200 BUREAU or AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY Ibull.G3 



interest is Mr. Bynoe's description of the two large plank boats seen in 

 the Gulf of Trinidad; they were 30 feet long and 7 wide; the weight 

 of two men standing on one gunwale did not swamp the boat (Fitz- 

 Roy, a, 198). 



Dr. Coppinger some 50 years later found plank boats of 5 pieces, 

 and 20 feet long (43-44), and others holding 16 and even 23 persons 

 (67, 74) — ^this last at the northern end of Picton Channel. 



Many good descriptions of the plank boat are available. See, for 

 example: Lozano, ir, 31, 455; Coppinger, 43-44; Friederici, a, 44-45; 

 Juhet, 335-336. Dr. Fonckhas reproduced from Father Menendez' 

 manuscript the only extant cut of the now vanished Chilotan dalca 

 (Fonck, I, 104; ii, 436; cf. also bibliography, ibid., ii, 193). 



The Chonos and more southern Canoe Indians made their dalcas 

 without axes or adzes, by the use of fire, flints, and shells (Byron, a, 

 152; Garcia, 23; Rosales, a, vol. i, 174). Beechwood was the usual 

 material for the planks (OUvares, 371; King, 280; cf., however, 

 Steffen, a, 110). 



An interesting feature of the dalca was that it could be readily 

 taken apart for portaging over isthmuses and necks of land (BjTon, 

 a, 151-153; Olivares, 376). 



Portages. — Portage routes are very common in the territory be- 

 tween the Chonos Archipelago and Port Gallant in the Strait (cf., 

 e. g., Skottsberg, c, 101 ; Du Valdailly, 294 ; Coppinger, 59 ; Pacheco, a, 

 54; Reynaud, a, 94; Steffen, a, 110-111; h, 346-347; see also Fonck, 

 II, 17, and King, 283). Prof. Furlong (verbal communication) was 

 told of one in Yahgan territory — perhaps this is the mountain pass 

 between the head of Romanche Channel and Tekenika Bay (cf. note 

 on map no. 453, United States Hydrographic OfTice) — but with this 

 possible exception they are not reported east of the Port Gallant 

 district. The portage route across the Isthmus of Ofqui was the 

 common native highway from earliest times between the Chonos 

 Archipelago and the Gulf of Pen as. 



Sails. — In a favorable wind both the Yahgans and the Alacaluf 

 sometimes use a crude sail made of a sealskin or of several seal skins 

 sewn together (Dabbene, h, 181, 208; Hyades, q, 13; Coppinger, 64; 

 King, 382; Bougainville, 2d ed., i, 291 ; Walhs, 392). It is reported 

 among tlie Alacaluf as early as 1698 (Du Plcssis, in Marcel, a, 492; c, 

 109) and among the Chilotans and Chonos as early as 1791 (Gonzalez 

 dc Agiieros, 67) and 1767 (Garcia, a, 23), and among the Chilotans in 

 1674 (Rosales, a, vol. i, 175). Its occm'rence among the Alacaluf at 

 such an early date would suggest that it is of native origin, not of 

 European introduction, but the point can not be conclusively de- 

 cided (cf. also discussion in Friederici, a, 73-79, esiJccially 74). 



Oars and paddles. — As a rule oars are used with the plank boats, 

 and paddles with the bark canoes. Where oars are used, a coxswain, 



