Caulking or Pitch Kit - GRPO 17201

One of the daily tasks of the voyageurs upon pulling their canoes ashore after a long day of paddling was to inspect the seams of their birch bark vessels and make any necessary repairs. Spruce gum, pictured here, was mixed and heated in a kettle with rendered bear grease and charcoal or fire ash to form an adhesive that could be applied with a stick to the birch bark and spruce root seams.