38 BULLETIN 127, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



who visited the eastern seas in the early days of oriental commerce 

 but had a dread of the speed of the flying " prahu " that swarmed 

 about the islands of the Eastern Archipelago and lay in wait to 

 prey upon passing ships. But, while the majority of these craft 

 have features markedly original, there is evidence in some of the 

 influence of European naval architecture. This is seen in a peculiar 

 form of prahu from Borneo, which, in its high poop deck at the 

 stern and the projection at the bow, resembles closely the Spanish 

 caravels such as those on which Columbus sailed to America. And 

 it may not be an error to infer that these features of construction 

 have been copied from the caravel, wrecked or captured at the lo- 

 cality where this type of vessel is now built. 



Many of the boats of Bombay have features which have been 

 referred to as characteristic of those used by the natives of ISIalacca 

 and the adjacent islands, but somewhat more highly specialized or 

 at least brought to a higher degree of perfection and symmetry. 

 The majority of the Bombay craft are notable for their sharp and 

 easy wave lines and for a shape well adapted to easy passage through 

 the water. One of the most marked departures from this is the 

 " muchva," a type in which the overhanging bow and easy section 

 lines are very pronounced, indicating that the oriental builders long 

 ago learned the advantage of having a sailing boat in which these 

 characteristics are embodied. The " muchva " is reputed to be the 

 swiftest boat in eastern seas which is not provided with an outrigger, 

 and some writers claim that it was even faster than English yachts. 

 However this may be, there is no question but what the natives of 

 Bombay have attained much skill in designing sailing boats. 



The boats used by the natives of the Laccadivas and Maldives are, 

 many of them, small, crude, sharp-ended dugout canoes, carrying 

 very large sails, 



A marked feature of boat construction at these islands is the fact 

 that the craft which are planked have* their planks sewn together and 

 lashed to the timbers, instead of being fastened by nails or wooden 

 treenails, as is common elsewhere. This ancient method of boat 

 building is believed by those who practice it to insure greater elas- 

 ticity, and altogether to be more serviceable than to fasten a boat 

 with metal. 



Generally speaking, the boats of Madras, at least so far as they 

 are represented in the collection, are primitive in construction and 

 indicate little advance by the natives of that presidency in the art 

 of naval construction as applied to the fisheries and ordinary coast 

 transportation. Rude and primitive dugouts and catamarans are 

 common, though it must be conceded that the catamaran serves a 

 most useful purpose for surf work where an ordinary boat can not 

 be utilized. 



