Nevertheless, they make not the least objection to jumping into the water with their clothes on (they are not burthened with many) on any emergency, and swimming to the shore or to neighbouring boats. On returning to the boat, they take off their clothes and hang them up to dry.

The mode of furling the sails of the larger Nile boats is curious and exciting. Whilst peaked up high in the air, and swaying to and fro in the wind, the crew run up the mast and climb along the lofty yard with all the skill and agility of ancient funambuli; distributing themselves at equal distances apart from each other; and, in such positions, clinging to the yard, whilst they furl the sail with the neatness of English man-of-war men. In the large boats, sometimes as many as eight at a time are upon the main-yard furling the sail. The lightest youth goes first and highest up, to the slender part of the yard; the next lightest follow behind him, and so on, leaving the heaviest below, at the thick end of the yard and broadest part of the sail,

CATAMARANS, OR LOG-BOATS OF THE NILE.

'While far around like ruby sparks

Upon the water, lighted barks,
Of every form and kind-from those

That down Syene's cataract shoots,
To the grand, gilded barge, that rows
To tambour's beat and breath of flutes.'

T. MOORE.

THE primitive notion of crossing rivers on logs of buoyant wood is one that still prevails, even in countries where arts and sciences are liberally cultivated and broadly extended, and notwithstanding that boats and vessels of superior form and construction are daily before the eyes of those who are in the habit of using such rustic contrivances.

The Nile catamarans are simply thick logs of wood, about four or five feet in length, cut from the date tree, the fore end being sharpened a little to diminish the resistance to the

water; sometimes two or three of the logs are lashed together, so as to form a more burthensome raft, for the purpose of carrying passengers and cargo across the river.

When a single log is used, the weight of the occupant is sometimes alone sufficient to sink it below the surface, although still maintaining buoyancy enough to keep the adventurer above water.

The manner of sitting and using the native catamarans on the Nile is remarkable, and requires considerable practice and no little skill. Some of the Nubian boys are very skilful in the management of them, and afford great amusement to the Nile-boat voyagers; they sit and lie upon their catamarans in various positions; sometimes at full length, on their stomachs, and yet propelling the log with undiminished speed, paddling across the bows of the passenger Nile boats, as if to mock their tardy progress; and all the while using nothing but their hands and legs to propel the log ahead. Sometimes they bind their bundles on the top of their heads and seat themselves astride the log-boat on crossing the river or shooting the rapids. Others sit upright, with their legs stretched out straight before them along the sides of the log; and then, with a balance-sweep or double-bladed oar, they draw or propel the raft ahead, by alternate strokes to right and left. In this way the Nubian inhabitants of Assouan, to this day, ferry themselves across the Nile to feed and look after their sheep and goats on the opposite shore; sometimes carrying bundles of fodder, in the shape of Indian corn leaves, and other provender, lashed to the catamaran with cords made from the fibres of the same date tree of which the floating log itself formed part. The Nubian boys perform very venturesome feats with these catamarans; riding upon them apparently without fear, as they shoot over the most perilous and roaring cataracts, choosing, as they do, for the sake of daring, the fiercest and most rapid parts of the torrent, to the astonishment and amusement of the Nile-boat voyagers, and all the while guiding their rolling barks and retaining their positions upon them with admirable skill. (1) Sometimes they appear totally (') See 'The Nile Boat,' by W. H. Bartlett, 1862, p. 208 (5th ed.).

submerged, log and all, and apparently half drowned; but they never fail to come up again, and, with smiling faces, ask for that undying gratification, 'backsheesh.' (1)

Not very long ago some English ladies, on a voyage up the Nile from Assouan to Korosko, were delighted with the sight of what they at first supposed to be a veritable little mermaid, floundering upon the surface of the water in most interesting attitudes. On nearing the figure, however, they soon discovered that it was a small human form, in the shape of a pretty little girl, about ten years of age, with a rich copper-coloured skin, lying stretched on the surface of the water, perfectly naked, with a submerged log beneath her, and moving quickly along by means only of her hands and feet; she was making her way across the river, with apparent ease and confidence on her log-boat, although it was buried under water as she laid along it flat upon her chest, her hands and feet working away upon the surface. Like her father, who was near by on a similar raft, she was taking fodder across the river, consisting of a bundle of bright green leaves, which she carried in front of her upon the raft. Her laughing face was the picture of innocence and happiness, as she worked her way across the stream; and notwithstanding that the current was very strong, she was not to be baffled, and came alongside the travellers' Dahabéëh, when, with irresistible grace and innocence, she held out her palm for a few 'parras' (copper coin of the country). (*)

This mode of crossing the Nile is said to be common near Assouan, where many log-boats may be seen lying on the rocks to dry. Some are larger than others, and made of two or three logs bound together; these will carry five or six persons across at a time, although how to seat them all upon so small a surface would puzzle most European brains.

(1) SeeThe Nile and its Banks,' by Rev. Alfred Charles Smith, 1868. Vol. ii. p. 11.

(2) Four Months in a Dahabéëh,' by M. L. Carey, 1863, p. 174.

'We dared to think, we dared to say, that he could frame a boat, And many others said the same, but questioned-"would it float?"" ELIZA COOK.

HISTORY informs us that the coracle is one of the earliest forms of boat ever constructed in Great Britain. One of the most curious circumstances connected with the study of British boat-building is, that, at the present day, boats (i.e. coracles) are carefully made and constantly used, in parts of England, Wales, and Ireland, almost identical in size, form, construction, and materials, with those in use nearly nineteen centuries ago. And, however mean and insignificant the contrivance. of the coracle may appear in the great yards of British boatbuilders, and on the wide world of waters, it is a stubborn fact that the coracle is now, as it was then, fully adequate to the purpose for which it was intended.

We are told that some of the coracles of the ancients, composed of two hides and a half, were large enough to contain three men, with a week's provisions; others were large enough only for an armed man and a rower.

As coracles of this construction are mentioned by Herodotus, the pattern was probably derived from the Phoenicians, particularly as Sidonian and Phoenician vessels were almost round in form. (1)

It is evident that coracles were known and used by the Saxons, for Sidonius Apollinaris (a Gaulish bishop of the fifth century), writes-The Saxon corsair, whose pastime it is to plough the British sea in a boat made of skins and stitched together.'

In the time of Henry V., light boats, framed with wicker or thin timber, and covered outside with leather, were carried by ship to the wars, to enable the soldiers to pass the waters which might be in their way on their marches. Such were also the Naisselles carried over to France in the wars by Edward III. (2) These were artfully made with prepared or boiled leather, (3) and would each hold three men therein to fish or take their pleasure.

Hollingshed also alludes to Henry V. making great preparations for the war, on his second expedition into France, by providing 'boats covered with leather to pass over rivers.'

Lucan, in describing the boats of the Ancient Britons, says they were made of osiers twisted and interwoven with each other, which were covered over with strong hides. (4)

With twisted osiers the first boats were made,

O'er which the skins of slaughter'd beasts were laid:
With these the Britons on the oceans row,

And the Venetians on the swelling Po.'

Pliny speaks of voyages of six days' sailing being performed

(') Gauli, p. 318.

(2) Froissart's Chron. vol. ii.

(3) Faittees et ordonnees sy soubtillement de cuir boully.'

(*) Vide also Strutt's Horda, vol. i. Also Cæsar de Bello Civ. lib. i.

s. 54.