534 Wood's Report on the River Indus. [No. 115. 



planks of this vessel are held together by clamps instead of nails, and 

 the junction is often neatly enough executed. This class of boats is not 

 so strong as the doondah, but they sail faster and draw less water. 

 They are more roomy than the doondah, and though less adapted for 

 the conveyance of goods, are much superior for transporting troops. 



The Duggah. — This is the clumsiest, and at the same time, the 

 strongest built boat upon the Indus. She is confined to that rocky 

 and dangerous part of the coast, between Kalabagh and Attock. The 

 form of the boat differs but slightly from that of the doondah. The 

 duggah has neither mast nor sail. Her name is the Sindean word 

 for cow, and the awkward sluggish motion of this boat shews that 

 it has not been misapplied. If the duggah drops down the river 

 to Mittun, there she must remain, and be sold for whatever sum she 

 will bring ; for to drag her up against the stream to Kalabagh, would 

 cost more money in the hire of men, than the boat is worth. 



Management of the Boats. — Under sail the very best of them will 

 not be within eight or nine points of the wind. Dropping down the 

 river with a contrary wind, the mast is unshipped, as also the rudder, 

 and the latter is replaced by two sculls. Should the wind blow strong, 

 a boat without cargo can make no progress, and the safety of one 

 laden, is endangered by the chopping sea it raises. 



Tracking is performed as follows : — the boat is provided with a 

 track rope at least a hundred fathoms long; it is rove through the 

 uppermost sheave-hole at the mast head, and the inner end fastened 

 to the rail or platform on which the steersman is standing. On the 

 hauling post before the mast, is a guy, called a '' lagh," the lower end 

 of which passes through a ring bolt in the bow of the boat. This 

 guy is of as much utility as the helm itself. Before the boat starts 

 the track rope is middled, and the inner half coiled down under 

 the feet of the steersman : one man is stationed by the guy, and the 

 remainder of the crew toggle on to the shore part of the line. Thus 

 yoked they march at the rate of two miles an hour up to the knees, 

 often higher, in water or in mud. Whilst thus advancing the foremost 

 walker calls out " shoal water," on which the inner end of the clog 

 rope is let go, the guy eased off, the helm put to one side or the other, 

 as the case may be, and the boat thus relieved, avoids taking the 

 ground by shooting out into the stream. The shoal passed, the guy 



i 



