EFFICIENCY OF THE BALSA 



219^ 



ness of the cords used in construction ; in fact, the outer layers of canes 

 are so ingeuionsly interlocked by the insertion of their butts into inter- 

 stices that each bundle holds itself together with slight aid from the 

 exterior cording, while even the bundles themselves are held in proper 

 relative position by the secure terminal tying ratlier than by the inter- 

 twined cording of the body of the craft. And the entire construction 

 exemplifies the compartment principle to perfection; a slight injury 

 may aflect but a single joint of one out of several thousand canes, while 

 even a severe fall on sharp rocks seldom injures more than a few score 

 canes, and these in a few joints only. The most objectionable feature 

 of the balsa lies in the fact that it affords little protection from the wet. 

 The water rises freely through the reed bundles to a height depending 

 on the load, and not only the spray but the whitecaps and combers 

 as well dash freely over the unprotected body of the craft; but this 

 defect is of little consequence to the hardy and nearly nude navigators, 

 or to their scanty and practically uninjurable freight. 



Fig. 28— Seri balsa as seen by Narratjansett party. 



The gracefulness and eflBciency of the balsa itself stand in strong 

 cotitrast with the crude methods of projiulsion. According to Mashem, 

 the craft is commonly propelled by either one or two women lying 

 prone on the reeds and paddling either with bare hands or with large 

 shells held in the hands; according to Hardy, the harpoon main shaft 

 is used by turtle fishermen for paddling (and probably for poling, also) ; 

 according to the Dewey jjicture (figure 28), the vessel is driven by a 

 woman with a double-end paddle like that used in connection with the 

 conventional canoe; while the expedition of 1895 found on Isla Tiburon 

 four or five paddles rudely wrought from flotsam boards and barrel- 

 staves, and i)artly hafted with rough sticks 3 or 4 feet long, but partly 

 without handles and evidently designed to be grasped directly, like the 

 shells of Mashem's descriptions. No trace of oars, rowlocks, sculls, 

 rudders, or masts were found, and there is nothing to indicate the 

 faintest notion of sails and sailing. On the whole there is no trace of 

 well differentiated propelling devices — i. e., the craft is perfected only 

 a.s a static device and not at all as a dynamic mechanism. 



