Voyage of the Paper Canoe

A 2,500-Mile Geographical Expedition from Quebec to the Gulf of Mexico (1874-1875)

Authored by Bishop, a corresponding member of the New York Academy of Sciences and the Boston Society of Natural History, and the writer of the acclaimed work "One Thousand Miles Walk Across South America."

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📜 Dedication

This work is respectfully dedicated to the staff, assistants, and all employees of the United States Coast Survey Bureau. This volume serves as a modest token of the author's gratitude for their tireless, intelligent, and selfless dedication to their country, often performed under perilous and grueling conditions.

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🛶 The First Expedition: The Paper Canoe

The journey commenced on July 4, 1874, departing from Quebec, Dominion of Canada. The author began with one assistant in a wooden vessel measuring eighteen feet.

Objectives of the Voyage

• Traverse the continent's natural and man-made waterways.
• Maintain the most direct southward trajectory toward the Florida coast.
• Minimize the necessity of portages.
• Demonstrate the viability of a continuous water-route for light-draft vessels from the rocky, foggy Gulf of St. Lawrence to the tropical shores of the Southern Sea.

The Transition to Paper

After traveling approximately 400 miles, the author arrived in Troy, New York. Here, he encountered the innovations of E. Waters & Sons, who had been refining the art of constructing boats from paper.

Wooden Canoe $\rightarrow$ Paper Canoe

Despite occasionally becoming disoriented in the complex marshes and creeks of the southern coast, the author relied heavily on the precise charts provided by the United States Coast Survey Bureau.

Reflections on Southern Hospitality

The author was deeply moved by the kindness of the people he encountered. In a response to the Mayor of St. Mary's, Georgia—who greeted him with flags and an ovation—he wrote:

"Since my little paper canoe entered southern waters upon her geographical errand... I have been deeply sensible of the value of Southern hospitality. The oystermen and fishermen... the surfmen and lighthouse keepers... the ground-nut planters... the piny-woods people, lumbermen, and turpentine distillers... the representatives of the once powerful rice-planting aristocracy... the colored men of the beautiful sea-islands... The Floridians... the islanders on the Gulf of Mexico... all have contributed to make the 'Voyage of the Paper Canoe' a success."

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🚣 The Second Expedition: The Cedar Duck-Boat

Following the first trip, the author set out again on December 2, 1875.

Route Logistics:

1. Start: Pittsburgh, PA (Head of the Ohio River).
2. Vessel: 12-foot cedar duck-boat.
3. Path: Ohio River $\rightarrow$ Mississippi River $\rightarrow$ New Orleans.
4. Portage: Eastward through New Orleans to Lake Pontchartrain.
5. Final Leg: Along the Gulf coast to Cedar Keys, Florida.

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📊 Summary of Achievements

The author's total rowing distance across both trips exceeded five thousand miles.

Safety Record:

• Total Accidents: 1
• Incident: Canoe overturned in Delaware Bay.
• Outcome: All notebooks, charts, and vessels remained in excellent condition.

Exhibition Details: During the summer and autumn of 1876, at the request of the Board on behalf of the United States Executive Department for the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, two vessels were displayed in the Smithsonian Department:

1. Maria Theresa (The Paper Canoe)
2. Centennial Republic (The Cedar Duck-boat)

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🗺️ Cartography and Illustrations

The maps accompanying this work were produced via contract by the United States Coast Survey Bureau.

Technical Specifications:

• Scale: $\frac{1}{1,500,000}$
• Accuracy: Based on actual professional surveys, making them the most comprehensive public coastal maps of their size.

Credits:

• Artistic Rendering: Waud and Merrill.
• Engraving: Messrs. John Andrew & Son.

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Final Note: The author, writing from Lake George, Warren County, NY, notes that the encouragement and letters received from readers of his first book, "The Pampas and Andes," (written when he was only 17) inspired the publication of this second account.

Conclusion: The great victories won by paper over wooden shells in 1876.

Index of Maps:

• 77K: General Map of Routes to the Gulf of Mexico.
• Guide Maps of the Canoe Route.