The canoes are skilfully built of planks sewn together and caulked.
These boats are either plain dug-outs, with or without outriggers, or regularly built by planks tightly laced and well caulked to an excavated keel.
The materials required are iron borings, sal-ammoniac and sulphur; these are mixed together, moistened with water, and rammed into the socket, which is previously half filled with yarn, well caulked.
This consists of a heavy cast iron ring, known as a wedging crib, or curb, also fitted together in segments, which is lodged in a square-edged groove cut for its reception, tightly caulked with moss, and wedged into position.
In the 19th century, fishermen still caulked (filled the gaps in) their boats with a mixture of pine tar and moss.