242 June 1749. 



Bat toes * are another kind of boats, 

 which are much in ufe in Albany : they are 

 made of boards of white pine ; the bot- 

 tom is flat, that they may row the better 

 in mallow water ; they are {harp at both 

 ends, and fomewhat higher towards the 

 end than in the middle. They have feats 

 in them, and are rowed as common boats. 

 They are long, yet not all alike, common- 

 ly three, and fometimes four fathoms long. 

 The height from the bottom to the top of 

 the board (for the fides ftand almoft per- 

 pendicular) is from twenty inches to two 

 feet, and the breadth in the middle about 

 a yard and fix inches. They are chiefly 

 made ufe of for carrying goods, by means 

 of the rivers, to the Indians ; that is, when 

 thofe rivers are open enough for the battoes 

 to pafs through, and when they need not 

 be carried by land a great way. The boats 

 made of the bark of trees, break eafily by 

 knocking againft a flone, and the canoes 

 cannot carry a great cargo, and are eafily 

 overfet ; the battoes are therefore prefer- 

 able to them both. I- faw no boats here 

 Jike thofe in Sweden, and other parts of 

 Europe. 



The froft does frequently a great deal of 



damage 



• From the French Bateaux (Beats). 



