HOW PEOPLE USED TO TRAVEL.
We have not always had steamers and cars to carry us about. How fast they take us! We almost seem to fly like the birds.
It was only a few years ago that steamers and cars were first made. Before that time it would have taken us several months to cross our country from the east to the west. Now we can go from the Atlantic ocean to the Pacific ocean in about four days.
We have learned that a long, long time ago people everywhere lived as savages do to-day. They did not have the nice things that we have. They could not take long journeys because they had to walk wherever they went.
Finally some of these people who lived so long ago made a discovery. They discovered what all the boys know who live near a pond of water. They found that they could ride upon the water by getting upon a piece of wood.
They soon learned to make canoes out of logs, They could ride in the canoes and keep dry. At first poles were used to push the canoes along. Then they made paddles.
These people who lived so long ago we call savages. After they had discovered how to ride on the water traveling became easier. They went up and down rivers and across small lakes. They were careful, however, not to get too far from land. Their boats were small and could not stand the great waves of the ocean.
Have you ever seen the graceful canoes which the Indian makes to-day? Along the coast of Alaska the Indians hew their canoes out of great cedar logs. Some of the canoes are large enough to hold fifty people.
Some of the Indians of the North make their canoes out of the skins of animals. Birch bark canoes are light and pretty. An Indian can carry one upon his back for a long distance.
Did you ever try paddling a canoe? Do you not think it is hard work? We are sure that the Indian was very happy who first found that he could make the wind send his canoe through the water.
By putting Up a little piece of cloth or matting the wind would make the canoe go faster than he could paddle it. All that he had to do was to sit in the back end and steer it with a paddle.
While they were still savages our grandfathers became tired of carrying things on their backs when they made journeys over the land. Then they thought they might make use of some of the wild animals. They caught the wild horse, and the camel, and the elephant, and tamed them. These animals are very intelligent, and they soon learned to carry heavy loads.
Where there were great plains to be crossed the camel was used. This animal can go a long time without water. Where there were few streams people traveled mostly by land. Where there were many rivers and lakes they Went by water.
The people who lived long ago had no way of crossing the high mountains. They could not cross the oceans with their frail boats. They could not learn about the world as we can now. Would you like to have lived then?