The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-20

suur types ar canoes used BY the Indians
In nAvlgattne the waters OF Puget SOUND.
At least tWo a. the four have no Eneiisn
names which are ut all distinctive ana
therefore we must tall hack upon the
graphic and cultural snohomish uno-an)
tongue Tor their names. The tour Vpess
- shown In the accompanying Illustration
beginning at the top,. are the CD TIE or
''shovel-nosed canoe; ca stee-whatti: %
. stee-wheetti; % ah-oh-tuss, or CHINOOK
canoe" The second type is quite uncom-
mon and the FIRST comparatively SO. BY
TAR the commonest forms are the third and
fourth. each Of which has its own advan-
tages and Disadvantages which especially
adapt II 70 It's own peculiar uses
The tile, or ''shovel-nose," - very well
described by its name. II Is not pointed q
either end: it h douhle-ender, each end
beng nattened and in shape very like the
bowl Of . large coal shovel The tile u
used almost exclusively for river naviga-
ton, 10 exceedingly swift when properly
manned and propelled, but Is not 20 COM
monty seen now. II Is the simplest ana
most primitive form OF canoe, Is undoubt-
eddy the primary form Of craft from which
the others were derived IN q process OF
evolution.
The stee-wheettl Is usually small. 1t Is
. light. easily propelled craft, but quite
unsteady. bobbing around upon the sur
face like . cork. or An egg shell. and
therefore It Is unsuited to the stress OF
rough or windy weather. It Is used for
hunting and fishing chiefly and IL COM
moner on sheltered bodies Of water. 1t
Is very common indeed and may be seen
all over Puget sound. We can easily i'm
agine It to be evolved from the primary
form of the tile by sharpening OF stem
and stern and the modelling of the former
into a cut-water, thus making II more
wieldy. more rapid and slightly more sea-
worthy.
The stee-whattl Is type almost Obso-
lete. 1t has a projecting. squarely-cut
PROV cut squarely away beneath instead
Of the curve OF the stee-wheettl which It
markedly resembles. In the evolution of
this form the stee-wheettl becomes less
slender: its curves become less slender
and tapering and the PROV Is angular
instead of gracefully curved.
The ah-oh-tuss is usually larger, heav-
Ter; more stable and much more sea-
worthy than all the other forms. 1t II
therefore the craft more generally used
for travelling and transportation, for
which purposes Its greater CARRYING ca
pacity and its comparative stability Pc
culiarly fit 1t. 1t is the model followed
In the building of all race canoes and
war canoes and therefore represents the
canoe OF this vicinity.
For the propulsion OF these canoes.
paddles Of two different kinds are used,
one for men and one for women, and
fashioned preferably from alder wood.
Roth forms. however, were furnished with
small ss-pieces or cross-bars at the end
OF the handles. which were necessary for
the proper manipulation Of the paddles
The essential difference between these
tvnyf 10 In he HI o4o Sh. o.
the man and called the mans paddle Ito
tobsch flwass) having a longer and mar
rover blade with more sinuously curved
border than the women's paddle fiah-die
el1-wassl. which was shorter and broader
and rather more gracefully curved as to
the border or edge. The illustration given
herewith renders the difference between
the two quite apparent While the men
customarily use their own paddles and
the women their own. yet in race canoes
or war canoes. or in large craft manned
by number OF braves and where speed
Is desired. the shorter and broader wo-
mans paddle Is almost universally used.
In addition to the paddle most OF the ca
noes especially the larger ones, are pro-
vided forward near the first thwart with
step or chock for light mast which u.s.
ually carries square or spritsail to be
used In sailing before the wind. 1t is
beating or lacking. for the canoes have
no keeis and. because of their smooth and
broadly rounded bottoms. any attempt to
beat results In slipping away rapidly to
leeward.
To the uninitiated It seems almost border
ing on witchery to see an old Indian seated
In the stern Of his light canoe. troll trailing
astern. continually padding on one side Of
the canoe only and yet going straight
IN atr
apparently. by all the canons OF knnet.cs,
he should be travelling in a beautiful circle.
The manner Of effecting this IL very simple
indeed and consists solely In trailing the
paddle rudder-faslion after every couple Of
strokes and thereby correcting the natural
tendency OF the craft to turn in response to
an impulse continually directed from one
side.
There Is also another method Of padding
used by hunters or others when II is de-
sirable to mask all the sound made by the
paddle. To accomplish this the blade Is
kept continually In the water and its mo-
ton is directed as though cutting figures Of
eight. All noise from ripping or the drip
ping Of water from the uplifted paddle In
avoided and the craft IL forged slowly and
silently ahead upon the unsuspecting quar-
~, much as a propeller would supply mo-
tive power.
While the canoe Is necessarily a tricksy
and unstable craft yet its stability when
properly handled. even under adverse
stress of wind and weather. is something
remarkable. Nevertheless travel In rough
and stormy weather Is avoided as far as II
Is possible 10 do so.
No celebration OF any magnitude what
soever on Puget sound Is considered al
together complete If II has not down on
the programme an Indian canoe race
and. indeed, even n "kloochman race"
kioochman being the Chinook word for
woman Thus often may the original
American be seen enthusiastically cele-
brating the birthday of the nation OF his
supplsnter and benefactor. The model
OF the race canoe Is generally the same
as that OF the ordinary Chinook canoe
Tor ah-oh-tu except that. as becomes
a racer. they are more slender, light.
clean and well trimmed-indeed. the rae
ing craft IL so very suggestive Of speed
and of a fine-blooded and weli-grooned
race horse that II could he easily picked
out on sight. The lines. which are
graceful and light In the extreme, them
selves speak of the swIftmess which they
give TO the canoe. The racers are fash