“How large a tree would it require?” asked Norman, who knew but little of this kind of craft.
“Three feet in diameter, at least,” replied Lucien; “and it should be of that thickness for a length of nearly twenty feet. A less one would not carry four of us.”
“Then I am sure enough,” responded Norman, “that we won’t find such timber here. I have seen no tree of that size either yesterday, or while we were out this morning.”
“Nor I,” added Basil.
“I don’t believe there’s one,” said Lucien.
“If we were in Louisiana,” rejoined François, “I could find fifty canoe-trees by walking as many yards. Why, I never saw such insignificant timber as this here.”
“You’ll see smaller timber than this, Cousin Frank, before we reach the end of our voyage.”
This remark was made by Norman, who knew that, as they proceeded northward, the trees would be found decreasing in size until they would appear like garden shrubbery.
“But come,” continued he, “if we can’t build a craft to carry us from one tree, perhaps we can do it out of three.”
“With three!” echoed François. “I should like to see a canoe made from three trees! Is it a raft you mean, Cousin Norman?”