Seems to me that if you want to experience riding or
packing in a bullboat before trying to make one, you
could pick up one of those "kiddie pools" at the
discount store, throw it in a creek, and go for a spin
(literally)! Dog
--- Wynn Ormond <wheels@???> wrote:
> Agree with Chris about construction of bullboats.
> The Women of theFur Trade
> (WFT) (google it) have made and floats bullboats in
> modern times. My
> understanding is that they are pretty difficult to
> steer and propel
> but carry a lot of wieght. History makes them seem a
> good way to die or
> loss your stuff but they were still used a lot.
>
> By my recollection they were more often poled than
> paddled given a shallow
> enough bottom and Indians using them for crossings
> pulled them by swimming.
> Keep in mind that Indians used the freestyle strokes
> for swimming that
> whites would not accept for another hundred years.
>
>
> On 1/26/08, ferguson@???
> <ferguson@???> wrote:
> >
> > Dave,
> > My understanding about bull boats is that their
> size was determined by the
> > size of the bison hide itself in that they are
> essentially a fresh hide
> > laced onto a willow hoop or similar rawhide lashed
> sapling frame... fast
> > and easy to make and as ungainly as they were
> simple... maybe someone else
> > can elaborate? As for paddles? who knows but if
> simplicity was the
> > objective I bet they weren't labored over much...
> how about using a small,
> > spade type shovel? Some would argue that they were
> present.
> > Chris
> >
> > > One reads about the mountain men making bull
> boats but little about
> > making
> > > paddles. How did they make a paddle? Seems
> like that would take a
> > while.
> > > Did they cut a pole and pole across a river?
> Did they put their goods
> > in
> > > the boat and swim the boat across the river?
> > >
> > > And, were there various sized bull boats?
> There's the famous painting
> > > of Mandan women crossing the Missouri in a small
> round boat, maybe 6
> > > feet across but Jedediah Smith speaks about
> "skin canoes" in California
> > > for trapping and a round tub would seem sort of
> hard to handle. How did
> > > they keep the boats from leaking? I've heard
> about really big bull
> > > boats for sending fur down river but would such
> a craft be strong enough
> > > to stay together?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > Dave
> > >
> > >
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