Yurok canoe on Trinity River

Description

The Yurok canoe is simply a hollowed section of a redwood log. The aboriginal implements for canoe-making were a stone hammer and an elk-horn chisel for cutting the log and removing a number of slabs in order to reduce it to the desired thickness, and an elk-horn adz for finishing the surface. The actual hollowing was accomplished by means of fire. The craft shown in the plate is hardly an average example as to the workmanship, but at best Yurok canoes are rather crude.