Indigenous people on the Skagit River used many kinds of canoes, including shovel-nosed river canoes for poling upstream and paddling through swift water, large ocean-going canoes that could carry up to fifty men, and slim eleven-man war canoes later used for racing. In the late eighteen seventies, Charles Von Pressentin found many shovel-nosed canoes in regular use on the upper Skagit, and canoes were central to transport, trade, hunting, fishing, travel, and daily life in the region. Accounts from pioneers recalled canoes carrying people to dances, serving river crossings, and being vital during floods and attempts to reclaim delta land, while sudden squalls could also bring drownings. In May 1858, Thomas Hastie saw a Haidah war canoe attack Camano Island Indians along the beach, killing six before retreating. Northern family canoes later traveled through Swinomish Channel for hop picking, and skilled builders were known among tribes for their specialties, spirit helpers, and taboos. Ocean-going canoes were made from split logs and shaped with fire, wedges, adzes, shell scrapers, hot water, and yew spreaders, then finished with paint, smoothing, and curved bow and stern projections suited to heavy waves. The Swinomish also built the famous eleven-man canoe Telegraph, which after being remodeled won races from 1910 into the early 1930s, and Swinomish people continued to race eleven-man war canoes at La Conner.