The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North AmericaChapelle, Howard Irving
History
The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America
Chapelle, Howard Irving
Canoes and canoeing -- North America; Indians of North America -- Boats; Skin boats -- North America
CROOKED CANOE, 2½-FATHOM, OF THE UNGAVA PENINSULA, used by the
Ungava-Cree, Montagnais, and Nascapee. Also built with a wide bottom
and a slight tumble-home in the topsides.]
[Illustration: Figure 93
HYBRID MODEL OF THE NASCAPEE-CREE CANOE, 2-FATHOM, built of spruce or
birch bark, with details of canoes and paddles.]
The ends were formed by means of the same technique used for Micmac
canoes; no inside stem-piece was employed and the bark cover was
stiffened by outside battens covered by the lashing. In the Cree
canoes, however, the stem battens were "broken" sharply at the sheer to
form a slightly rounded peak where the end met the gunwale caps. The
"break" in the battens was made by bending them very sharply, so that
they were almost fractured. The Cree practice also differed from that
of the Micmac, although not universally, by passing the lower end of
the stem batten through the bark cover at the point where the stem met
the bottom. The slit thus made was sealed with gum or, more recently,
covered with cloth impregnated with gum. The stems were lashed in
various ways; the most common was a spiral form up to the sheer. Near
the gunwale caps crossed stitches or small, closely spaced wrappings
were also employed. The tops of the battens, forming the peak of the
stem, were brought along under the rail caps, in line with the gunwale
lashings inboard, and secured with a continuous lashing for about 6
inches. In the northern parts of the area under discussion the stem
lashing was often of rawhide.
[Illustration: Figure 94
EASTERN CREE CROOKED CANOE of rather moderate sheer and rocker.
(_Canadian Pacific Railway Company photo._)]
Gunwale caps were wider than the gunwales and thus gave some protection
to the lashing there. The ends of the gunwale caps were heavily tapered
to allow the sharp bends necessary to carry them out on the stems. They
were pegged or nailed to the gunwales, but at the ends were lashed;
usually with two or three small group lashings over and under the stem
battens, below the caps.
The most recent canoes had canvas covers instead of bark. Nails, tacks,
and twine for sewing were used; otherwise they were built as the
Indians built birch- and spruce-bark craft, and not as white men built
canvas canoes and boats.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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