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THE CANOE OF THE NORTH Many canoes are never paddled except when approaching game In the northern country there are many swift flowing streams The only way you can go up them is by poling and in running them a pole is more satisfactory than any paddle As may naturally be supposed the men who can pole a canoe are on speaking terms with the higher arts of the science They do not require the safe flatbottomed canoe of the lake regions regionsTheir Their canoes must be fairly high in the bow anl slope sharply at both ends The bottoms are mora round than the types recommended for allround use and thus they answer very quickly in both poling up and running down a rapid This class is generally about eighteen feet long and weighs eighty pounds poundsTo To pole it is necessary of course to stand in the canoe This is not so difficult as it seems once the canoeman has acquired a natural or in ¬ stinctive sense of balance The pole helps greatly in keeping him steady
