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J. HORNELL ON 



bladed paddles of two designs. When paddling, which they do as seldom as possible, 

 they frequently stand up spooning the water rather than rowing or paddling. That 

 early English mariner who saw them miles out from the coast and probably was the 

 first Englishman to make reference to them, may well be excused for recording his 

 surprise at seeing "distinctly two black devils playing at single stick. We watched 

 these infernal imps about an hour, when they were lost in the distance. Surely this 

 doth portend some great tempest." ' The description exactly pictures the scene if one 

 be far enough awav to overlook the catamaran which floats almost level with the water. 



Fig. 3. — A pair of boat -catamarans under sail. Tuticorin. 



Unlike Coromandel catamarans, the logs are kept permanently tied together ; they 

 are neither painted nor oiled, neither is any ornamental carving employed. 



To go to and from the fishing grounds a small triangular and nearly equilateral 

 sail is used, fitted to the head of a diminutive spar 10 feet in length, .set up with a 

 strong rake forward right in the bows, i.e. at the end which functions as such — both 

 ends are almost alike in structure. A light bamboo yard of considerable length (34 

 feet) carries the brown tanned cotton sail (fig. 3). Mast and sail are common to each 

 pair of catamarans, the mast being stepped in the larger while the sheet is led to the 



• Quoted by Thurston, 13., Castes and Tribes of S. India, VI, 179. 



