Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-11-11
Strange Types TO be Found 10
island Waters -WOrkmen
Skilled In Their Trade.
MADE OF HARDWOOD LOG,
Builder Spends Days Searching for
Right Piece of Timber-Much Cord.
age Used in Binding Probabilities
Four Tight BarreIs-lnsenuity Of
Natives Market.

The Strangest types OF boats may
be found In the Philippine Islands.
While was there noticed the va.
rious types constructed according IL
tho Nlipino idea. There arc several
types OF boats In uso IN the country.
Those of the crudest descriptions are
made from the great hard wood logs
OF the forest, writes Il Returned Sol.
dicr" in Forest and Stream.
The native boat builder will spend
days searching for just the right piece
OF timber. Then he will devote
week or more to getting the tree
leveled where he can get at 1t. He
will put up his little shack ana 80
Into camp there. AS the days pass
the selected portion OF the timber be,
gins to assume the shape OF a boat
There Is considerable cutting. goug-
Ing hacking and burning Of the lnte-
r1or stock of the long for the purpose
OF removing the wood to shape tho
interior Of the craft In the first
class of boats the boat Is no deeper
than the log proper. The sides arc
finished off, the end properly pointed,
luc DOul Is uONc.
In tho second class OF boats this
portion Of the log forms only the base.
The sides are built up of heavily mat
ted palm and silangn material. Ton.
siderable pitch is used TO secure the
surfaces and assure tight joint
Coatlngs of tar are ultimately APP
piled. SD that in the end the added
sides are as tight as the solid timber
OF the lower portions OF the boat. In
order 10 get the necessary resisting
power. the ribs are expanded In vari.
Gus directions. Much cordage Is used
in binding the parts.
Outriggers Bring Safety.
The natives make a third class of
boats. in which there Is q deck and
masts. These boats require that out
riggers be used. The outriggcrs arc
Of long bamboo poles. Que for each
side of the boat ana about the same
length.
The poles are secured SO as 10 float
on the water about eight feet out
from the sides. They are fastened to
cross pieces of bamboo, which extends
through the sides OF the boat. about
the water line, or are roped just
above the gunwale. The outriGger
prevents the progress of the boat but
they are the salvation of the craft.
The native boats would upset unless
something of the kind were used.
The Filipinos are very ingenious In
the construction Of odd forms OF water
craft. Upon one occasion noticed
that several of the natives had util-
lied four tight barrels for supporting
and propelling ferry across one OF
the branches Of Pasig.
The builders first constructed two
metal shafts from inch rod iron and
proceeded 10 bend them IN the center
for foot cranks. The axles were made
sufficiently long TO extend ont and
over the side of the boat to carry
a barrel on each end. Thus four bar.
rels were carried, two on each side.
The metal axle was passed through
REINFORCED wooden heads and keyed
10 the same with iron pins. .
Used Hand Crank.
The barrels rested hard enough upon
the water to divide the weight Of the
craft with the shell Of tho boat Hence
when the two natives sat on the seats
near the cranks and rcvolvcd the
same by foot power. the barrels We're
made to turn, carrying the boat along
on the water at moderate speed.
These nayigators did quito -four
ishing business transporting passcn-
gers and packages across the stream.
In another case the builders erected
y boat with out-riggers and furnished
It with side paddle wheels erected
according to Filipino idea Of things.
The boat itself was light. but the
outriggers were bulky and clogged
the passage of the little craft
The paddle wheels were designed
with heavy hubs. and to these wooden
hubs some thin blades of hardwood
were fixed by mortising. Then the
two side wheels were arranged on Al
shaft Of wood which was fttol TO
journals along the gunales. a grooved
wood wheel was fastened II the
center Of the shaft and a rope extern.
| ded from the wheel TO the smalle:
wheel OF the driving shaft up q. the
how. Here native sat and operated
the driving shaft with q common hand
| crank. The boat was slow in action
but managed to bring a revenue 10
the owner for hauling freight.
There are some good native boats
in the islands. some OF which are
fitted with little boilers and engines
for the traffic of the rivers. Some
of the power is derived by the install