. Bulletin - United States National Museum. Science. A 15-F00T Beothuk Canoe of Newfoundland with 42}2-inch beam, inside measurement, turned on side for use as a camp. It gives headroom clearance of about 3 feet, double that of an 18-foot Maiccitc canoe with high ends. When the ends were not high enough to provide clearance, small upright sticks were lashed to bow and stern. The shape of the gunwales would permit the canoe to be heeled to an angle (more than 35°) which would swamp a canoe of ordinary sheer and depth. {Sketch by Adney.) Nearly all observers, Cartwright included, noted
. Bulletin - United States National Museum. Science. A 15-F00T Beothuk Canoe of Newfoundland with 42}2-inch beam, inside measurement, turned on side for use as a camp. It gives headroom clearance of about 3 feet, double that of an 18-foot Maiccitc canoe with high ends. When the ends were not high enough to provide clearance, small upright sticks were lashed to bow and stern. The shape of the gunwales would permit the canoe to be heeled to an angle (more than 35°) which would swamp a canoe of ordinary sheer and depth. {Sketch by Adney.) Nearly all observers, Cartwright included, noted the almost perfect V-form cross section of these canoes, with the apexes rounded off slightly and the wings slightly curved. From an interpretation of Cartwright's statements, it appears that after the bark cover had been laced to the gunwales, the latter were forced apart to insert the thwarts, as in some western Indian canoe-building techniques. The three thwarts are described as being about two fingers in width and depth. It is stated that the gunwales were made up of an inner and outer member and all were scarfed in the middle to taper each way toward the ends, the outer member serving as an outwale or guard. Cartwright also states that the inside of the bark cover was "lined" with "sticks" 2 or 3 inches broad, cut flat and thin. He refers also to others of the same sort which served as "timbers" so he is describing both the sheathing and the ribs as being 2 or 3 inches wide. He does not say how the thwarts were fitted to the gunwales, how high the ends were, how the ends of the gunwales were formed, nor does he give any details of the sewing used. However, the grave models suggest the form of sewing probably used and the propor- tions of sheer. An old settler told James Howley that the Beothuk canoes could be "folded together like a ; Considering the construction required in birch-bark canoes, this is manifestly i
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Keywords: ., bookauthorun, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectscience
