Catamaran

a sort of raft. The original catamaran is an invention of the natives of Madras, Ceylon, and other Indian coasts. It consists of three logs lying side by side. The central log is longer and much larger than the two others, and is pointed at the ends. Holes are bored through the logs and all three are stoutly lashed to crosspieces. The logs chosen are light and full of pitch, which prevents their becoming watersoaked. The raft is from twenty to twenty-five or thirty feet long, and perhaps one-fifth as wide. A sail is not infrequently rigged up. The natives use the catamaran as a surf boat. As it cannot tip over or hold water it rides like a duck when other boats would fill and sink. Passengers who do not fear a drenching are conveyed safely to shore or ship through surf that would swamp a boat. The catamaran of American lakes is constructed usually on slender, oblong, water-tight boxes instead of logs. Like any other raft it affords no protection against drenching, but is considered a safe sort of craft for boys who enjoy the water. See Boat