1749, Pehr Kalm, Swedish naturalist:
“It is in this city (Montréal), where the best bark canoesCanoes - A type of small boat that is used with a paddle. It is often... are built; I have been to see a site. They were building an eight-man one; it was thirty-three feet long, five feet wide, two and a half high, with a price of 300 livres.
As they are made they are sent to Montréal and are intended for travelling to the upper country, carrying troops as well as provisions and goods; the worker who makes them will not share his secret of how he goes about determining the curvature of both ends.”
