Oct. 23, 1890.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



281 



LINES OF SINGHALESE CANOE OR PROA. 



place in the rules and mode of adoption for all such limitations; 

 but in any ease it is an explantation that will fail to satisfy intelli- 

 gent members, and that iu itself is a confession of weakness. 



We have in a previous issue discussed the legal aspects of the 

 case; the ignoring of the existing regatta committee, though they 

 were within hail of the meeting, and the attempt, while declaring 

 that no indorsement from a regatta committee was necessary, to 

 substitute one made by a previous and now defunct committee; 

 the peculiar tactics in the same line in the attempt to justify a 

 change in one rule by the mutilation of another that is just as 

 valid. In further proof of what has been rhe past policy of the 

 Association, we quote the following official notices from the 

 Forest and Stream of 1884: 



"There will be a meeting of the Executive Committee of the 

 Association at the Delavan House. Albany, N. Y., on Saturday, 

 Oct. 4 at 10 A. M. All members of the Association are cordially in- 

 vited to present, either in person or by letter, any suggestions 

 or ideas for the action of the committee that they may deem of 

 benefit to the Association. The following members will constitute 

 the regatta committee, and they w'll be obeyed and respected ac- 

 cordingly: R. W. Gibson, of Albany, chairman; R. J. Wilkin, of 

 New York; J. L. Weller, of Peterborough. The committee will 

 meet at the caJl of the chairman previous to Oct. i to prepare 

 such matter as it may deem advisable to submit for the action of the 

 Executive Committee. Memoers are respectfully requested to ad- 

 dress all communications relative to matters in the jurisdiction 

 of the regatta committee to the chairman thereof on or before 

 Oct. 1. ISigned] C. A. Neide, Sec'y A. 0. A." 



By order of the Committee. 



"Editor Forest and Stream: The regatta committee will meet 

 at. a very early date and will be glad to have the benefit of sug- 

 gestions from any practical canoeists. These will be much more 

 serviceable than any criticisms at a later date. Therefore, let 

 any canoeist write his ideas immediately for publication in these 

 columns and they shall r< ceive due consideration in making the 

 programme and regulations for 1885. (Signed) Regatta Com- 

 mittee." 



In 1885 the same notice was again sent out by the secretary. 



These are only two instances of the close relations existing be- 

 tween the executive committee, the regatta committee and the 

 members of 'the Association; if a contrast is evident between 

 these notice s and the course of the present executive committee 

 it is not our fault. In the present case, the issue was one of the 

 most important that has ever come up, it had been brought up iu 

 the regular way a year before and failed to pass, dropping at once 

 out of notice; the member who reintroduced the subject was in 

 camp for over a week and yet gave no notice of his intention to 

 do so until the conclusion of i he regular business, for which the 

 meeting of Aug. 18 was called; the fact that the executive com- 

 mittee had no power in the matter was fully discussed and an at- 

 tempt made to give them this power; a number of the committee 

 while favoring the object of the motion urged strongly that all 

 action should be deferred until the regular season for such 

 changes, only two months distant, when the matter could be 

 sicted on with care and deliberation; but in spite of all this the 

 question was so urgently pressed that men finally voted for it 

 against their convictions. We have heard from several who 

 voted for the motion that they either considered it unnecessary 

 as the case then stood, or that they would much have preferred 

 to defer all action until it could go through the regular channels 

 at the annual committee meeting in November. 



So far as we can judge of the motives for such hasty action, 

 there was no intent of secrecy or precipitation, but an excess of 

 zeal over an evil which is greatly exaggerated led to the sudden 

 reopening of the question as soon as an opportunity presented 

 itself: and, once under way and face to face with a certain 

 amount of opposition, every effort was made to carry through the 

 motion, and in the excitement of the discussion many vital points 

 were entirely overlooked. If the facts are as we have stated 

 them then the question is whether the Association is willing to 

 indorse such hasty, illegal and ineffectual legislation merelv out 

 of regard for the standing and high aims of the men behind it, or 

 whether the sanctity and stability of the laws so Ions: recognized 

 are not to be maintained above all other considerations. 



THE SINGHALESE CANOE. 



THE modern racing canoe is peculiarly a product of civilization, 

 the result of a long course of study and experiment by men 

 of education and intelligence: but, unique as it is, with its narrow 

 beam, large sails and sliding deck seat, a parallel may be found 

 for it m the work of comparative savages. The canoe here shown, 

 though differing in many important particulars, is vet closelv 

 enough allied to the American racing canoe to niaKe a comparison 

 i a interesting and instructive. Both are craft of narrow beam 

 and light displacement, with little or no stability in the hull itself, 

 but carrying very large sails by virtue of practical mechanical 

 contrivances. What is done in the more civilized craft by the 

 weight of the crew thrown far out to windward, is accomplished 

 in the other by a similar means, a fixed weight being used that 

 serves at the same tune as a counter balance in itself and as a sup- 

 port tor live ballast in the shape of the crew outside of the hull 

 >roper. The craft here described is known as the Singhalese, 

 Leylonese or Pomte de Galle canoe or proa, and is used in the 

 vicinity of the island of Ceylon. The following drawing and des- 

 cription were furnished by Mr. John W. Kennedy of Chicago. 

 uiui^^^V fan °y tuat 18 will be necessary for some time to pro- 

 Dibit floating outriggers in the rules of the A. C. A., but the idea 



SAIL AND FITTING OF SINGHALESE CANOE. 



has already been tried by a Chicago canoeist, his canoe being fit- 

 ted with a metal cylinder of about 701bs. displacement rigged out 

 in each side. 



According to Folkard these boats have probably been in use for 

 several thousand years, he supposes Pliny to refer to them. Anson, 

 in his voyages, speaks of their speed in extravagrant terms, declar- 

 ing that they sail 30 miles an hour. Observations taken by British 

 officers show them to have a speed of 20 miles an hour. Com. 

 Wilkes, of the United States Navy, speaks of the speed of similar 

 boats as inconceivable. The model from which these lines are 

 taken was made by a native. It was sent from India by Capt. 

 Baker, of Boston, who wrote, "These canoes are at once the safest 

 and fastest boats that float. Their high wall sides and great rake 

 of bows enable them to live in heavy seas, and their narrow beam, 

 and enormous sail give them remarkable speed. They easily sail 

 around the fastest English pilot boats. They sail close to the wind, 

 and make but little leeway. I have met them 60 miles at sea, and 

 you need have no fear of crossing Lake Michigan in one of these 

 canoi s; but be sure of your fastenings! These boats make good 

 headway under paddles." The sailing directions sent by Capt. 

 Baker, have unfortunately been lo3t. It will be seen that the sail 

 most be managed somewhat as a dipping lug, and that the boat 

 tacks without turning: the balance beam being always to wind- 

 ward; the sail being swung around, end for end, and the boat 

 starting on the new tack with the end forward which was pre- 

 viously aft. 



The main body of the canoe is made from the trunk of a tree, 

 the upper third is formed of planking. The pLanks are lashed to 

 the canoe portion by thongs: the angle of junction between the 

 two parts being filled with a strip of bark or wood properly fitted 

 in. The planks are joined to one another also by lasning. The 

 seams are made water tightby pitch. At a number of points below 

 the sheerline, especially where the mast is placed, and where the 

 outriggers rest, a wooden pin pierces both sides of the planking 

 extending across the boat and projecting some distance beyond it. 

 By means of these beams the outriggers are lashed down across 

 the gunwale, and securely held in ptace by a sort of figure of 8 

 knot. The mast stands on the lee side of the plank portion, with 

 its foot resting on the canoe. It is lashed to a cross tie, and is 

 properly sustained by guys. It is exactly amidships. The two 

 outriggers are not placed at equal distances from the center, but 

 they may be said to be led aft, so that the balance beam floats very 

 much nearer one end of the canoe than the other. It is probable 

 that this is only a matter of convenience, in order that one end of 

 the boat may be utilized more easily and safely in landing, boarding 

 etc. About midway between the middle of the boat and the ex- 

 tremities, seats for the crew are arranged longitudinally, two on 

 either side. They consist of a board resting with its inner edge on 

 th" gunwhale. The crew sit on these seats, with their feet hanging 

 in the canoe. These benches are secured to the cross ties. 



The balance beam is a log of wood in general shape like a cigar. 

 Near its upper circumference, toward either end, a notch is cut 

 for the reception of the outer end of the outrigger. Below this 

 notch is a large hole which pierces the beam from side to side, 

 through this hole the rope passes by means of which the properly 

 notched outrigger is most firmly lashed to the beam. The beam, 

 as will be seen in the cut, is not exactly alike at each end. Whether 

 this variation be from accident or design is not known, it may be 

 here remarked that in order that the balance beam snail secure 

 equal stability to the boat on either side, it is necessary that its 

 specific gravity should be just half that of water, (chat is, that its 

 weight relatively to water should be such that in heeling the canoe 

 would meet a like resistance whether it tended to submerge the 

 balance-beam, or lift it from the water). 



The outriggers are curved as in the figure, and made of natural 

 growth as a bRmboo pole. They should possess a certain spring. 

 It is noteworthy that the curve of the outriggers is such that when 

 the canoe rests upright on a plain surface (in trim). The balance 

 beam just touches that surface, and also that what might be called 

 the horizontal plane of the beam is not, when thus in situ, in cor- 

 respondence with a horizontal (water-line) plane of the canoe, but 

 that it inclines away from the water-line plane of the boat at an 

 angle of 38deg. So that the lashings of the outriggers to the beam 

 do not look directly upward, but upward, and outward from the 

 canoe. 



The paddles are of the shape represented in the cut with a slight 

 curve on their face. It is probable that they are made use of as 

 lee boards to prevent lee-way. Projecting to leeward from the 

 gunwale of the canoe is what mav be called a counter balance. It 

 is called by the natives a "sortl." It consists of a forked beam of 

 wood something like the letter Y. The straighter arm A is lashed 

 over the gunwale, while the oblique arm B, rests against the side 

 of the canoe where if joins the planking. The main branch ot the Y, 

 C, extends perpendicularly outward from the boat's side and serves 

 as a seat. Upon this the natives sit when it is desired to diminish 

 the drag of the balance beam, as during gentle breezes, or while 

 the boat is being paddled. Extending from the canoe to the bal- 

 ance beam are man ropes, by the aid of which the sailors may- 

 walk along an outrigger to the beam. When carrying all sail in 

 a high wind they straddle the balance beam to add to its efficiency 

 by increasing its weight. 



The various parts of the drawings are as follows: A B, Base 

 line of sheer plan. C D, Center line of body plan. C £>', Center 

 line, half-breadth plan. 



SHEER PLAN. 



ab cel. Water lines, e. e e. Sheer line. 7c k fc, Lower side o f hull. 

 a' a' a', Section lines. ///, Line of junction of log hull with the 

 planked portion. 



RODT PLAN. 



d' d\ Midship section, e' f a and h, Sections, a" a\ Bow and but- 

 tock line, (alike), b' b\ First diagonal, c' c', Second diagonal. 



H AM- BREADTH PLAN. 



C D\ Center line, e" e\ Side line, a'" a'". Section lines, b" b". 

 First diagonal, e" c", Second diagonal. /"/"/", Line of junccion 

 of hull with the planked portion. 7f ' 1;/ h\ Half-breadth of planked 

 portion at ends, mm, Junction of hull with planked portion at 

 bows. 



ALASKAN CANOES.— The Thlinket canoe is hewn from a 

 single log. shaped to long, slender lines, and rises at the bow with 

 a high, sharp point that suggests a Venetian gondola. They are 

 painted black with a mixture of soot and seal oil, which further 

 suggests the gondola, but they are damp and most unpleasant 

 boats to ride in. An Adirondack canoe is a very canal boat for 

 steadiness in the water as compared to these teetering canoes 

 that balance on hair lines and fairly toss unwary passengers into 

 the water. There are no cross pieces or seats, and the Indians sit 

 flat on the bottom of the canoe and maintain one position for 

 hours without moving, and on canoe journeys they are very dicta- 

 torial to any white passengers because of their restlessness and 

 incessant changes of position, which threaten to capsize the canoe 

 each time. The Indians go on long journeys and make the canoe 

 their home tor weeks at a time, and even venture out on the open 

 S, C L ean i , and aci oss the Droad sounds of the coast in these canoes. 

 They tmnk nothing of paddling down to the British line to see if 

 they can get a little more in trade, and visit along at all the 

 tnendly and interesting villages on the way. In this roving in- 

 stinct, this desire for sightseeing and visiting, they show another 

 trait they hold in common with the Japanese. At every village 

 there are canoes belonging to visiting Indians to be seen on the 

 beach, and one meets Sitka Indians everywhere else in the archi- 

 pelago, and members of all the other tribes from time to time at 

 Sitka. \\ hen the canoes are beached they are drawn up high and 

 dry. filled with grass, branches and seaweed, and carefully cov- 

 ered with old blankets or mats woven of cedar bark, and a row of 

 these high-beaked canoes sometimes have an unpleasant funereal 

 look.— .St. Louis Republic. 



LAWRENCE C. C— An important meeting of this successful 

 club was held on Oct. 3, one new member being elected from a 

 list of twenty-nine proposals, to fill the only vacancy in the mem- 

 bership, the limn being 250. It was decided to hold at least three 

 meetings next sea on, two on the water and one ashore, and also 

 to lease the Lawrence cricket grounds. Commodore Lawson, A. 

 C. A, was present and spoke on the subject of the Association 

 and its aims, a number of those present applying for membership. 



ST. LAWRENCE RIVER S., C. AND S. L. CO.- We are in- 

 formed that Dr. Alexander Bain, of Clayton, who has so long 

 been identified with the St. Lawrence skiff, has retired from the 

 above Ann. The business will be continued bv Messrs. Q, G. 

 Iwery »n4 J. ©, Wttle, with, Mr, J. Or. Fraser as manager. 



