'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from September 1850 to June 1852. Edited by the Secretary. Volume X.' [‎51] (184/458)

MEMOIR ON THE “ TIGRIS."
51
injury to the boats. The horses, mules, and baggage, had therefore, to
pass the river in the circular basket sealled the Kufat* * to the western
bank— a work of some difficulty at such times. The party with myself
and Mr. John Taylor, my usual companion on these tours, consisted of a
dozen people (a larger number than I usually take, but necessary for
the projected journey to Werka) headed by Ahmed-al-kode and Agail
Sheikh and two Bedoins of the Shammar and Dhiffyr tribes. The rest
were armed Kawasses,f a tent pitcher and servant. Besides the usual
this might be a jib-boom or similar rough spar—whose heel passing between the pieces a. a. a.
mteht be lashed at the head of b. b. and this perhaps would answer the purpose of the four
Pieces used in the native boat.
F P e—Similar spars passing from the heel of b, b. to either side of the tiller f. and lashed to
the spar or spars.—d. d. d. d. where they cross each other.
f. Jrhe lever or tiller working on the head of b. b. and the upper ends of the spars e. e.
These may be termed the fulcrums, and it will be readily seen from length of the lever or tiller
f. —how easy such a temporary rudder could be worked by the manner of connecting f. with
the heel of b- b. through e. e.; and f. fixed at the head of the rudder post b. b. through d. d. d. d
_with the tail of a. a. a.
g. g. g.— The rudder pendants clove-hitched round post. b. b. where convenient, their ends
leading to the quarter ports on either side the vessel.
The sketch represents the rough plan used in the native Sifineht. It will be observed that
the rudder is intended for vessels of shallow draft of water by its breadth a. a. a. and will act
equally well f >r ships of any burthen, if the length of a. a. a. be increased in proportion to
the decreased height of the rudder post which, in temporary rudders, is a desideratum
inasmuch as the great difficulty lies in securing below the water mark. With this plan the
rudder need not be two feet under water and the lashings entirely above. To the Naval officer
experience will readily suggest any improvement; as for instance, instead of lashings, stout
strops with salvage tails might be secured, while inboard, round the rudder post, at conveni
ent distances, whose ends, when the rudder was fairly slung, might pass through the eye or
ring bolts used on the side of stern post c. c. and then set taught from the poop or cabin
windows by small jiggers or by the most convenient method suggested at the time. In a well
ordered ship of war, bearing several artificers, six or eight hours should suffice to put this
temporary rudder in action and the advantages attending such dispatch might be incalculable.
I make no apology therefore, for introducing so antiquated a machine to the modern reader
thou h a method of fitting temporary rudders may be deemed foreign to a geographical
narration; indeed the traveller should notice every thing within reach of his eye and at the
same time not be ashamed of copying the simple contrivances of other naiions, for we may
derive a hint from many an uncouth machine that, improved upon, may benefit ourselves.
The vessel altogether is, indeed a rare specimen of marine architecture and probably has not
been improved on, since the flood. Noah in this country, has had neither a Seppings nor a
Symonds to succeed him in the art of ship building and the ark therefore, which is known by
the same name of Sifineht in Arabic distinguishable only as the ^ ^ & A+SL**
Sifineht-al No’h (ship of Noah) may, indeed, have been the prototype of the curious vessel in
use at Baghdad in the present day. It is certainly very ancient both in form and appearance.
* T.fis peculiar species of boat was in existence in Herodotus’s time, he described it how
ever as. covered with skins ; (Herodotus in Clio art 194) it is now coated with bitumen only,
and might have been so in his day for without a min ute examination the difference is not
percepiible. Further on however fsame art,) he evidently confounds the Sifineht spoken of in
the previous note with the raft and the Kufa as respects the raft, the same method of dispos
ing of the timber &c. is in vogue precisely in the same way, in the present day ; and it is
still a fact that “ the smaller of them has generally one ass on board.” The circular boat or
Kufa the “ Asphaltic Coracle'’ of a modern writer—is by no means uncommon—that is, as
regards its shape —on the English rivers and at Porto Novo, a sea port on the Coromandel
coast below Madras, they are much used iu floating the iron ores of the upper Country for
smelting at the foundry erected there.
i **
f Ti'e Kawas, u* ' ** is a compound biped of great use in this country though general-
yas ignorant a creature as can be imagined. A sort of soldier servant, courier and lietor com-
ivilnl 111 or ^ e an(i the sarne person, and indispensible to all that have much communication
m the natives, particularly with the Arabs#