New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-02
THE DEFT ALASKAN C1NOE-BUiLDEh'

,,r,, sNAI. ApzE AS HIS ONLY TOOL HE
LABoRs FOR MONTHS ON SINGLE TAsh'
The environment OF the Alaska native has Always
made II necessary that he be an expert III canoe
building Long before the people OF the Norlii IA
cinc coast were acquainted with any Oh tue 'oo.'
and Implements used by the white man, 'he" VI
dorkes or skin boats and dugouts or wooden canoes
were marve.s Of strength. grace and beauty. IL mas
frequently puzzled civilized peoples TO understand
IN. method OF those natives In reaching such
perfecton In bodybuilding with SO few ana Win
such rude and imperfect tools as they were COM
PEELED TO use ,, ,
Before the advent OF the Russians IN Aiasha' anu
before the occasional British and American .raui's
vessels furnished those native peoples with iron
and steel working tools. the only implements .he'
employed in digging out canoes from so"u ioe'
ware rude AIDES or axes OF flint or obsdian Even
now when all kinds OF iron or steel tools are WIN
I'm easy reach. they employ only small ad~e VII"
which the greater part OF the work Is uohe Inc
flight OF time is OF little Importance 10 'heh anu
they therefore devote more OF 1t ana OF Pny s'ca
energy to the production of a canoe than white
man would care to devote II one has plenty Oh
leisure II is an interesting thing to watch a native
sbsning a canoe from the moment the tree from
,vhch II is made has been rolled upon the peach
in front of the village until 1t Is finally compieted
Frequently the yellow cedar tree nj LOT cahoc
has TO be noated In the straits or narrow chahhes
between the islands for many miles. AFTER having
heer felled with great difficulty on steep noun
tain side When canoe capable Of carrying eight
or ten persons Is wanted that Is. one about ior'y
feet long the tree is placed upon the beach IN front
of the village and there the builder works patiently
and deity for months at his task lie MAKES no
marks and draws lines TO wnich To "orn' o".
directs the small adze used In hewnS ny s'sii' anu
hand alone First, he cuts away the OUTSIDE Ill
small chips until he has 1t smoothly dressed 'heh
.go 10, he
interior until he has reduced the sides to the uni
form thickness OF about IN inch ana a GUAR -,
Then most difficult and delicate ' sh ranef,,I
to be performed that Is. TO impart 'ne ,S 1'hs
curves for which this kind or crart Is noteu' hs
rs hawing ont the interior wood is entirely filled
With water. and the incomplete canoe , SUJeat
Wv With ANYTHING else Of like kind and red-hot
stones ere thrown into the water 10 sehei te s'ea
PIECES 81 wood are placed crosswse of the in
terror and near the waist 10 asslst IN grauuan ,,
swelling bullying out the SIDES IN q, natent
the design 1t takes weeks trequsny s Oh and
endeavor to give the canoe the proper snape , a
by this process but wnen ih Curves or
the sides After the requisite shape IL mus sNrn
to the craft The water hat u When the wood dries
retains the shape given II In the steamlnS pr ,
These large ean %eT eanoe and the
ordinary purposes Of travelling hunting anu i,sii
Ing They are all painted o'acK ; pI h ts carved
figures representing the totems OF the village OF
family IN which the owner DeloHss'. i"eos
or yrinns I'm addition to being frightfu anu hiueos
in shane are painted in various colors III olue'
r. make them more terrifying TO an enemy rorn',
erIv nil classes OF these canoes were propeIieu anu
stored with the paddle. but recently many ot .le
natives have learned the use or the oar: anu en-
nnv II instead Not only that, but since Aiaska nas
| hscome an American dependency, wars between VI.
y,rn,,s villages have almost ceased, ana the grea'
war canoe is rapidly becoming thing OF tne pas pas
The time WILL perhaps. never come wneh tne o'sa
| kind can be wholly dispensed with. Tor roaus aiv
wholly impractcable In that country anu tne Oily
means OF getting about is by water tnroHsn .ne
,arinus channels, straits and nlets An tfiaska
native Is more careful of his canoe than Is inc "ts
man of his horse The moment II IL not IN use !. ~
dr,wn ont OF the water and up on the peacn II u
careflIv covered with whatever Is nearest AZ manu-
so 90 RI protect Il from the effects OF the wette,
ani The sun Oftener than does the most careiul
loom attend his horse the Indian wire Ups war.
Srom the sea in front OF the village. ana pouTs
n,ar the sides of the canoe to prevent IL ,ron
checkinp and cracking. At Prince Wiam lsianu
en- Tho Southern part OF the Alexandrian arcmpe-
Ia ago MANY of the natives make canoes 10 sen 10
nthers Of their own people farther north where nm
bar for canoe building Is not available Inc chliaie ~
~ tho natives are taught to manage a canoe AZ an
eariv age and Indian boys not more man nn W., VI
six years Old successfully navigate canoes att
feet in length in rough seas ana STORMY Me- ne
aaai hunters in the endeavor to intercept the sea
berd on its way north. often venture to sea 9is-
.nca ~ dfty or sixty miles In those frail-iooKihs
canoes and return In safety