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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



this distinction appears in all early writers, Baron Lahontan was 

 the only one of these who imperfectly figured the Iroquois bark canoe, 

 which he did by way of contrast with that made of birch. His 

 description and figures follow : 



The Iroquese canoes are so dull and large that they can not sail 

 near so quick as those made of birch bark. The former are made of 

 elm bark, which is very heavy, and the form is very awkward ; for 

 they are so broad and long that 30 men row in them, two abreast, 

 whether sitting or standing, and the sides are so low that they dare 

 not venture them upon the lakes, though the wind be very slack. 

 Lahontan, 1 \JJ 



Figure 88 is his picture of this, with its men in place, and figure 

 87 represents his birch canoe. By way of contrast, figure 84 shows 

 a modern elm bark canoe from Morgan, about 25 feet long and with 

 a capacity of 2 tons. His description follows : 



Having taken a bark of the requisite length and width, and re- 

 moved the rough outside, it was shaped in the canoe form. Rims of 

 white ash, or other elastic wood, of the width of the hand, were then 

 run around the edge, outside and in, and stitched through and 

 through with the bark itself. In stitching, they used bark thread or 

 twine, and splints. The ribs consisted of narrow strips of ash, which 

 were set about a foot apart along the bottom of the canoe, and hav- 

 ing been turned up the sides, were secured under the rim. Each end 

 of the canoe was fashioned alike, the two side pieces inclining 

 towards each other until they united, and formed a sharp and ver- 

 tical prow. . . Birch bark retained its place without warp- 

 ing, but the elm and hickory bark canoes were exposed to this 

 objection. Morgan, 2 : 26 



M. Pouchot gave an early account of the elm canoe: 



After having taken off the whole in one piece, they shave off the 

 roughest of the bark, which they make the inside of the canoe. They 

 make end ties of the thickness of a finger, and of sufficient length 

 for the canoe, using young oaks or other flexible and strong wood, 

 and fasten the two larger folds of the bark between these strips, 

 spreading them apart with wooden bows which are fastened in about 

 2 feet apart. They sew up the two ends of the bark with strips drawn 

 from the inner bark of the elm, giving attention to raise up a little 

 the two extremities, which they call pinccs, making a swell in the 

 middle and a curve on the sides, to resist the wind. If there are any 

 chinks, they sew them together with thongs, and cover them with 

 chewing gum, which they crowd in by heating it with a coal of fire. 



