The Opelousas courier., 1889-11-09
EVOLUTION OF THE BOAT.
MANY IDEAS IN IT'S CONSTRUCTION
COME FROM SAVAGES.
The Swift Catamaran-SalIs Niaue %
Cocoanut Natting-The Center
board 10 Modern Invention.

board no Modern Invention.
In an article in the Washington Star
Wifi. P. Pond says: Gas the flood lett
only the ark of Noah in the world, 1t IS
fair to suppose that for a time the ship
ping of the world was limited, and there
is no record of any of Noah's family IN
teresting themselves in that industry.
Gin the earlier records of Egypt and
China there is continuous mention OF
river craft, but the Phenicians, and after
them the CarthaGinians, made great I'M
provements in the craft of the day, but
these consisted principally of galleys,
having the motive power OF oars, assisted
| by sails, to be used before the wind. AT
ter the fall of Carthage the art langulsled,
and it was not until the close of the
! twelfth century that an impulse was given
| to it by the introduction of the knowl-
| edge of the magnet. 1t IS difficult to
trace the successive steps from this period,
and more than interesting to find that for
| speed the craft of the so-called savage
races have always surpassed those OF the
civilized nations. The catamaran, rightly
[ considered, is a marvel of ingenuity, and
there appears to be no reliable record OF
it's introduction.
sit consists of one long rather narrow
boat, with almost straight sides, carrying
an enormous sail and is only kept from
capsizing by a smaller boat, which Is
dashed by a species of open raft IN a po-
| sition parallel to the larger one. These
boats before the wind have lightning
speed, but they cannot stack" or sail IN
any direction that puts the wind any
where but directly behind them.
The surfboat of the Cingalese is a
catamaran of q slightly different plan.
The hull is about thirty feet long, and
not more than eighteen inches wide at
any point; two curved arms hold in po-
sition at the side a sharpened log IN
place of another boat, and q huge sail
twelve by twelve, rugged on a spirit at
tached to a bamboo mast, completed the
outfit. Manned by a crew of three ma
tives, these fragile-looking craft sail
through the toughest surf, riding over
the breaking erests of the waves, where
an open boat would be swamped and q
large sailing vessel would break her back
in less time than it takes to tell it.
"From these two boats it is claimed all
our modern yachts nave sprung by OBJ
tanning the necessary resistance given by
the outrigger, from an increase in depth
and breadth in the main craft, which do
ing away with the cumberson and aWk-
ward second boat, also gave the powerto
tack and reach, until, with the aid OF
the centerboard, a good yacht can almos'
sail right into the wind instead of only
before it. The first step to this perfec-
ton is to be found in the double canoe Of
the Feejeans and other dwel!ers in the ISL
ands of tho Pacific Ocean. This craft
brings the two canoes quite close togeth-
er, connecting them amidships by .
broad square platform, on which IS built
q light frame house, the interior OF
which is used as a stowage, and the root
takes the place of. the bridge on a steam
boat, from where the chief issues his or
aers directing tie course of the boat.
The two canoes are also decked over and
!, are used for sleeping places for the crew
!, The sail Of the Fijians 1s made of mat
ting, the material being obtained from
t the leaves of the cocoa-nut palm, and,
| strange to say, this is first woven into
lengths about two feet wide and twenty
/ feet long, and these are then joined to-
e gether exactly on the principle that oul
canvas sails of to-day are made.
e 'sThe centerboard is generally lookeq
s upon as a modern invention which revo'
~iutionizes sailing yachts, but its principle
is as old as the hills. The Bosjeman, o.
Bushman, of South Africa, uses it IL
swift currents, applying it to the human
n body in swimming. His device consist
a of a light, fat piece of board, which i
o fastened to the right shoulder, and unde
the arm. When in the water the poin
is placed directly acrosa the stream 81
that the great force of watep come
upon it, whit, the swimmer, with tn
left arm and feet, swims directly in tn
teeth of the cgrrent and, while seemingl,
wasting his strength in a direct comba
, with the full force of water, slowly pro
crosses to thu opposite side. Even th
Dutchmen of the sixteenth century ha6
:, . knowledge of this appliance, and
|. glance at one of the pictures IF their oil
galiots shoWs a large triangular piece o
wood on the starboard side of the vessel
which, in sailing ON a wind, was lowere'
l into the water. Many of our canal boat
of the present day, and also the Englisl
coasting sloops, still have this piece Q
wood on their sides, but it is immovable
intended only as IN ornament, and n
r idea Of Its one time use is known by th
sailor of the craft so decorated"