HISTORY OF NAVIGATION. 19 



1. Africa. Until the seventh century this portion of the world was 

 almost wholly unknown, and as regards the principal part of its interior is 

 still in the same condition. The first descriptions of this interesting coun- 

 try are given by Herodotus. The region bordering on the Red Sea and 

 the Persian Gulf, and the coast of the Mediterranean, has no special 

 interest in connexion with our subject, since its navigation has become 

 entirely absorbed in the European. We shall accordingly confine our- 

 selves to the east and west coasts of Africa. 



The fishing-boats of Mocha, in the Straits of Babelmandel, are about 24 

 feet long, with 16 feet in the keel, forming a long and pointed oval ; the 

 mast is scarcely 12 feet high ; the sail is nearly square, and the oars are of 

 great length, with pear-shaped paddles two feet wide. The fishing-boats in 

 the bay of Maskate are of a very different construction. They have a flat 

 bottom, with so slight a curve, that its outline is nearly in the form of a 

 trapezium. They have no knee-timbers, and their planks are bent by fire, 

 lapping over each other, and fastened to the floor with bands and clamps, 

 forming a kind of seam. At the stern there is a rudder, reaching two feet 

 under the bottom of the vessel, and managed with two ropes. The mast is 

 20 feet high, and carries a square sail on the yard. The freight boats are 

 rounder, being five feet high in the sides, and the planks consist of several 

 different pieces ; the bottom rises pretty sharp both at stem and stern ; the 

 rudder does not pass below the bottom of the vessel, and is moved with a 

 small bar. These boats have short knee-timbers, and are without sails. 

 The large fishing-boats are about 45 feet in length and 14 in breadth ; the 

 bottom is somewhat curved ; the frame is in the shape of a crescent, and is 

 secured by crooked timbers fastened to the bottom of the keel ; the mast 

 stands forward ; it is 36 feet high, and can be taken down ; the rudder goes 

 five feet under the keel ; the sail is four-cornered, oblique, and spread to the 

 wind by a long yard, and a sort of bowsprit which projects to a great dis- 

 tance ; the boats have a small forward and after-deck. The smaller coasters 

 of Maskate resemble the freight boats, except the greatest breadth is towards 

 the stern, and the mast is 50 feet high, with a yard and an oblique four-cor- 

 nered sail. This vessel has a complete deck. The larger class of coasters 

 have an elevated side and a cabin, and a small mast besides the mainmast. 

 There is an ornament on the prow resembling the aplustre of the ancients. 

 The largest coasters of all are constructed like our smaller trading vessels, 

 but run very obliquely forward on a short keel ; the mainmast is fixed, while 

 a second is put up only occasionally. The whole vessel is about 75 feet 

 long, 14 feet high, and 16 feet wide in the centre. In the gulf of Cutcli there 

 are coasters not over 50 feet long, but 20 feet wide, and nearly oval in shape. 

 They have a very high sharp keel, and rise abruptly both at stem and stern. 

 They have a high poop-cabin, with three divisions and windows. On both 

 sides of the gangway there is a framework three feet high, over which is 

 drawn a covering for the protection of the cargo. The vessel is propelled 

 both by oars and sails. 



South of Maskate is the coast of Mozambique, with the island of Mada- 

 gascar and the neighboring Seychelles islands. Except European vessels 



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