ARK CANOE.

Norman expected that they would be able to finish the canoe in about a
week. Of course, the sooner the better, and no time was lost in setting
about it. The ribs or "timbers" were the first thing to be fashioned,
and a number of straight branches of cedar were cut, out of which they
were to be made. These branches were cleared of twigs, and rendered of
an equal thickness at both ends. They were then flattened with the
knife; and, by means of a little sweating in the ashes, were bent so as
to bear some resemblance in shape to the wooden ox-yokes commonly used
in America, or indeed to the letter U.

The ribs when thus bent were not all of the same width. On the contrary,
those which were intended to be placed near the middle or gangway of the
vessel, were about two feet across from side to side, while the space
between the sides of the others was gradually less in each fresh pair,
according as their position was to be near to the stem and stern. When
the whole of them had been forced into the proper shape, they were
placed, one inside the other after the manner of dishes, and then all
were firmly lashed together, and left to dry. When the lashing should be
removed, they would hold to the form thus given them, and would be ready
for fastening to the kelson.

While Norman was occupied with the timbers the others were not idle.
Basil had cut down several of the largest and straightest birches, and
Lucien employed himself in carefully removing the bark and cleansing it
of nodules and other inequalities. The broad sheets were suspended by a
smoke fire, so as completely to dry up the sap, and render it tough and
elastic. Francois had his part to play, and that was to collect the
resinous gum which was distilled in plenty from the trunks of the
epinette or spruce-trees.

This gum is a species of pitch, and is one of the most necessary
materials in the making of a bark canoe. It is used for "paying" the
seams, as well as any cracks that may show themselves in the bark
itself; and without it, or some similar substance, it would be difficult
to make one of these little vessels water-tight. But that is not the
only thing for which the epinette is valued in canoe-building; far from
it. This tree produces another indispensable material; its long fibrous
roots when split, form the twine-like threads by which the pieces of
bark are sewed to each other and fastened to the timbers. These threads
are as strong as the best