Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/258

243 CANOE BAaNG. 243 There were many meritorious tricks periorinedj. such as maldng figures dance, but" it was effected by fine thread, being hidden, ^attached to the dancers j also the snake trick, performed just as mTsteriot>iSl;f as it could be now. But l(8t us prpoeed with physical instead of men- tal sports, and watch the canoe races which are about' to take place. There are single, double and two-pair races. Both banks of the -Kansas river are lined wittt spectators, for the course is about two miles dowit the stream and return, which would appear to be a. short distance. But not so, as win be concludect when the account is finished. . For not only must the contestfint, be ex^rt in handling the craft, but ^so a. swimmer of power' and endurance; for as much win depend on the action of the racer in tiie water as in the canoe. The first race is the cHie in which the* most numerous numbers are to take part, as this is the one for which Coronado gives the pocket-knife and a lot of unstrnng colored beads. There are so> many entries that the river is swarniing with the' racers, and you need not think there was no inge- nuity displayed in the construction of this useful and much used means of transportation, for it was the pride of this tribe, who invariably dwelt near a navi- gable stream, to have a great number of canoes, as it was an easier and quicker way of going distances in pursuit of game, than by any other means. A canoe has already been described, which was niade from the^ carcass of a buffalo, the hair being left outside. But there were many types, aiid were so light that they did not weigh to exceed twenty-five pounds. Of