The osiers may average a little more than 1/2 in. in thickness and should be cut, stripped of leaves and bark and put in place while green and fresh.  They are attached to the bottom by means of shingle nails driven through holes previously made in them with an awl, and are then bent down until they touch the strips of ash (b, b, Fig. 3), and finally cut off even with the tops of the gunwales, and notched at the end to receive them (B, Fig. 4).  Between the cross-boards the ribs are placed at intervals of 2 or 3 in., while in other parts they are as much as 5 or 6 in. apart.  The ribs having all been fastened in place as described, the loose strips of ash (b, b, Fig. 3) are withdrawn and the framework will appear somewhat as in Fig. 1.  In order to make all firm and to prevent the ribs from changing position, as they are apt to do, buy some split cane or rattan, such as is used for making chair-bottoms, and, after soaking it in water for a short time to render it soft and pliable, wind it tightly around the gunwales and ribs where they join, and also interweave it among the ribs in other places, winding it about them and forming an irregular network over the whole frame.  Osiers probably make the best ribs, but twigs of some other trees, such as hazel or birch, will answer nearly as well.  For the ribs near the middle of the boat, twigs 5 or 6 ft. long are required.  It is often quite difficult to get these of sufficient thickness throughout, and so, in such cases, two twigs may be used to make one rib, fastening the butts side by side on the bottom-board, and the smaller ends to the gunwales, as before described.  In drying, the rattan becomes very tight and the twigs hard and stiff.

The frame-work is now complete and ready to be covered.  For this purpose buy about 18 yd. of very strong wrapping-paper.  It should be smooth on the surface, and very tough, but neither stiff nor very thick.  Being made in long rolls, it can be obtained in almost any length desired.  If the paper be 1 yd. wide, it will require about two breadths to reach around the frame in the widest part.  Cut enough of the roll to cover the frame and then soak it for a few minutes in water.  Then turn the frame upside down and fasten the edges of the two strips of paper to it, by lapping them carefully on the under side of the bottom-board and tacking them to it so that the paper hangs down loosely on all sides.  The paper is then trimmed, lapped and doubled over as smoothly as possible at the ends of the frame, and held in place by means of small clamps.  It should be drawn tight along the edges, trimmed and doubled down over the gunwale, where it is firmly held by slipping the strips of ash (b, b) just inside of the gunwales into notches which should have been cut at the ends of the cross-boards.  The shrinkage caused by the drying will stretch the paper tightly over the framework.  When thoroughly dry, varnish inside and out with asphaltum varnish thinned with turpentine, and as soon as that has soaked