ABORIGINAL USE OF WOOD IN NEW YORK 1 43 



strengthen the canoe, the two extremities of which rise gently, and 

 terminate in two sharp points bending inwards. These two extremi- 

 ties are perfectly alike; so that in order to go backward, the canoe- 

 men have only to change offices. He who happens to be behind 

 steers with his oar, still rowing at the same time ; and the chief em- 

 ployment of he who is forwards, is to take care that the canoe touch 

 nothing that may break it. They all sit low down, or on their knees, 

 and their oars are a sort of paddles from five to six feet long, com- 

 monly of maple. But when they are obliged to stem any strong 

 current, they are obliged to make use of a pole, and to stand upright, 

 and this is called picquer le fond, or piercing the bottom. They must 

 be well experienced to be able to preserve their balance in this work, 

 for nothing can be lighter, and consequently easier to overset, than 

 these vehicles, the largest of which, with their whole loading, do 

 not draw above half a foot water. The bark of which they are built, 

 as well as the timbers, are sewed with the roots of fir-trees, which 

 are more pliant, and less apt to dry than the osier. All the seams 

 are gummed within side and without, but they must be examined 

 every day, to see whether the gum has scaled off. The largest 

 canoes carry twelve men, two and two, and four thousand weight, or 

 two tons. Of all the Indians, the most expert builders are the 

 Outawais, and in general the Algonquin nations excel the Huron 

 Indians in this trade. There are few French who can make a canoe 

 even so much as tolerably well, but in conducting them, they are at 

 best full as sure to trust to as the natives, as they exercise themselves 

 at it from their infancy. All these canoes, the smallest not excepted, 

 carry sail, and with a favourable wind make twenty leagues a day. 

 Without sails you must have able canoe-men, to make twelve in still 

 water. Charlevoix, 1 : 294 



Alexander Henry, the trader, going up the St Lawrence in 1761, 

 used a very small birch canoe, 16 or 18 feet long. There were 

 smaller ones, but this was the usual size for the smaller lakes and 

 rivers. The larger ones, called northwest canoes, were employed by 

 the traders for the long traverses and great lakes. These were from 

 30 to 35 feet long, 5 feet wide and 2% feet deep, carrying 6000 

 pounds, beside the crew of 8 or 10 men, two of whom could carry 

 it over a portage. Henry, p.o. 



In New York such canoes would be used only on Lake Ontario 

 and Erie and thus are but incidentally considered here, but Mr Henry 

 mentioned some particulars worth quoting on the general subject: 



To each canoe there are eight men, and to every three or four 

 canoes, which constitute a brigade, there is a guide or conductor. 

 Skilful men, at double the wages of the rest, are placed in the head 

 and stern. They engage to go from Montreal to Michilimackinac, 



