A medium
high bow is the best.
One firm of camp-outfitters advertises a canoe called the Sponson, the
name being taken from the air-chambers built along the outside rail,
which are called sponsons. It is claimed that these air-chambers make it
next to impossible to upset the canoe, and that even when filled with
water it will support a heavy weight. Sponsons can also be purchased
separately and can be adjusted to any sized canoe.
[Illustration: Keep your body steady.]
For a novice the sponsons would seem a good thing, as they not only
insure safety but, in doing away with the fear of an upset, make
learning to paddle easier. Then there are the guide canoes made
especially for hunting and fishing. They are strong, flat-bottomed, will
carry a heavy load, are easy to paddle or pole, and will stand rough
water. These canoes are good for general use on the trail.
The prices of a _good_ canoe range from twenty-eight dollars to forty
dollars. One may go higher, of course, but the essentials of the canoe
will be no better. A lower price means, as a rule, not so good a boat.
=Paddles=
Girls and women generally require shorter paddles than men, as they do
not have the same reach of arm, and you can take your choice of lengths.
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