HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE,

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altered as to give it very strong marks of being a native of the spot : yet it mustbe remembered that, remote as the alliance or source from whence theinformation has been derived may be, still there will remain some indelibleproofs of its origin, which cannot be totally obscured by want of experi-ence, or obliterated by an obstinate prejudice. The canoe of the north-west part ofAmerica bears, however, every internal evidence of being completely aboriginal ;and this is a very singular proof of the small extent to which Spanish curi-osity has carried its discoveries, though the invaders of Mexico havenow been in possession of the more southern districts, for the space of nearlythree centuries. Satisfied, as it were, with the treasures of the south, they havesought not to explore the less hospitable regions of the north, which seemed topromise no reward to their avarice similar to what the south had afforded. Inthe Spanish settlements, indeed, where the Indian inhabitants most abound, marinearchitecture has long been advanced from its aboriginal state ; as appears by thefollowing account given of them by that celebrated man, Sir John Narborough,who passed into the South Seas about the year 1670.

“ I believe also,” says this great navigator, “ that these rivers are not naviga-ble for shipping; or the persons employed in navigating a bark which was there,would certainly have gone up the river to the city of Baldivia and delivered hergoods there, and not, as was the fact, troubled themselves to carry the goods up inboats and small flat-bottomed barges, which they had there for the purpose. Thebarges are built much like our west-country barges, and smaller by much. Theseboats or barges will carry about ten or twelve tons; they steer with a rudder, andhave one mast, and sail as English barges have. The sail is made of cotton-cloth,and the ropes are made of the rind of mangrove-trees; but instead of anchors theyhave wooden crab-claws, or kellocks. Anchors of iron and grapnels are scarcein these countries; ropes and cables of hemp are also scarce here, and good fir-masts much wanted in all these countries for their ships. The masts for theirships are made of white cedar, and such-like wood ; they are very heavy and short-grained, and will break short; there are not any fir-trees growing in all the land;good workmen for the building of ships are also much wanted here, and seamen.

“ The smaller boats which they have here, are canoes, being cut out of the bodyof a large tree, and shaped somewhat like a shallop at the ends ; some are thirtyfeet long, and built one strake of board upon them to raise them higher on theirsides ; they will carry near twenty men each: some are rowed with oars, andsome are less, and rowed with paddles. Many of them have a great beam

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