Although the Hudson's Bay Company used canoes, the York boat formed the basis of its transport system. More durable and stable than the canoe, the York boat was propelled by twenty-foot oars or a square sail. In the top picture, note how the oarsmen sit alternately facing the stern, where the steersman stands working an extra long sweep which acts like a rudder. Rowing was hard work:
[The men] rose to their feet as they leaned on the huge sweep, pushing it forward and down to lift the blade out of the water, then sank to a sitting position...as it bit deeply into the water again.... The hand grip of the oars was bound with cloth or a strip of deer skin to prevent their hands from blistering!
Thus, large stretches of open water where the sails could be used were welcome. Such is the peaceful scene shown below as a brigade of York boats approaches Norway House at the top of Lake Winnipeg.
Courtesy: Hudson's Bay Company and Manitoba Archives
