CHAPTER I THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE CANOE Canoes were up to a point an invention, but they were chiefly an evolution growing out of a necessity. Probably man made his first voyage down a river seated astride a log, but later he constructed in a primitive way a craft from such material as would lend itself to his way of working. The Indians of Canada used implements of bone and stone and selected woods that could be torn into rough fibres. The Indian realized that the birch tree afforded a desirable material, light and flexible. Stripped from the tree, treated with gum and pitch and sewn with thongs, the bark formed a light craft which was easily portaged through forests. At first, it was only used for hunting and fishing expeditions, but later the size of the canoe was increased to carry more than fifty men on war excursions into some neighbouring territory. This primitive form of canoe was known as the dug-out, hollowed or dug out. You will find a splendid description of this craft in...