1811 Lapland Canoe

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Earl Boebert, May 2, 2019.

  1. Earl Boebert
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    Earl Boebert Senior Member

    I got this drawing from a book in the British Library: "Travels in Various Countries" by Edward Daniel Clark (1819). It's from the section on Scandinavia, and describes a trip up the Muonio River. The drawing shows the rather odd canoes used by the locals. I wonder what the reason for the odd shape was.

    Cheers,

    Earl
     

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  2. Dejay
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    Dejay Senior Newbie

    Did all the locals use this style or was it just a one off?

    Maybe it's just optimized for one fat person and one slim person? :)
     
  3. JSL
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    JSL Senior Member

    My guess is that it would be better in ice conditions.
    Fat bow allows boat to change course, launching,etc
     
  4. Angélique
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    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    — post #1 wide bow canoe plans —
    [​IMG]
    (added: does the drawing show built in floatation air chambers below the wide fore and the narrow aft deck, and is there a mast step shown in the transverse beam before midships, I'd say on the shown scale above about the 3 Swedish Ells mark . . ? 1 Swedish Ell (2 Swedish feet) ≈ 59 cm (23 ¼") so only the scale of 8 Swedish Ells is about 4.72 m (15 ½') long)
    That looks to be the design goal, as it turns out they were also going up stream on rocky grand rapids . . :)

    So maybe they needed the extra buoyancy in the bow to force the canoes up and down those rocky cataracts (large waterfalls) . . .

    Edward Daniel Clarke: Travels in Various Countries of Europe, Asia and Africa — part of the third Scandinavia — volume the ninth — MDCCCXXIV (1824)

    — book cover —
    Edward Daniel Clarke Travels in Europe Asia Africa part 3 Scandinavia vol 9 1824 cover.jpg

    title pageindex
    ‘‘ Chapter IX (9) Manner of forcing the Cataracts and Rapids of the Rivers in Lapland; showing also a Plan of the Boats constructed for that purpose. Page 355 ’’

    Page 355 (misspelled 357) is only partly and very vaguely scanned, and only shows a very small plus very vague similar plan, so thanks to Earl for this topic, plus the post #1 plan . . :)

    — Chapter IX — From Tornio (Torne River) to the Muonio River — page 360
    Edward Daniel Clarke Travels in Europe Asia Africa part 3 Scandinavia vol 9 1824 page 360.jpg
    — page 361
    Edward Daniel Clarke Travels in Europe Asia Africa part 3 Scandinavia vol 9 1824 page 361.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2019
  5. Angélique
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    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    I see page 355 unfortunately looks to have been double folded or something like that during the (automated ?) scanning process, hence the top right corner of the failed scan shows the next odd page number 357.
     
  6. Angélique
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    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    [​IMG]
    Very large format, it doesn't show such a wide bow on the canoes.

    ‘‘ 2e Vue de la Cataracte d'Eyanpaïka (Laponie) ’’ = ‘‘ 2nd View of the Cataract of Eyanpaïka (Lapland) ’’

    Eyanpaïka is the name of the shown cataract and/or the French version of the local place name I think, don't know where in Lapland or on which river it is there.

    ‘‘ Illustrasjon hentet fra boken "Voyages de la Commission scientifique du Nord, en Scandinavie, en Laponie, au Spitzberg et aux Feröe" av ukjent forfatter og utgitt av Arthus Bertrand, 1852 Paris. ’’ (Norwegian text, plus French book title)
    =
    ‘‘ Illustration taken from the book ‘‘Travels of the Northern Scientific Commission in Scandinavia, Lapland, Spitsbergen and Faroe’’ by unknown artist and published by Arthus Bertrand, 1852 Paris. ’’

    The drawing itself is from an unknown date from before 1852.
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2019
  7. Angélique
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    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    Last edited: May 3, 2019
  8. Angélique
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    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    Found a nice pic for info about the ancient lifestyle of the Sámi people in Sápmi, and the same kind of ‘‘baby packages’’ (2 ×) are shown there as on the cover of the book in post #4, of which I think it adds to the reliability of the sketches in that book, and thus to the post #1 wide bow canoe plans...

    [​IMG]
    (large)

    ‘‘ Nordic Sámi (Saami) people in Sápmi (Lapland) in front of two Lavvu (Lavvo - Kåta) tents. The Sámi people in the photo are Nomads. Norway - Sweden.

    Between 1900 and 1920 by Granbergs Nya Aktiebolag ’’
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2019
  9. Angélique
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    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    Below an excerpt from post #4...

    Edward Daniel Clarke Travels in Europe Asia Africa part 3 Scandinavia vol 9 1824 page 361 part.jpg

    It well could be the French Eyanpaïka¹ and the English Enontekis¹ is about the same local² place name Enontekiö¹, which would mean they're talking about the same place and era, in that case I'm inclined to believe that Edward Daniel Clarke is more correct, as he gives far more detailed info and drawings, which looks like he really studied and better represented the canoes and their use.

    ¹ Enontekiö (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈEnontekiø]; Northern Sami: Eanodat, Swedish: Enontekis)

    ² in area 6 on the Torne and Muonio rivers at the Swedish - Finnish border.

    [​IMG]

    ‘‘ Recent distribution of the Sami languages: 1. Southern Sami, 2. Ume Sami, 3. Pite Sami, 4. Lule Sami, 5. Northern Sami, 6. Skolt Sami, 7. Inari Sami, 8. Kildin Sami, 9. Ter Sami. Darkened area represents municipalities that recognize Sami as an official or minority language. ’’


    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2019
  10. Angélique
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    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    More pictures of the area on the Random Picture Thread in post #8481 & #8482.
     
  11. HJS
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    HJS Member

    Forsbåtar Lappland


    JS

    Forsbåt Karungi.jpg Traditionell forsbåt.jpg Forsbåt Tärendö.jpg Forsbåt Kukkola.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2019
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  12. Angélique
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    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    I've just added some questions and a Swedish Ell note to post #4...
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2019
  13. HJS
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    HJS Member

    The illustration you are referring to is very amateurish. I have never seen a boat similar to that. There are no floatation chambers in these boats. I have seen these boats in action myself. They were in use until the car transports took over during the sixties. They are still used with some modifications, often with an outboard engine.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2019
  14. Angélique
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    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    Thanks JS, still remarkable canoes, and remarkable things they've achieved with them according to the ancient eyewitnesses, under epic efforts I think, but fact checking and asking locally was difficult for the readers in those days, so thanks for the info . . :)

    From your location info I see you're stationed on the south west end of the Gulf of Bothnia / north west end of the Baltic Sea, and from your website and posts on these forums I know you're a professional, so much appreciated info . . :cool:
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2019

  15. Angélique
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    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    Ferdinand Boberg Forsbåt Karungi Torne 1924.jpg
    BobergKarungi1924 - Forsbåt i Torne älv - - BobergKarungi1924 - Rapids boat in the Torne river

    Thanks Jürgen for adding to post #11 the above 1924 'Fors'båt' (literally: "rapids/white water/cataract" boat) pencil drawing by Ferdinand Boberg on the Torne river bank in Karungi !

    Now Karungi lies along the route of the early 1800s travel book story in post #4, the above pencil drawing makes the post #1 plans looks like an exaggerated display of reality, think the same thing happened with the Sámi ‘‘baby package’’ drawing on the cover of the 1824 book in post #4, when comparing it with the ± 1900~1920 photo in post #8.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2019
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