226 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
and vicinity have always experienced strong 
competition from manufacturers in such sea¬ 
ports as Hamburg, Kiel, Stettin, etc., but 
through the introduction of special types and 
the construction of boats on more practical 
lines the local manufacturers have finally been 
successful in meeting this competition. Dur¬ 
ing 1908 there were constructed in Berlin and 
the vicinity approximately 160 motor boats and 
smaller steamboats in which the body of the 
boat was of wood and a smaller number in 
which the material was steel. 
“The exportation of all sorts of ships and 
boats has been far in excess of the importation, 
except in the case of inland lake boats for 
pleasure purposes. During 1907 and 1908 the 
number of these boats imported was, respective- 
ly, 196 and 186, as compared with 31 and 72 ex¬ 
ported. The exportation and importation for 
the first quarter of 1909 are still less than for 
the same quarter of the years 1907 and 1908. 
“The superiority of American boats is gen¬ 
erally recognized in Germany, and with the re¬ 
turn of normal industrial and trade conditions 
there is no reason why they should not find a 
ready market here, provided they are properly 
introduced.” 
NO OPPORTUNITY FOR MOTOR BOATS IN HARPUT. 
Consul William W. Masterson furnishes 
the following information concerning the con¬ 
servative modes of navigation in the Harput 
district of Turkey: 
“It is doubtful if there is another district in 
the consular service where marine gas engines 
and motor boats are as little in demand as in 
this; not that there is no water upon which 
boats may run, for the Euphrates makes an 
immense horseshoe bend through the length 
of the district, and some six hours distant from 
Harput there is a salt-water lake 18 miles long 
and 5 miles wide, but these people do not un¬ 
derstand boating as we understand it. There 
is but one engine of any kind in the whole dis¬ 
trict, and that is a small 40-horsepower oil en¬ 
gine in a silk factory, and no one living here, 
except the few who have been elsewhere, have 
ever seen any kind of power except hand power 
applied to any boat. 
. “It should be borne in mind that this district 
is some 500 miles inland, that all freights are 
carried by caravans, and that it costs as much 
to transfer merchandise inland from the sea 
port, Samsoun, as it does to ship it from New 
York to Samsoun. 
“The lake mentioned, Geuljuk Lake, would be 
admirably adapted for motor boats, as it is a 
most beautiful sheet of water entirely sur¬ 
rounded by high mountains. There are some 
ill-contrived boats used by the natives in pad¬ 
dling about, but boat building is an art unknown 
to these people. 
“On the Euphrates a rather unusual contriv¬ 
ance is used as a substitute for boats in navigat¬ 
ing the river downstream. The current is un¬ 
usually swift, and it would be almost impossible 
to propel a boat upstream; so for going down¬ 
stream a lot of sheepskins are inflated and tied 
together with boards across the top to make a 
steady surface, and as many or as few of these 
inflated skins are used as the load or number 
of passengers require. After the destination has 
been reached the skins are deflated and piled 
on donkeys or camels and brought back over¬ 
land to the starting place. 
“These inflated sheepskin rafts or ‘keleks,’ 
as they are called, are used on both the Eu¬ 
phrates and Tigris rivers, and quite a traffic is 
carried on in this manner; from Diarbekir on 
down the Tigris River to Bagdad, some 500 
miles, not only freight but mail and passengers 
are carried by these boats.” 
AMERICAN ENGINES PREFERRED. 
Consul John F. Jewell, of Melbourne, 
furnishes the following information concerning 
motor boats in his district: 
“The use of motor boats,_ both for pleasure 
and business purposes, is increasing in this 
consular district, and much of their popularity 
is due to American enterprise in adequately rep¬ 
resenting the advantages accruing from their 
adoption. Most of the boats here are equipped 
with American engines (oil), which are greatly 
preferred on account of their recognized superi¬ 
ority and cheapness in comparison with other 
makes. The hulls, being subject to a 20 per 
cent, duty, are not imported, but are built by 
local boat builders according to the require¬ 
ments of the users. The engines and all fittings 
are also subject to a duty of 20 per cent. The 
leading American engines are well represented 
on the market here, the demand principally be¬ 
ing for those from 5 to 10 horsepower, though 
occasionally much larger ones are sold for use 
in the harbor and on the large Gippsland lakes.” 
MOTOR BOATS IN AMOY. 
Consul Julean H. Arnold furnishes the fol¬ 
lowing information relative to the difficulties 
in the way of motor boating in Amoy and the 
efforts being made to overcome them: 
“While the harbor and waterways of this 
Chinese district are well adapted to the use of 
motor boats, but little has been accomplished 
toward their introduction. An experiment of 
considerable value to those interested in motor 
boating is being made here by an American 
physician, who has purchased a 3-horsepower 
gasolene engine, which he intends placing in 
the native sampan, a boat greatly resembling 
an American dory. The sampan is peculiarly 
well adapted to this harbor, and if it can be 
advantageously propelled by a gasolene engine 
a number of others will very likely equip them 
for motoring. The difficulty in Amoy is that 
there is a 14-foot fall in the tide, with a tidal 
current of about 4 miles an hour. Whether or 
not a 3-horsepower engine will be sufficiently 
powerful to propel an 18-foot sampan, capable 
of carrying six passengers, against the tide in 
this harbor will be known as soon as the 
American completes the equipment of his boat. 
The preliminary steps were recently taken to¬ 
ward organizing a rowing and sailing club at 
this port. _ About forty persons are interested 
in the project, and the outlook fpr its success 
seems good. This club may become interested 
in water motoring, and motor boat publications 
should be sent to the Amoy Rowing Club, to 
stir up a motoring spirit among the members 
and their friends.” 
GOOD FIELD IN CANTON DELTA. 
Vice-Consul-General Stuart J. Fuller, of 
Hongkong, states that there is room for ’the 
development of a considerable business in 
motor boats in south China. Both kerosene 
and gasolene are available, and the Canton delta 
is a network of tide channels. At the present 
time steam launches are used extensively to tow 
cargo boats, but there is no reason why 
launches fitted with internal combusion engines 
should not also be used. Hongkong houses 
handling motor boats and engines are listed at 
the Bureau of Manufactures.” 
AMERICAN MOTOR ENGINES AT BANGKOK. 
Vice-Consul-General Carl C. Hansen furn¬ 
ishes the following report covering the use of 
motor boats at Bangkok, and the cause of the 
American boat failing to secure a foothold in 
Siam: 
“Bangkok should make the ideal place for 
motor boats, being built on both sides of the 
river, _ and the numerous canals, leading from 
the river in every direction, afford passage¬ 
ways to all parts of the city for all kinds of 
craft. The motor boat trade has been 
thoroughly exploited in Bangkok, and many 
manufacturers in Europe and America have 
tried the market with more or less success. 
It seems that the best plan would be to start a 
boat-building yard here, and import only the 
machinery. Chinese boat builders are numerous 
in Bangkok and their labor cheap; then also 
the proper repairs could be made under the 
oversight of experienced American workmen. 
It is understood that the failure of the Ameri¬ 
can motor boat to gain a foothold in Siam was 
due to the fact that there was no facility here 
for having any repairs made and the lack of 
practical knowledge by the Siamese in running 
motors. In order to gain practical knowledge 
of the motor boat trade and its demands, it is 
necessary that an expert should visit the place. 
There are two passenger motor boat companies 
in Bangkok, with a total capital of about 
$180,000, but last year both failed to pay a 
dividend. A year ago about 150 motor boats 
were in use in Bangkok, and it is probable that 
the number has doubled by this time. German 
and British firms lead in the import trade. 
There is a constant demand for motors of ali 
kinds. The King has shown a great interest in 
the motor boat, and the princes and nobles 
compete in the yearly motor boat races. Prince 
Rajaburi, steering his 6-cylinder craft, won the 
race last year.” 
MOTOR BOATS SUITABLE FOR USE ON THE NILE. 
Consul-General Lewis M. Iddings, of 
Cairo, reports that the best way to introduce 
American boats and get motors known in Egypt 
would be to send out 3 or 4 boats and have 
them run, for the owner’s account, by one of 
the local agencies who has an arsenal and sta¬ 
tions on the Nile. It would also be necessary 
to send out a mechanic to attend to the work¬ 
ing of the boats and who could have, at the 
same time, an eye on the receipts. American 
manufacturers must not run the risk of having 
their business in Egypt spoiled through their 
motors being broken up by persons who do 
not understand how to run them. The boats 
should be 21 to 30 feet in length, with light 
wood hull, a maximum draft of 2 feet, and a 
compact motor capable of developing 6 miles 
an hour against a 2-mile current. 
MOTOR RACING BOATS BECOMING POPULAR. 
In advising that there is a probable market 
in the region about Winnipeg for motor racing 
boats, Consul-General John Edward Jones 
writes: 
“There is a large summer colony which moves 
to the shores of the Lake of the Woods in 
Ontario as soon as warm weather comes. It 
is estimated that several thousand campers an¬ 
nually make their summer home in and about 
Kenora, Ontario. Up to the present summer 
the principal form of amusement was sailing 
yachts. Late in July at the annual regatta there 
was a class in competition comprising racing 
motor boats. The contest was keen and at 
once became popular. Already a number of 
orders have been placed for fast motor boats 
to be ready next year, and American manufac¬ 
turers might, with profit, look into the probable 
business opportunity by getting into communi¬ 
cation with the motor boat dealers or agents at 
Kenora.” 
Canoeing . 
A. C. A. Membership. 
NEW MEMBERS PROPOSED. 
Atlantic Division.—R. Robbins Anderson, c/o 
Thomas Maddocks Sons Co., Trenton, N. T. bv 
Robert F. Tims. 
Central Division.—Edward S. Dawson, Jr., 134 
Green street, Syracuse, N. Y.; William McCaul- 
ley, Syracuse, N. Y., and C. H. Savage, 116 E. 
Fayette street, Syracuse, N. Y., all by C. H. 
Mattison. 
Eastern Division.—Raymond A. Westgate, 143 
Draper street, Dorchester, Mass., by J. R. Rob¬ 
ertson. 
NEW MEMBERS ELECTED. 
Atlantic Division.—5928, Charles E. Tyson, c/o 
Cooks Linoleum Co., Trenton, N. J.; 5929, Joseph 
W. Broomhead, 4709 Leiper street, Frankford, 
Pa.; 5930, Herbert E. Amidon, 322 West Duval 
street, Germantown, Pa. 
Atlantic Division. 
The annual mess of the Atlantic Division* of 
the A. C. A. will be held at Lu Lu Temple, 
Broad and Spring Garden streets, Philadelphia, 
Saturday evening, Feb. 19, at 7 o’clock. Come 
eat, drink, smoke and be merry for $2.50. Take 
Thirteenth street car to Spring Garden street for 
Lu Lu Temple. Clayton C. Wilson. 
