﻿106 
  [Assembly 
  

  

  "bark 
  of 
  the 
  red 
  elm, 
  and 
  consists 
  of 
  but 
  one 
  piece. 
  Having 
  taken 
  

   off 
  a 
  bark 
  of 
  the 
  requisite 
  length 
  and 
  width, 
  and 
  removed 
  the 
  

   rough 
  outside, 
  it 
  was 
  shaped 
  in 
  the 
  canoe 
  form. 
  Rim 
  pieces 
  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 
  

   c^oe, 
  and 
  having 
  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 
  yerticai 
  prow. 
  In 
  size, 
  these 
  canoes 
  varied 
  

   from 
  twelve 
  feet, 
  with 
  sufficient 
  capacity 
  to 
  carry 
  two 
  men, 
  to 
  

   forty 
  feet, 
  with 
  sufficient 
  capacity 
  for 
  thirty. 
  The 
  one 
  figured 
  is 
  

   about 
  twenty 
  -five 
  feet 
  in 
  length, 
  and 
  its 
  tonnage 
  estimated 
  at 
  two 
  

   tons, 
  about 
  half 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  bateau 
  or 
  river 
  boat 
  in 
  use 
  upon 
  our 
  

   inland 
  waters 
  before 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  the 
  canal. 
  Birch 
  bark 
  

   retained 
  its 
  place 
  without 
  warping, 
  but 
  the 
  elm 
  and 
  hickory 
  bark 
  

   canoes 
  were 
  exposed 
  to 
  this 
  objection. 
  After 
  being 
  used, 
  they 
  

   were 
  drawn 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  to 
  dry. 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  chief 
  advanta- 
  

   ges 
  of 
  these 
  canoes, 
  especially 
  the 
  birch 
  bark, 
  was 
  their 
  extreme 
  

   lightness, 
  which 
  often 
  became 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  some 
  moment, 
  from 
  

   the 
  flood- 
  wood 
  and 
  water-falls 
  which 
  obstructed 
  the 
  navigation 
  

   of 
  the 
  inland 
  rivers. 
  Two 
  men 
  could 
  easily 
  transport 
  these 
  light 
  

   vessels 
  around 
  these 
  obstacles, 
  and 
  even 
  from 
  one 
  river 
  to 
  anoth- 
  

   er, 
  when 
  the 
  portage 
  w^as 
  but 
  a 
  few 
  miles. 
  

  

  For 
  short 
  excursions 
  one 
  person 
  usually 
  paddled 
  the 
  canoe, 
  

   standing 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  stern 
  ; 
  if 
  more 
  than 
  two, 
  and 
  on 
  a 
  long 
  expe- 
  

   dition, 
  they 
  were 
  seated 
  at 
  equal 
  distances 
  upon 
  each 
  side 
  alter- 
  

   nately. 
  In 
  the 
  fur 
  trade 
  these 
  canoes 
  were 
  extensively 
  used. 
  

   They 
  coasted 
  lakes 
  Erie 
  and 
  Ontario, 
  and 
  turning 
  up 
  the 
  Oswego 
  

   river 
  into 
  the 
  Oneida 
  lake, 
  they 
  went 
  up 
  Wood 
  Creek, 
  and 
  from 
  

   thence 
  over 
  the 
  carrying 
  place 
  at 
  Rome 
  into 
  the 
  Mohawk, 
  which 
  

   they 
  descended 
  to 
  Schenectady. 
  The 
  Iroquois 
  thus 
  possessed 
  a 
  

   connected 
  water 
  route 
  from 
  the 
  Hudson 
  to 
  Lake 
  Superior. 
  Their 
  

   canoes 
  would 
  usually 
  carry 
  about 
  twelve 
  hundred 
  pounds 
  of 
  fur. 
  

   At 
  the 
  periods 
  of 
  the 
  invasions 
  of 
  the 
  Iroquois 
  territories 
  by 
  the 
  

   French, 
  large 
  fleets 
  of 
  these 
  canoes, 
  sometimes 
  numbering 
  two 
  

  

  