"These saddles, as I call them," said the hermit, "have been suggested
to me by the Eskimos, who, instead of wearying their arms by supporting
the double-bladed paddle continuously, rest it on the saddle and let it
slide about thereon while being used. Thus they are able to carry a much
longer and heavier paddle than that used in the Rob Roy canoe, the
weight of which, as it rests on the saddle, is not felt. Moreover it
does not require nearly so much dip to put it in the water. I have heard
of a sort of upright with a universal joint being applied to the English
canoe, but it seems to me a much more clumsy and much less effective,
because rigid, contrivance than the Eskimo saddle. Inside, under the
deck, as I will show you by and by, I have lighter and shorter paddles
for use when in narrow rivers, but I prefer the long heavy paddle when
traversing great stretches of ocean."

"You don't mean to say you ever go to sea in an eggshell like that!"
exclaimed Nigel in surprise.

"Indeed we do," returned the hermit, "and we are fitted out for longish
voyages and rough weather. Besides, it is not so much of an eggshell as
you suppose. I made it myself, and took care that it should be fit for
the work required of it. The wood of which it is made, although light,
is very tough, and it is lined with a skin of strong canvas which is
fixed to the planks with tar. This makes the craft watertight as well as
strong. The ribs also are very light and close together, and every sixth
rib is larger and stronger than the others and made of tougher wood.
All these ribs are bound together by longitudinal pieces, or laths, of
very tough wood, yet so thin that the whole machine is elastic without
being weak. Besides this, there are two strong oiled-canvas partitions,
which divide the canoe into three water-tight compartments, any two of