ch is the next requisite. This is shown at (_a_), and consists
of a solid piece of oak, or other hard wood, well seasoned, and
hewn out in the arrow shape, indicated in our illustration. It
should first be cut three-cornered, the inside face being about
eight inches, and the other two ten inches. Its length should be
about eleven inches, and its under side should be sloped off on a
line with the under curve of the bows. At about five inches from
the inner face, and on each side, a piece should be sawn out, one
inch in thickness, thus leaving on each side a notch which will
exactly receive the side-boards of the boat, as seen at (_a_).

[Illustration]

The piece being thus ready, the bow ends of the boards should be
drawn together, fitted in the notches and securely spiked with
large nails. A bow piece of this kind adds greatly to the strength
of a boat, and will stand much rough usage. The board for the stem
should next be prepared. This should be ten inches in width and two
feet in length, and should be securely nailed between the ends of the
boards at the stem, as shown at (_g_), being afterwards overlapped
on the top by a board of similar size, as our illustration shows,
at (_c_). The bottom of the boat is now easily made by nailing
boards crosswise, sawing off the projecting ends close to the curve
of the side-boards. After the pieces are all nailed in place, the
seams and crevices should be caulked with hemp, using a blunt chisel,
or hard wooden wedge, and a mallet. The seats should now be put
in, as these are not only a matter of comfort, but of necessity,
acting as braces to the sides of the boat. They should be two in
number, one being placed three feet from the stern and the other
one foot beyond the brace board originally nailed across the top
of the boat. The seats should be cut at the ends in a curve
corresponding to the part of the boat in which they are placed,
and should be situated about a foot from the bottom of the boat,
their ends resting on short boards beneath them against the sides
of the boat. These are indicated by the dotted lines (_h h_) in
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the diagram. When thus resting they should be securely fastened in
place by strong screws, driven through the sides of the boat into
their ends (_f f_), allowing some one to sit on the seat meanwhile
to keep it in place. Small cleats should now be tacked to the bottom
of the boat, beneath the seat and underneath the seat itself, in
order to ke