THE SURVIVAL OF THE BARK CANOE ...

THE SURVIVAL OF THE BARK CANOE by John McPhee (Noonday Press: $9, illustrated). McPhee offers a vivid account of the work of Henri Vaillancourt, one of a handful of artisans who can can still make an authentic birchbark canoe. A resident of New Hampshire, Vaillancourt follows the model of the Malecite tribe of New Brunswick: He uses only a few simple tools, and sews the bark to the frame with the split roots of white pine or spruce trees--no nails or screws. McPhee also recounts a 150-mile canoe trip he took with Vaillancourt and a few friends. They discovered that the elegant if fragile-looking bark canoes proved far more practical than modern canvas and aluminum boats. This entertaining account of an often difficult but highly skilled craftsman will appeal to readers who’d never dream of paddling and portaging through the Maine woods.