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HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

they became known to Europeans, are described as a bold, active, and intrepid peo-ple ; their limbs elegantly formed, and, from the general contour, as well as size oftheir bodies, apparently fitted by nature to encounter tire greatest difficulties orhardships with as little inconvenience as the human frame is capable of. Nor docsit appear that the bounteous hand of Providence has been parsimonious in her gift,but after having rendered the body an object of admiration, has been equally atten-tive that her donation, in the respect just mentioned, should not be disgraced by animbccillity of mind. The proa is, as has been very candidly remarked by navigatorswho have beheld its operations and principles with an admiration bordering almoston enthusiasm, an invention that would do the highest honour to any country what-ever, let its nautical aptitude, skill, and dexterity be what it might. The pecu-liar propriety with which a vessel so contrived is adapted to the circumstanceswhich naturally attend its destined employment and navigation, is certainly apoint of still superior wonder, to the ingenuity of the contrivance which fits it forits intended purpose. Tire islands, of which it may, without any improprietybe termed the native, lie all of them nearly under the same meridian ; a meridianwhere the trade winds constandy prevail. 1 his circumstance woidd of necessityrender any voyage extremely tedious, if attempted by a vessel contracted accordingto the common, or European form ; for the wind, during the whole of the voyage,being constantly on the beam, it would inevitably drive the vessel so far to leeward,as to render it impossible for it to reach its point of destination, except by makinglong and tedious traverses. There are improvements in tire art of navigation, whichthe Indian argonaut was, in all probability, till very lately, totally unacquainted with,and which, had he understood, he certainly would have used every means in hispower to obviate the necessity of adopting, on account of their labouring tediousness.

“ If we examine,” observe persons wlio have seen them with nautical eyes,“ the uncommon simplicity and ingenuity of its fabric, its contrivance, and theextraordinary velocity with which it passes through the water, it will be foundequally worthy of admiration in all those points, and meriting the highest placeamong the mechanical productions of the most civilized nations, where arts andsciences have most eminently flourished.” It is somewhat extraordinary, and nota little, perhaps, to the discredit of the more early among the European navigators,that they have only made a cursory mention of these vessels, without enlarging,as in justice and candour they ought to have done, on those peculiar excellenceswith which they abound. Those of more recent date, have, however, made

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