MASULA BOAT, a boat built without knees, used on the Madras coast for crossing the surf. The planks are sewed together over withes of straw, and the boat has no thwarts. They are used in landing and discharging cargoes, and carrying passengers to and from ships in the roads. They are sometimes broken to pieces from the heavy surf, which at times runs as high as from 6 to 10 feet. A catamaran can be kept in attendance as a life-preserver, in the event of any accident to the masula boat by upsetting, or in case of any of the occupants being washed out by the surf. The masula boats receive their cargoes and passengers from the ships outside the surf. They are rowed • by twelve men, with bamboo or casuarina paddles, that is, a board about 10 inches broad and 14 inches long, fixed at the end of a bamboo or young casuarina tree. They are steered by one or two tindals (coxwains), and two men are constantly kept to bale out the water ; from which employment they are pro moted to the paddle or bow oar ; after which they fall aft in rotation, to be a tindal or steers man. The steersman gives time by a song, which
is sung by all the boatmen ; and according as its modulations are slow or quick, the oars are plied. These modulations are regulated by the waves, as they may be slow or rapid, in succession. On one occasion, when a passenger of rank showed im patience at this noisy song, the boatmen were desired to cease, but the steersman refused com pliance with the order, saying that without his song he would not be answerable for the safety of the passenger. The dimensions of the masula boat are from 30 to 35 feet in length, 10 to 11 feet in breadth, and 7 to 8 feet in depth.—Note by Sir T. Malcolm; Edye ; Orme.