Visible crew/equipment: In the hunting scene at the beginning, you can see a man with a red cap on the right side of the screen, above the running deer. (00:03:20)
Continuity mistake: At the dinner at the Camerons' lodge Mrs. Cameron's bangs change from shot to shot. (00:06:25)
Continuity mistake: During the scene at General Webb's office things on the desk appear and disappear and change places, like a glass, a water bottle, a candle, etc. (00:09:30)
Continuity mistake: When Magua is leading the troop into the ambush he turns around and walks towards the troop. When it cuts to a shot behind him we see him lifting up his right arm. When it cuts his arm is down. (00:16:55)
Other mistake: On the way to fort Henry Magua starts his attack by hitting a soldier with his axe. Before being hit the soldier smiles into the camera (seen through Magua's eyes), but doesn't even look when he is being hit, seen from the side. (00:17:10)
Revealing mistake: When Magua hits the British soldier with his axe before the ambush, it's quite obvious the soldier has been replaced by a dummy. (00:17:10)
Audio problem: During the ambush of the British troop, as some of the soldiers take their first aim, it cuts to some Hurons running downhill. If you look in the lower left corner of the screen you can see a Huron firing without us hearing it. (00:17:35)
Revealing mistake: When Chingachgook throws his axe in the back of the Huron we see the Huron lying on his stomach with the axe stuck to his back. When the camera moves up leaving the Huron out of sight, we see Chingachgook picking the axe up from a total different angle than the axe stuck to the Huron. (00:19:45)
Continuity mistake: During the ambush, while Hawkeye is fighting with the axe, his musket is on the left shoulder crossing the chest, but in the following shot when he prepares to shoot Magua, he has it on the right shoulder. (00:19:55)
Continuity mistake: After the fight on the way to Fort Henry Duncan's temple curls disappear. (00:21:15)
Factual error: During the battle over the fort the British shoot a red flare into the sky. The British army learnt of the effectiveness of rocket weapons when fighting in India in the 1790s. In 1804, rockets (developed by Colonel William Congreve) were introduced into British service. The rocket flare was developed around this time (also by Colonel Congreve). This film is set in the 1750s - the British army would not have had rocket flares (source: Taylor, J.W.R (1970). Rockets & Missiles, Hamlyn, London. PP. 6-10). (00:34:30)
Continuity mistake: During the battle over the fort the protagonists' group approaches the fort by canoe, with the women sitting in the canoe and the men guiding it wading through the water. In the shots showing Cora's face Alice is not in the canoe. (00:35:20)
Continuity mistake: When Duncan tries to explain his version of the raid of the Camerons' lodge to Cora part of his uniform is a read seat-belt-like piece of cloth. This wasn't there in the scene preceding imediately. (00:47:30)
Continuity mistake: When Duncan lies to Munro about the raid of the Camerons' lodge Cora's hair is totally dishevelled. Immediately after that when Duncan tries to explain it's nicely done. (00:47:40)
Visible crew/equipment: At the surrender of the fort, as the English are marching out, Monroe, says "The fort is yours, Monsieur." Right as he speaks, look between the two horses' heads. In the distant valley you can see what are either two tourist busses or perhaps mobile catering vans. (01:05:40)
Continuity mistake: When the people are marching out of the fort the same shot of Madeleine Stowe looking back over her shoulder, with a characteristically tattooed man in the background, is repeated 10 seconds later. (01:05:40)
Visible crew/equipment: As the English are leaving the fort, if you look right after that between the soldiers and down toward the beach, you'll see what looks like a blue and white umbrella where someone is sunning themselves by the lake. (01:12:25)
Continuity mistake: When the canoes go down the cataracts the waterfall where they are actually shown going down in close-up is a much smaller one than the one shown in the panorama shot before. (01:15:40)
Continuity mistake: When the Huron chief is talking and Duncan is translating, he is translating faster than the chief can talk. (01:27:00)
Continuity mistake: When Magua lowers his knife, you can see that it's not the same knife he had when he killed Uncas, nor is it the one he draws from his belt when Chingachgook fights him, it's a simple kitchen-like knife. (01:45:45)
Answer: During inclement weather, dry sheepskins were used to keep rain from entering the barrel. During battle, wet sheepskins were used to cool down the barrel to decrease the likelihood of the powder exploding prematurely.
Greg Dwyer