1886] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 443 



NORSK NAVAL ARCHITECTURE. 

 By oeoroe h. boeblivier. 



(With five plates.) 



In the section of Naval Architecture in the United States National 

 Museum at Washington there is on exhibition the model of a boat used 

 in the fisheries at Soudmore, Norway, and with slight modifications all 

 along the coast of Norway, from Egersund, in Lister, round the North 

 Cape to the frontier of Russia, a distance of about twelve hundred 

 geographical miles. They are called " Nordlaudsbaade " (Northland 

 boats), are described as long, narrow, and low, light and elegant, and 

 fit both for sailing and rowing,^ and are believed by the fishermen of 

 that region, on account of their peculiar construction, to be more elastic, 

 safer, and swifter in a sea way. 



THE SONDMORE BOAT. 



(See Plate xv.) 



This boat is described as being clinker-built, and having four strakes, 

 except at the bow, where there are six strakes ; lower bow-plank put 

 on diagonally with end chamfered to fit on other planks, to which they 

 are nailed ; no gunwales ; strengthening pieces along the inside next to 

 upper strake ; heavy timbers ; boat entirely open ; six thwarts ; five 

 rowlocks ; deep keel, curving up like a sled-rumier at each end to form 

 stem and stern posts, which are high ; bottom slightly concave, with 

 much dead rise, being nearly straight to top of upper strake ; ends 

 sharp and very flaring ; small rudder ; peculiar jointed tiller ; single 

 mast, stepped amidships, with strong rake ; four shrouds aside, with 

 toggles on lower ends that pass through beckets at the boat's side j 

 single lugsail, with narrow head, tacks down to stem. 



The rowlocks of all the Northland boats, from the most ancient to the 

 present Norwegian fishing craft, exhibit the same general model, 

 although they differ from one another in size and details of work. In 

 every case they are cut out of one ijiece of timber. The representation 

 given on next page is from a boat built at Rannefjord, in the " Nord- 

 lands Amt," about latitude 66 north. 



They are called "Keiper," and the same term ("Keipr") is found in 

 old Icelandic sagas (Fornmanna Sogur) and in the Snorre's Edda. The 

 Keiper consists of a piece of wood fastened to the gunwale by wooden 

 pegs— in the Sondmore boat, in the absence of a gunwale, they are 



'Diriks aud E. SmuU, iu " Folkevenneu " of 18()3 ami 1865. 



