100 



Cordovas Voyage (f Ducofver^ 



or filling up the interstices with dried grass and clay or mud, as 

 much as possible to prevent the entrance of the water* To give 

 some strength and resistance to the sides, they lay across the ca- 

 noe pieces of Avood resembling' pipe-staves, one by the side of 

 another, all along the length of the canoe, giving it the shape of 

 a semieliipsoid, and make the leJge or gunwale of two stroi>g 

 poles, well joined together at each end, and in tiiem are fixed 

 the ends of the cross-pieces, wiiich serve as ribs or timbers; 

 the whole being tied and sowed together with rushes ; placing 

 also crosswise irom time to time, some pieces of wood, that an- 

 swer the purpose of benches or thwarts to sit on. 



When the canoe is in this state, they line almost the whole of 

 the inside with pieces of the same bark, about one foot broad, 

 laid across, and having the ends made fast in the gunwale on 

 each side. In order to give these pieces the requisite bend, 

 they heat them by the fire, and, when they are haU dried, apply 

 them to their prof)er situations. Besides this, they form a kind 

 of floor from the fourth part from stem and stern, placinfj it 

 about half a foot from the bottom, leaving an opening in the 

 middle, to throw out the water. This sort of floor consists of 

 boards laid lengthwise over others placed crosswise ; and, as 

 well as all the rest of the cance, is covered with bark. 



Such is the construction of their boats, which, although but 

 rudely?- wrought, do not fail to cost these Indians much time 

 and labour, for want of instruments and tools proper for such 

 works, which, indeed, are the only ones in which the}'' show any 

 ability. They were not ignorant of the advantages to be drawn 

 from knives, hatchets, and naiis ; and soon showed us that they 

 preferred these tools to any other contrivance. Some of them 

 procured such instruiiients, and even tried to imitate them with 

 pieces of pipe-staves. 



Many of these canoes are capable of containing nine or ten 

 Indians: they are moved alofig with a sort of paddles, and 

 rowing them is the ordinary empio3'ment of the v.fomen^ 

 When they enter on a long voyage, whicii is always eitljer in a 

 calm or with a iair wind, they set up a pole as a mast in the 

 bow of the canoe, and across it another like a yard, having 

 fixed to it the skin of a seal, and keep the lower parts of ife 

 steady with tluir hands; and this scanty sail relieves them from 

 the fatigue of rowino. In t:)e middle of the canoe are some 

 stones, wiih heaps of shells and sand, cn which sort ot hearth 

 they make tiieir hre, keeping it up with brandies and sticks. 



Belonging to each caiioe also are several jars, such as those 

 before described, which serve to tijrow out the water which 

 makes its way into it. Besides, each has se\erai ropes or 



