530 Wood's Report on the River Indus. QNo. 115. 



at once fills and goes down, and if empty, the shaking produced by 

 a short chopping sea soon opens the seams of a vessel that has no beams 

 to hold her frame together. 



In a river danger from this cause may appear slight; but when the 

 stream and wind are opposed to each other, a short breaking sea 

 is formed, that will swamp a six-oared cutter at a grapling. Most of 

 the boats that are lost on the Indus, are wrecked in the manner here 

 described. Gales of wind are experienced throughout the whole 

 line of the Indus. They are more frequent near the mountains, 

 than in the neighbourhood of the sea. 



VI. — Of the Boats upon the Indus. 



The boats upon the Indus are of simple construction, and their 

 figure is perhaps the best that could be given, considering the kind of 

 navigation in which they are employed. They are easily constructed, 

 not very expensive, and for stowage of cargo, no form could be better 

 devised. Their proportions though not elegant, are pleasing, and 

 tracking or under sail, their appearance is pretty. 



The employment of the Indus craft is confined to harvesting the 

 crop, serving the ferries, and keeping large towns in fuel. For these 

 purposes, the supply is ample. Second, between the sea and Attock two 

 kinds of vessels are in use, the zohruk on the Upper, and the doondah 

 upon the Lower Indus. In boats belonging to the latter class, a slight 

 difference in the build gives rise to a further classification, and of this 

 description of vessel the moohanah, (boatman,) enumerates more than 

 one variety. But before particularizing each, a description of the doon- 

 dah is necessary. Her good and bad qualities are shared alike by them 

 all, and the following notice of this boat is therefore applicable to 

 every vessel on the river :~ 



Form and method of construction.— ThQ hull or body of the boat 

 is formed by the junction of three detached pieces, namely, two sides 

 and a bottom—at variance with our ideas of naval architecture ; the 

 three parts are first separately completed, and then brought together 

 as a cabinet-maker does the side of a box. The junction is thus 

 effected : when each of the three parts that are to form the whole is com- 

 pleted in itself, the sides are carried to the bottom of the boat, and at 



