within the limits of the republic, and the mode of construction much the 



* Professor Kalni describes very minutely (Vol. II, p. 129-33) the manufacture of a white-elm bark canoe, 

 witnessed by him at Fort Ann, New York. The canoe was made according to Indian rules, though by whites. 

 I insert the shorter account of Iroquois canoe-making given by Mr. Lewis H. Morgan, and relating to a special 

 one which he figures. 



