The Art of Travel Part 9

4. Bent two more main willows for gunwales for the boat, and two more for bottom rails. Each separate stick, as will be perceived by fig. 3, is lashed in five different places, and the keep in eight places.

[Fig 3 and Fig 4--sketches as described].

The main framework being now completed, loosen it from the stakes driven into the ground.

5. Fasten a large number of little slender willow-twigs between each of the main cross-knees, as shown by the thin lines in fig. 3. It is then fit for covering. Lift it up like a basket, and turn it topsy-turvy.

6. Kill two bulls, skin them, and in skinning be careful to make your cuts in the skin down the rump to the hock of the animal, and down the brisket in front of the fore-leg to the knee, so as to have your skins as square as possible (fig. 4). Cut off the heads, and sew the skins together at the nape of the necks; and, while reeking, cover the wicker-work, turning them over it, the hairy side inwards, and fasten it all round by means of skin-cords. Cut holes with a knife round the edges, to pa.s.s the cords through, as you lash up to the top-rails of the boat.

7. Leave it 24 hours in the sun; cover the seam where the skins are sewn together, with melted fat, and the boat is fit for use.

Bark Boats.--"From a pine, or other tree, take off with care the longest possible entire portion of the bark; while fresh and flexible, spread it flat as a long rectangular sheet; then turn it carefully up at the sides, the smooth side outwards; sew the ends together, and caulk them well. A few cross-sticks for thwarts complete this contrivance, which is made by an American Indian in a few hours, and in which the rapid waters of the Mackenzie are navigated for hundreds of miles. Ways of strengthening the structure will readily suggest themselves. The native material for sewing is the fibrous root of the pine." ("Handbook for Field Service,"

Lieut.-Col. Lefroy.)

[Figs I, II, III, and IV--sketches as described].

Birch-bark canoes.--Birch bark, as is well known, is used for building canoes in North America, and the bark of many other trees would do for covering the framework of a boat, in default of leather. But it is useless to give a detailed account of birch canoes, as great skill and neat execution are required both in making and in using them.

Boats of Sheet-tin, covered with Pitched Canvas.--These might be made at any of the outposts of civilization. I am indebted to a correspondent, whose name I regret exceedingly to be unable to insert, having unfortunately mislaid it, for the following full description of his shooting-punt. It will be obvious that his methods are applicable not only to their professed object, but also to tin boats of any shape whatever.

"Form the bottom, fig. I., as follows:--Select the thickest sheets of tin and solder them together by their narrowest sides, until as many lengths are made as, when laid side by side, will be sufficient for the whole length and breadth of the figure. The soldering should be by a joint of this kind."

[Sketch of join].

"These lengths must then be soldered side by side by a similar joint, and the whole sheet thus made, trimmed to the shape of fig. I., care being taken that no two joints in the lengths should be exactly opposite each other. Form two other sheets in a similar manner for the two sides, and of the shape of fig. II. The dotted lines a b c d e f, fig. I., show the portions of the tin round the edges, 1 inch wide, which must be turned up at right angles with the bottom, and to which the sides are to be soldered on the inside; they should have triangular pieces clipped out of them, as shown in the fig., where the bends of the boat begin, to make them take the curve required. The two extra pieces at the ends a d, e f, 2 inches wide, are for turning down over an iron rod, which is to pa.s.s round the gunwale, to give stiffness to the boat; g h, fig. II., is a breadth of 2 inches of extra tin, for the same purpose of turning down over the iron rod.

"Each side is now to be soldered to the bottom piece, beginning with the centre, and working in to each end.

"The soldering of the turned-up edges to the bottom, on the outside, may then be done. Separate slips of tin 2 inches wide should then be bent up longitudinally in halves, like angle-iron, and fitted along the joining of the bottom and sides, on the inside, and soldered; these slips may also be clipped on either side, when necessary, to make them take the curves.

"The measure round the gunwale may now be taken within the edge of the tin, and an iron rod 3/8 of an inch thick, to go round this gunwale, bent to the form of the outline of fig. III., i b k c, which will now be that of the boat, and the ends welded at their meeting. Sufficient iron rod must be taken to form eyes at i and k to receive rings of 3 or 4 inches diameter, through which a pole is to be pa.s.sed, for carrying the boat, and for their welding at the meeting of the ends.

"The iron-rod gunwale may now be put in, and the 2 inches width of tin, allowed in excess on the sides and ends of the bottom, turned down closely over the rod, all round and soldered on the inside. The side elevation of the boat will now be as w x y, fig. IV. "The boat should be proved as to being water-tight by filling it with water, any leak being stopped by more solder.

"The outside must now be covered with pitched canvas, thus:--

"Turn it upside down, in a sheltered spot exposed to the sun, or warm it by other means, and have a caldron of boiling pitch on a fire at hand, also have sufficient canvas sewn together in breadths as will quite cover the boat, bottom and sides; then, beginning across the middle of the bottom, brush on a layer 3 or 4 inches wide of the boiling pitch, and quickly press down the corresponding central portion of the canvas upon it; work on thus, from the centre of the bottom to the ends, laying on a breadth of pitch, and then pressing down and stretching a portion of canvas over it; then turn down the canvas over each side, and pitch in the same way, b.u.t.ting out the parts of the canvas that would overlap too much at the bends, but leaving no tin uncovered; the boat may then be righted, the excess of canvas cut off, and the edge laid down with pitch, a little short of the gunwale.

"The bottom may then be pitched over the canvas for 6 inches up, and the rest of the outside, with the inside, be painted with two or three coats.

"A flooring of thin planking for 3 1/2 feet of the central portion of the boat must now be made as follows:--Make five planks, between 8 and 9 inches wide, to fit across the beam of the boat, and in each of the outer planks, o o, p p, fig. III., fix uprights m n, 6 inches high, to support a seat, mortised on the pair of uprights in each board; the ends of each seat should be short of the breadth of the boat by an inch or so, so as not to bear against the sides; then lay down two ribs of tough wood, fitted to bear equally across the planking, on each side, as rs, r1 s1, and screw each end of them down to the outer planks only.

"Wooden cleats can be fixed on each board at t t, each to receive the b.u.t.ts of two guns, while their barrels lie in hollows formed in the cushions of the seat opposite them, so that the rower can put down his paddles and take up his gun instantly; steps for a mast can be also contrived at the same points. The woodwork is to be also well painted; it can be taken out with ease, as it is nowhere connected with the tin of the boat. Care should be taken that no projections in this woodwork, such as screw-heads, etc., should chafe the tin, and that it should be always kept well painted.

"The boat, of which this is a description, drew 2 1/2 inches water with one person in, with two guns and ammunition, etc.; it was furnished with two short paddles, which were tied by a short length of string to the sides, so as to be dropped without loss of time on taking up the gun to fire; the boat turned with the greatest ease, by one backing and pulling stroke of the two paddles, and was very stiff in the water.

"Iron rowlocks were fitted to it, on the outside at b, e, fig. I. (I do not give the diagram by which the author ill.u.s.trated his description; the rowlocks were applied to the sides of the boat, and each rowlock was secured to the side by three bolts.) The two upper bolts had claw-heads to seize the iron-rod gunwale on the inside, and a piece of wood was fitted on the inside, through which the three bolts pa.s.sed, to give substance for their hold, their nuts were on the outside. With these rowlocks two oars of 7 feet long were used. The breadth between the horns should be only just enough to admit the oars.

"This boat could be carried on the shoulders of two persons, when suspended on a pole pa.s.sed through the end rings, for a distance of twelve or fifteen miles daily, with guns and ammunition stowed in it. It could be fired from, standing, without risk, and be poled over marshy ground barely covered with water, or dragged with ease by the person seated in it, through high reeds, by grasping a handful on each side and hauling on them. A rudder was unnecessary. It was in use for more than three years, and with due care in getting in and out, on a rough sh.o.r.e, and by keeping it well painted and pitched, it never leaked or became impaired in any way."

Boats.--Of Wood.--English-made boats have been carried by explorers for great distances on wheels, but seldom seem to have done much useful service. They would travel easiest if slung and made fast in a strong wooden crate or framework, to be fixed on the body of the carriage. A white covering is necessary for a wooden boat, on account of the sun: both boat and covering should be frequently examined. Mr. Richardson and his party took a boat, divided in four quarters, on camel-back across the Sahara, all the way from the Mediterranean to Lake Tchad. A portable framework of metal tubes, to be covered with india-rubber sheeting on arrival, was suggested to me by a very competent authority, the late Mr.

M'Gregor Laird.

Copper boats have been much recommended, because an accidental dent, however severe it may be, can be beaten back again without doing injury to the metal. One of the boats in Mr. Lynch's expedition down the Jordan was made of copper.

Corrugated Iron makes excellent boats for travellers; they are stamped by machinery: Burton took one of them to Zanzibar. They were widely advertised some ten years ago, but they never came into general use, and I do not know where they can now be procured.

Canoes.--The earlier exploits of the 'Rob Roy' canoe justly attracted much attention, and numerous canoe voyages have subsequently been made.

The Canoe Club is now a considerable inst.i.tution, many of whose members make yearly improvements in the designs of their crafts. Although canoes are delicately built and apparently fragile, experience has amply proved that they can stand an extraordinary amount of hard usage in the hands of careful travellers. As a general rule, it is by no means the heaviest and most solid things that endure the best. If a lightly-made apparatus can be secured from the risk of heavy things falling upon it, it will outlast a heavy apparatus that shakes to pieces under the jar of its own weight.

A hole cut in the square sail enables the voyager to see ahead.

To carry on Horseback.--Mr. Macgregor, when in Syria, took two strong poles, each 16 feet long, and about 3 inches thick at the larger end.

These were placed on the ground 2 feet apart, and across them, at 3 feet from each end, he lashed two stout staves, about 4 feet long. Then a "leading" horse was selected, that is, one used to lead caravans, and on his back a large bag of straw was well girthed and flattened down. The frame was firmly tied on this, and the canoe, wrapped in carpets, was placed on the frame. This simple method was used for three months over sand and snow, rock and jungle, mud and marsh--anywhere indeed that a horse could go. The frame was elevated in front, so as to allow the horse's head some room under the boat's keel. Two girth-straps kept the canoe firmly in position above, and carpets were used as cushions under its bilge. A boy led the horse, and a strong man was told off to hold fast to the canoe in every difficulty. It will be seen, that in the event of a fall, the corners of the framework would receive the shock, not the canoe.

Boating Gear.--Anchors may be made of wood weighted with stones. Fig. 1 shows the anchor used by Brazilian fishermen with their rude boat or sailing-raft already described. Fig. 2 shows another sort of anchor that is in common use in Norway.

Mast.--Where there is difficulty in "stepping" a mast, use a bar across the thwarts and two poles, one lashed at either end of it, and coming together to a point above. This triangle takes the place of shrouds fore and aft. It is a very convenient rig for a boat with an outrigger: the Sooloo pirates use it.

[Fig. 2--sketch of anchor].

Outrigger Irons.--Mr. Gilby informs me that he has travelled with a pair of light sculls and outrigger irons, which he was able to adapt to many kinds of rude boats. He found them of much service in Egypt.

Keels are troublesome to make: lee-boards are effective subst.i.tutes, and are easily added to a rude boat or punt when it is desired to rig her as a sailing-craft.

Rudder.--A rude oar makes the most powerful, though not the most convenient rudder. In the lakes of North Italy, where the winds are steady, the heavy boats have a bar upon which the tiller of the rudder rests: this bar is full of small notches; and the bottom of the tiller, at the place where it rests on the bar, is furnished with a blunt knife-edge; the tiller is not stiffly joined to the rudder, but admits of a little play up and down. When the boatman finds that the boat steers steadily, he simply drops the tiller, which forthwith falls into the notch below it, where it is held tight until the steersman cares to take the tiller into his hand again.

Buoys.--An excellent buoy to mark out a pa.s.sage is simply a small pole anch.o.r.ed by a rope at the end. It is very readily seen, and exposes so little surface to the wind and water, that it is not easily washed away.

A pole of the thickness of a walking-stick is much used in Sweden. Such a buoy costs only a rope, a stick, and a stone. A tuft of the small-branches may be left on the top of the pole.

Log.--For a log use a conical canvas bag thus--

[Sketch of bag in two positions].

When the peg is drawn out by the usual jerk, the bag no longer presents its mouth to the water, but is easily drawn in by the line attached to its point.

Boat Building.--Caulking.--Almost anything that is fibrous does for caulking the seams of a boat. The inner bark of trees is one of the readiest materials.

Securing Planks.--In default of nails, it is possible to drill or to burn holes in the planks and to sew them together with strips of hide, woodbine, or string made from the inner bark of fibrous trees. Holes may be drilled on precisely the same principle as that which I have described in making fire by friction.

Lengthening Boats.--If you have an ordinary boat, and wish to make it of greater burden, saw it in half and lengthen it. Comparatively coa.r.s.e carpentering is good enough for this purpose.

Boat Management.--Hauling boats on Sh.o.r.e.--To haul up a boat on a barren sh.o.r.e, with but a few hands, lay out the anchor ahead of her to make fast your purchase to; or back the body of a wagon underneath the boat as she floats, and so draw her out upon wheels. A make-shift framework, on small solid wheels, has been used and recommended.

Towing.--A good way of fastening a tow-rope to a boat that has no mast is shown in the diagram, which, however, is very coa.r.s.ely drawn. A curved pole is lashed alongside one of the knees of the boat, and the tow-rope, pa.s.sing with a turn or two round its end, is carried on to the stern of the boat. By taking a few turns, more or less, with the rope round the stick, the line of action of the tow-rope on the boat's axis may be properly adjusted. When all is right the boat ought to steer herself.

[Sketch of boat being towed].