the shore and the stern to the sea there
are two strong stanchions set up in the boat, the one at the head, the
other in the middle of it, against the bulkhead, and a foot higher than
the bulkhead. There is a large notch cut in the top of each of these
stanchions big enough for a small hawser or rope to lie in; one end of
which is fastened to a post ashore, and the other to a grappling or
anchor lying a pretty way off at sea: this rope serves to haul the boat
in and out, and the stanchions serve to keep her fast, so that she cannot
swing to either side when the rope is hauled tight: for the sea would
else fill her, or toss her ashore and stave her. The better to prevent
her staving and to keep her the tighter together there are two sets of
ropes more: the first going athwart from gunwale to gunwale, which, when
the rowers benches are laid, bind the boats sides so hard against the
ends of the benches that they cannot easily fall asunder, while the
benches and ropes mutually help each other; the ropes keeping the boat's
sides from flying off, and the benches from being crushed together
inwards. Of these ropes there are usually but two, dividing the boat's
length as they go across the sides into three equal parts. The other set
of ropes are more in number, and are so placed as to keep the ribs and
planks of the boat from starting off. For this purpose there are holes
made at certain distances through the edge of the keel that runs along on
the inside of the boat; through which these ropes passing are laid along
the ribs so as to line them, or be themselves as ribs upon them, being
made fast to them by rattans brought thither, or small cords twisted
close about both ropes and ribs, up to the gunwale: by which means though
several of the nails or pegs of the boat should by any shock fall out,
yet the ropes of these two sets might hold her together: especially with
the help of a rope going quite round about the gunwale on the outside, as
our longboats have. And such is the care taken to strengthen the boats;
from which girding them with ropes, which our seamen call fraping, they
have the name of frape-boats. Two men suffice to haul her in and out, and
take in the salt from shore (which is brought in bags) and put it out
again. As soon as the boat is brought nigh enough to the shore he who
stands by the bulkhead takes instantly a turn with the hawser about the
bulkhead stanchion; and that stops her fast before the sea can turn h