However, the work was entrusted to Reddy, who was quite handy with tools,
and Jack, who was made secretary pro tempore, took notes on the work.
The Toboggan.
The toboggan was made of light flexible hickory boards, 1/4 of an inch
thick, 6 inches wide and 8-1/2 feet long. Three of these boards were used,
and they were fastened together with cross sticks or battens, about 3
inches wide and 1/2 an inch thick. There were six of these battens spaced
about 15 inches apart, and secured to the floor boards with flathead
screws introduced from the under side and countersunk so that the heads
would not project below the bottom of the toboggan. At the forward end we
screwed on a head piece of oak, 3/4 of an inch thick, 1-1/2 inches wide
and 20 inches long. The head piece was fastened to the under side of the
boards, so that when they were curved up into a hood it would lie on top.
The ends of the head piece, which projected 1 inch each side of the
boards, were notched to hold the rope, which was tied fast after the
boards had been steamed. The boards were steamed by wrapping them in
burlap for a distance of 2 feet from the forward end, and pouring boiling
water over them, as was done with the snow shoes (page 39).
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