THE REFERENDUM 



187 



CONCERNING CANOES 



Editor Recreation : 



The gentle art of canoeing has made won- 

 derful strides of late. So much so that the 

 Indian canoe is to be found alike on the Hud- 

 son, the Seine and the Thames. Yet were 

 one of the ancient Indian worthies to return 

 to our midst, he would perhaps hardly rec- 

 ognize the craft. 



The Indian canoe was built of birch bark. 

 The modern canoe may be made of anything, 

 from boiler plate to oil silk; but the two ma- 

 terials that are finding greatest favor are the 

 wood of the white cedar and closely woven 

 canvas. Advocates of the modern canoe point 

 out that the Indian made his craft of birch 

 bark because nothing else equally good was 

 available. This is true. We find today that 

 the birch bark has certain advantages in wil- 

 derness travel that are not to be gainsaid. 

 In the first place they are lighter, length for 

 length, than any other canoe of equal carry- 

 ing capacity. I have known new birch bark 

 canoes made by an Indian trapper for his own 

 use that weighed but twenty-three pounds, 

 though they were eleven feet in length, and 

 would carry, at least, two hundred and fifty 

 pounds on a draft of four to five inches. A 

 15-foot canoe that I assisted in paddling over 

 several hundred miles of difficult navigation, 

 weighed forty-five pounds at the end of the 

 trip, and would probably not have tipped the 

 beam at more than forty pounds when we? 

 started. The birch bark becomes sensibly 

 heavier during a long journey, owing to the 

 splits lining the inside, becoming sodden, and 

 also through the accumulation of earth and 

 gravel in the chinks. 



The Peterborough canoe, which although 

 originally made at Peterborough, Ontario, is 

 now built in many other places, is a much 

 easier craft to paddle than the birch boat, and 

 there is no reason why it should not carry 

 an equal load and be as good a boat in a sea- 

 way; but the manufacturers are forced to 

 supply the canoe that the public demands, 

 and the great canoe-buying public consists 

 mostly of the youths that desire to paddle 

 swiftly over an unobstructed course, usually 

 so situated that the young lady friends of the 

 aforesaid youths may view the sport either 

 from the boat-club veranda, or some other 

 equally favorable point of vantage. These 

 youngsters know nothing of bad rivers. Few 

 of them have ever followed the Indian and 

 seen him move all his earthly belongings from 

 point to point in a birch bark canoe. So 

 that they do not appreciate the value of the 

 material that the Indian prefers. 



The birch bark canoe will outlive the Peter- 

 borough in a seaway — and when I say the 

 Peterborough I mean all canoes of metal and 

 canvas as well. The birch bark canoe, owing 

 to the rocker of its bottom, can be made to 

 twist and turn so as to avoid rocks and snags, 

 much more readily than the straighter, nar- 



rower and heavier Peterborough. But these 

 objections to the Peterborough are only ob- 

 jections to the model usually selected. Any 

 of the firms that build canoes could make 

 one that would prove superior to the Indian 

 canoe in every respect, but the demand does 

 not seem to warrant any extensive outlay for 

 moulds and patterns. As long as the white 

 man is satisfied with mere speed, the present 

 Peterborough and its competitors arc good 

 enough. But should he want a Peterborough 

 for long-distance travel in the wilderness, he 

 will do well to confide his intention to the 

 builder, in order that the latter may modify 

 the proposed craft in the way of depth, 

 weight and shear. For instance, one little 

 difference in the make of a canoe means much 

 on a long portage. The Indian canoe is al- 

 ways of such a depth that, when the paddles 

 are tied lengthwise from the center to the 

 forward bar, the weight of the canoe will rest 

 on the man's shoulder when he carries it, 

 the depth being sufficient to keep the up- 

 turned craft from pressing on the top of his 

 head. 



With the ordinary Peterborough the whole 

 weight of the canoe is thrown on the head 

 and neck, -which is, to say the least, undesir- 

 able. 



The Indian canoes of other days did not 

 contain a single nail or piece of metal. Yet 

 for such work as they were designed noth- 

 ing could have been better. In those days 

 large canoe birch were abundant; now they 

 are scarce in most places, and the Indians 

 travel long distances to secure sheets of birch 

 bark, and even then have to put up with a 

 quality that would not have been acceptable 

 in other days. In regions where the white 

 birch is not to be found, spruce bark is made 

 use of, but it is very inferior to that of birch. 

 Canvas is undoubtedly a first-rate covering 

 for a canoe; it is a pity that it does not 

 grow in the forest. Of course, a roll of can- 

 vas may be taken with which to cover the 

 canoe, but the roll of canvas has to be car- 

 ried, perhaps, over many an arduous portage, 

 and may, even then, never be rquired, while 

 the birch bark, when wanted, may be found 

 almost anywhere. 



St. Croix, Montreal. 



THE CONNECTICUT 



Editor Recreation. 



I have paddled the route many times, and 

 can heartily endorse the Connecticut as an 

 ideal waterway for devotees of the canoe. 

 Throughout the state of Massachusetts the 

 scenery is Unsurpassed anywdiere, and while 

 lacking the wildness of more northern rivers, 

 it has a beauty quite as enjoyable. 



Any time you or your correspondents de- 

 sire further information I shall be most happy 

 to give you a lift. 



Chas. S. Taylor, Westbrook, Conn. 



