.commenced, and every natural object prefented a new face,
with fuch a freflmefs of .verdure, and with fuch vigpur and
fulnefs of foliage, that all nature appeared in the utmoft luxuriance.
From'' the number, of gentlemen, whoneceffarily attended
the Governor General, the fleet, was' very largp,. and
confifted' o f every variety of the bcatS-df thE Gauntry* except
thofe which arfe called burs, and" o f which we met with, feve-,
ral in- our courfe. Thefe Veffels, are large rude barks, the fides
of which-afe railed-very high, and feweek together with the
fibres of the' cocoa-nut tree*. They have only a»fingle maft,
Va# a large fquare foil, and. the bottoms of them, are nearly
flat. They take in a^great quantity of water from- their fides
and bottoms, which compels the crew to employ fome people
continually in Bailing. They ate ufed for the carriage of
cotton, and other very bulky materials, the weight of which
cannot bear any proportion to their fize. Indeed, it would
be impracticable to employ boats, which* were calculated- to
draw arty confiderable quantity of water on this river, as- the
navigation is extremely dangerous, from the fands being eon-
handy Ihifting. I have known an ifland, four miles in length,
and containing fome villages, wholly fwept away in one fea-
fon j in the mean time, at a little diftance, other iflands were
formed, from the fands being thrown up; This phenomenon
took place off the point of Rajemahel, in the year 178a..
T he boats ufed by the,natives for travelling, and alfo by
Europeans;, are the budgerows., which both fail and row:
they have in general from twelve to twenty oats» Thefe boats
-vary in their fize according to the condition of their owners j
fome may be about fixty feet in length, -having very high
ftems i many o f them twelve feet from the. water’s edge, and
‘quite lharp at the tipper, point : in the center they are broad,
having a confiderable bearing in the water, and quite lharp
forward. They are fleered with a large paddle or oar, extending
ten feet from the ftem ; and there is generally one
mail in the center, on which is hoifted a large fquare fail :
they have likewife a topmaft, on which is a fquare fail for
fine weather. Thefe boats are ill calculated to go near the
wind, and indeed are dangerous, from the great weight abaft j
they are, however, extremely commodious, having in the center
a fmall verander, or open portico; opening by a door into
a handfome room, lighted by a range of windows on each
fide. This is the dining or fitting room, within which is a
convenient bed chamber, generally containing a fmall clofet :
the height of the fitting room is ufually from feven to nine
feet. Befides this boat, a gentleman is ufually attended by
two others j a puhvah, for the accommodation o f the kitchen,
and a fmaller boat, a paunchway, which is deftined to -convey
him either on fliore or on board, as it frequently happens
that the budgerow cannot come clofe to the fliores, where
he might wifli to land. Thefe boats fail more expeditioufly
than the budgerows ; but the paunchways are nearly of the
fame general conftruftion, with this difference, that the great-
eft breadth is fomewhat farther aft, and the ftems lower : the