The tule balsa (wo'te, C) was used in lagoons and in slack water on the San Joaquin river and on the lower courses of its tributaries. It was made of about twenty cylindrical bundles of tule, called kanō'wa in Central Miwok (cf. Spanish canoa), and was usually about fifteen feet in length by about three or four feet in width. It had a willow pole on each side as a gunwale, and eight willow ribs bound to its outside, for rigidity. It was propelled by one or more paddles, each made from a single piece of wood, and was used for hunting and for transport when moving camp. In the latter case the men swam beside or behind it and pushed it.

In the hills two logs were sometimes tied together to make a raft to cross rivers and large streams.

Next: Music • Contents • Previous: Skin Dressing