SECTION OF NAVAL ARCTTITECTtlRK. 87 



(G) A series of 22 models of tisliinji; bouts, ciiuoes, duyonls, &c., used 

 ill the United States, botli by ab()ii<;iiial and white fishermen. This 

 collection has been drawn from varions sources, but moii^ jxirticularly 

 from Alaska, and from the Atlanti(; coast, between Eastern jNlaine and 

 Washington, 1). C. It is of especial interest, as, combined w ith other 

 material of a similar nature previously acquired by the Museum, it 

 makes up a collection representing nearly all of the more important 

 tyjx's of the smaller iishing craft used in the United States and its Ter- 

 ritories. The greater part of this collection has been purchased, though 

 in this as with other material, the Museum has been the recipient of 

 numerous donations. 



(7) A collection of I full sized fishing boats and 10 models of fishing 

 craft of the East Indies has been presented to the Museum by Sur- 

 geon-General Francis Day, F. L. S., late inspector of Her Majesty's 

 fisheries in India, and commissioner from India to the International 

 Fisheries Exhibition at London, 1883. This is an exceedingly interest- 

 ing collection, and without question it may be safely asserted that it 

 forms one of the most valuable accessions received by this department 

 of the ]\luseum during the current year. Almost every siiecimeii of 

 either full sized boats or models shows some interesting peculiarity, 

 which, if space and time permitted, would merit a longer notice than wo 

 are able to give it here. A brief mention of them must suttice. Perhaps 

 the most interesting of the various forms is that of a full-sized dugout 

 used at Patna, in Bengal, where it is locally known as the "etka." This 

 boat is made from the stem of the semul tree {Bomhax malabaricnm), and 

 is very primitive, in its construction, being, in fact, simply a large, elon- 

 gated, trough-shaped canoe, unlike any other in the large collection of 

 <lu gouts in the Museum. 



Another very uni(}ue ty])e of fishing boat, and perhaps one of the most 

 peculiar dugout canoes used by man, comes from Jessor, in Bengal, 

 where it is locally known as a "donga." This is constructed from the 

 stem of the tar iialm tree {Boransns flahelliformis)^ the hard outer layer 

 of which, after the soft portion is s<!Ooped out, is very serviceable for 

 this purpose. It has much the appearance of an exaggerated sjioon, 

 with a deep bowl and a large handle, the latter concaved on one side 

 an<l couvexed on the other, its end stopped or rendered water-tight by 

 a partition placed crosswise. The shape of the boat is due to the pecu- 

 liar growth of the stem of the tar palm, which swells out into a rounded 

 bulb like form at one end. When it is said that the length of this cu- 

 rious boat is less than 13 feet, and that it is only 30 inch(\s wide in its 

 broadest part and <loes not average more than a foot in width for about 

 two-thirds of its length, one will be fully able not only to ap])reciate the 

 manner in whi(^l' man adai)ts means to ends to ])r()vi(le himself with 

 some sort of craft for carrying on his operations, but will also be able 

 to understand that a considerable degree of skill is required to navigate 

 a boat of this kind. 



