I chose to build a model of a
dugout canoe in order to fulfill the requirements of the Westward
Waters personal growth project for Year 2. I chose this project to
tie our study of the Lewis and Clark expedition in Year 1 to our
study of Native Americans in Year 2. Our study in Westward Waters
had shown us the connection between the two groups—three
times during the expedition, the Corps of Discovery cut down trees
and carved out dugout canoes patterned after the canoes constructed
by the native tribes they had encountered.
The first canoe construction was in the spring
of 1805 as the expedition prepared to depart Fort Mandan. Six
round-bottomed dugouts, made from cottonwoods, were constructed.
Each held three paddlers and was difficult to maneuver when sailing
into the wind.
The second set of canoes was built after the
expedition crossed the Lolo Pass/Continental Divide and encountered
the Nez Perce tribe. The captains arranged for the Nez Perce
to take care of their horses and the Corps looked for suitable
trees to build canoes and sail on to the Pacific. The explorers
found a pine bottom on the Clearwater River (Canoe Camp) and began
to construct canoes. The small axes that the expedition used were
not adequate and they adopted the Nez Perce method of canoe
construction. Instead of chopping out the center of the log, the
Nez Perce burned out the center. This labor saving method allowed
the expedition to build five canoes in 10 days. Nez Perce
technology allowed the Corps of Discovery to speed its advance
toward the Pacific as the winter of 1805 approached.
The third instance of canoe construction took
place on the Yellowstone River in 1806 on the return trip. Captain
Clark set up a second canoe camp on July 19, 1806 and two canoes
were constructed. These two boats were lashed together for added
stability. The dual canoe was used as the expedition sailed down
the Yellowstone to the Missouri and then down the Missouri
River.
I chose to build a scale model dugout canoe
using the Nez Perce method of burning out the center of the canoe.
The main difficulties in the project were (1) determining the
proper scale to use, (2) finding a log that would fit the scale and
(3) finding directions as to how the Nez Perce burned out the
center of the log.
The Nez Perce Visitor’s Center had a
canoe and a brief description of the burning technique. The Canoe
Camp site also had a replica canoe and description. Several other
sites we visited on our Westward Waters trip had canoes that were
replicas of those used by the native populations or the Lewis and
Clark expedition. The difficulty in the burning technique is that
one illustration showed the fire on the ground and the canoe laying
on top of the hot coals. The Indians would flip the canoe over and
scrape out the burned wood with stone tools. Another description
told that the Indians used carefully controlled fires in the canoe
to hollow out the log. The fire would have been extinguished at
intervals in order to scrape out the burned wood. They then started
a new fire in the canoe.
The native tribes probably used both methods.
The journals of Lewis and Clark do not shed any light on the
subject. The Nez Perce website included this hint, “After
building a small fire in the area of the log to be hollowed out,
the resulting charcoal was then easily chipped out.” The
journals do give us a clue as to why the expedition adopted the Nez
Perce methods.
On September 26th 1805, Clark
wrote, “Soon after our arrival a raft came down the N. fork
on which was two men, they came too, I had the axes distributed and
handled and apotned. Ready to commence building canoes on tomorrow,
our axes are small and badly calculated to build canoes of the
large pine…”
On October 1st 1805, Sgt. Patrick
Gass wrote, “All the men are now able to work, but the
greater number are very weak. To save them from hard labor, we have
adopted the Indian method of burning out the canoes.
Canoe
Construction Journal - August 2004
August
4, 2004, Wednesday
We traveled to “the farm” (my in-laws’ farm) in
the evening. The county bulldozed several large cottonwood trees
last spring as part of a bridge rebuilding project. I chose one
tree that looked favorable for this project. My sons accompanied me
as the “heavy lifters” for the log. The trees were down
in a creek bottom. We measured a nine foot section and cranked up
the chain saw. It didn’t take long to cut the log but now the
problems began. I had originally planned to make the model replica
in one-quarter scale, approximately eight feet long. Three of us
could not lift the nine foot section and we couldn’t get a
tractor down there to pull it out. We departed the farm without a
log and headed back to the drawing board.
August
5, 2004, Thursday
I returned to the creek with the boys and the chain saw on
Thursday morning. I changed the proportions to approximately
one-eighth scale so decided to cut the log in half. Within a half
hour, the log was cut and we had carried it out of the creek and
placed it in the truck. After a visit with the in-laws, we returned
to town.
I was using several tools for this project: axe, hatchet, two
chisels, mallet and a draw knife. The Corps of Discovery used small
axes and four draw knives during the construction of their canoes.
Since I was constructing a scale model of a canoe, I was able to
stand the log up and use the axe and hatchet to square out the log.
I spent about 2-1/2 hours on Thursday afternoon squaring off the
top and bottom of the canoe. The axe didn’t work as well as
the hatchet. It was difficult to slice off sections of a four-foot
log with a large axe. Most of the afternoon was spent with the
hatchet and three blisters later, the top and bottom were
flat.
August
6, 2004, Friday
Today I worked on the front and back of the canoe. The replicas
seen during the Year 2 trip had several different slopes and at
this point, I used modern technology (the chainsaw) to cut the
slope in front and back (fore and aft) of the canoe. I spent today
squaring off the two sides of the canoe. The chisel and mallet were
used, along with the hatchet. I’ve done some carpentry work
and making sure that everything is square is always a priority.
Attempting to square off a round log was extremely
frustrating.
I spent about three hours trying to square off the canoe and once I
finished the rough outline, I used the chisel to cut out an outline
of the inner walls of the canoe. I chiseled down about one inch and
planned to attempt burning the wood inside of this
outline.
August
11, 2004, Wednesday
The log had just sat the past several days as several other summer
projects were completed. Tonight I started the experimental burn. I
lit eight charcoals and set them in the canoe. They were lit
about 5:00 p.m. and slowly the charcoal burned away at the
cottonwood. It began to rain about 8:00 p.m. and that ended the
experimental burn for today.
August
12, 2004, Thursday
Thursday morning I scraped and chiseled out the remains of the
first burn. The charcoal cut down about three inches into the
canoe. The heat seemed to dry out the surrounding cottonwood,
making it easier to chip out.
I then lined the top of the canoe with charcoal and lit a larger
fire. The charcoal burned throughout the day. The fire was started
at 9:00 a.m. and about 8:30 p.m., it rained again. This ended the
major burning of the canoe. As the day went on, we observed the
charcoal as it slowly burned down through the wood.
August
13, 2004, Friday
The fire of the previous day did dry out much of the cottonwood,
allowing the wood to be chipped out and to form the inside of the
canoe. I spent about two hours forming the one end of the inner
canoe using the chisel and mallet.
August
14, 2004, Saturday morning
I spent about one hour and continued to chip out burnt area of
inner canoe. The canoe was 50 percent complete. I had hoped to
complete this project before school started (Aug. 16) but it looked
like that wouldn’t happen. (Lewis and Clark were behind
schedule too.)
August
18, 2004, Wednesday evening
I spent about 30 minutes and continued to chip out the burnt inner
area of the canoe.
August
19, 2004, Thursday evening
I spent about one hour chipping wood out of the canoe.
August
21, 2004, Saturday morning
I finished the interior area of the canoe after another two hours
of chiseling wood out of the canoe. The fire did not reach far
enough on this end and the cottonwood was still wetter. It took
more effort to chisel wet wood. I could see why the natives and the
expedition adopted the burning method.
After finishing the interior, I used the draw knife to curve the
bottom two sides and smooth some of the rougher areas. The canoe
was complete and ready for one last step in the process. Would the
model canoe float? Deb and I loaded the canoe in the truck and
headed back to the farm to launch the craft. The cattle stock tank
was the launching point. Without the customary bottle of champagne,
the canoe was placed in the tank and it floated. With Deb and my
in-laws as witnesses, the project was completed with a few minute
cruise in the stock tank.
Conclusion: This project took longer than I
expected. I built a four foot model with metal tools and made four
cuts using a chainsaw. I cannot imagine cutting down a tree with an
axe in order to construct a 20 to 30 foot full size canoe. I admire
the creativity and the hard work of the native Indians who built
these dugout canoes without the benefit of metal tools. The Nez
Perce method of burning made the process of hollowing out the canoe
much easier. It is easy to see why the Indians traded with trappers
and the Corps of Discovery in order to get metal. I am reminded how
the Mandans took apart the corn grinder that Lewis and Clark had
given them for the metal and not to grind corn.
One final note: One other member of our family appreciates the
scale model canoe. Our cat, Zippy, enjoys stretching out in the
canoe for a nap—it seems he molds his body to fit the entire
length of the canoe. So no matter what its final fate, the canoe
could always be a cat cushion.
Please
click on the slideshow for step-by-step pictures:
Constructing a model Nez Perce canoe
