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 her
aside: and when the two men have got in their lading they haul off to sea
till they come a little without the swell; where they remove the salt
into another boat that carries it on board the ship. Without such a
frape-boat here is but bad landing at any time: for though it is commonly
very smooth in the road, yet there falls a great sea on the shore, so
that every ship that comes here should have such a boat, and bring or
make or borrow one of the other ships that happen to be here; for the
inhabitants have none. I have been thus particular in the description of
these frape-boats because of the use they may be of in any places where a