CATALOGUE OF THE WATERCEAFT COLLECTION. 15 



their way to the sea. The current of the streams furnished the motive 

 power before the advent of steam, and a raft or boat once afloat, if 

 properly guided, would in time reach its destination, which might be 

 New Orleans or one of the " up-river " towns on the banks of the 

 Mississippi or its tributaries. 



It was impracticable to return with the flat boats, keel boats, and 

 other similar craft, for they could not be propelled against the stream. 

 The chief object sought in their construction was, therefore, to pro- 

 vide flotation for various products, like flour, corn, cotton, etc., 

 whereby they could be transported to market or a shipping point. 

 This being the case, the ship of the river was constructed in the 

 cheapest and crudest manner possibly consistent with the obtain- 

 ment of requisite strength, and the ultimate object of the builder was 

 the disposal of his boat or boats for lumber. Being built of roughly 

 hewn logs, fastened together with wooden treenails, the hull could 

 be wedged apart, while the boarding or planking of the superstruc- 

 ture was purposely put on so that it could be removed without 

 much trouble or damage. The scow-shaped boat was the form natu- 

 rally adopted by river builders, since its flat bottom, straight sides, 

 and square ends not only were most favorable for its future dis- 

 posal but gave the maximum of capacity on a light draft. In some 

 cases, however, there was an attempt to improve the river boats 

 by making them comparatively narrow and building them with round 

 bows. One type was called " keel boat," and was much in favor on 

 the Ohio Kiver for carrying flour or other products. 



While these rude fabrics may seem scarcely deserving of notice 

 when considered in conjunction with the lofty and symmetrical clip- 

 per ship, their importance becomes more apparent when it is under- 

 stood that they were among the chief factors in developing the vast 

 interior of this country prior to the advent of the steamboat and the 

 railroad. 



In no other direction has naval architecture in this country been 

 more distinctively American than in the building of pilot boats, 

 which, practically without exception, were schooner rigged. 

 ■ At an early date the pilot schooner of New York was noted for its 

 speed and seagoing qualities. Prior to 1850 it had been brought to a 

 high state of perfection by Steers, and it is a noteworthy fact that 

 the yacht America, which won the Queen's cup (now called America's 

 cup) in 1851 was a highly specialized pilot boat and was rigged 

 exactly like one. Undoubtedly the experience gained by Steers in 

 building pilot boats enabled him to produce the America. 



From 1830 to 1855, or later, the distinguishing features of the 

 American pilot boat were considerable depth and beam, sharp floor, 

 heavy drag, and strongly raking masts. For a number of years tliey 



