s were beveled off so as
to neatly fit the stem piece and the stern post, to which they were
fastened by brass screws. Then we applied the longitudinal strips, or
rib bands, which were of 1/4-inch thick spruce 1 inch wide. Ten of these
bands were used, equally spaced apart on the center form, to which they
were lightly tacked; but they were nailed securely to the bulkheads and
the stem piece and stern post. The cross ribs were made of barrel hoops
which we had soaked in water for a day or so to render them pliable
enough to be bent into place. These hoops were split to a width of 1/2
inch, and secured first to the keelson, then to the longitudinal strips
and finally to the gunwales. Copper tacks were used for nailing the ribs
in place, and these were long enough to be passed through the rib bands
and clinched on the outside. Forty cross ribs were nailed on, and at the
center of the canoe they were spaced about three inches apart. The
center form was then removed and cut along the dotted lines shown in
Fig. 106. The semicircular pieces thus obtained were now strengthened
with strips on their inner edges, and wedged in between the keelson and
the gunwales, to which they were nailed, as shown in Fig. 108. A pair of
cleats nailed to the cross ribs served as supports for the seat of the
canoe. The frame of the boat was completed by nailing in place two deck
beams of 1/2-inch square pine and four corner pieces between the
gunwales and the bulkheads, so as to make an elliptical well hole or
deck opening. Before laying on the canvas covering the edges of the
gunwales, keelson, deck beams, stem and stern posts were smoothed down
with sandpaper.

[Illustration: Fig. 111. Lacing the Canvas on the Frame.]

STRETCHING ON THE CANVAS.

[Illustration: Fig. 112. Tacking the Canvas to the Keel.]

The frame was laid in the center of the canvas and the latter drawn
around it. Then with a large needle and strong twine we sewed both edges
of the cloth together with long stitches, lacing the canvas over the
frame as a shoe is laced over a foot. This done, the boat was turned
deck downward and the canvas was tacked to the keelson. In each case,
before driving in a tack a daub of white lead was applied, to
water-proof the spot. At the stem and stern a gore (narrow triangular
piece) was cut out of the canvas so as to make it lie smooth on the
frame, and white lead was painted in between the overlapping edges. The
canoe was then turned deck