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Foreign News
September 11, 1875
Essex County Herald
Island Pond, Guildhall, Essex County, Vermont
What is this article about?
Description of the 'El Gooffah', a unique round basket boat used by Mesopotamian natives for freshwater navigation, made of wicker coated in asphaltum, capable of carrying 2-10 tons.
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Full Text
A Curious Boat
The natives of Mesopotamia possess a kind of boat used solely for fresh water navigation, which, for originality of design and manner of construction, is certainly very peculiar. "El Gooffah," as the Arabic speaking population of that region commonly calls this peculiar craft, is nothing more nor less than a huge, perfectly round basket, of extremely strong and coarse wooden wicker-work.
It is constructed of various sizes, varying between four and eight feet in diameter, and between three and four feet in depth; which size, combined with its spherical shape and slightly rounded bottom, renders it capable of carrying from two to ten tons of dead weight—a carrying capacity exceeding that of any other kind of boat of equal dimensions hitherto known.
The huge basket, which constitutes the frame-work of the craft, is rendered perfectly water-tight by a coat of asphaltum, carefully applied about an inch thick all over the inside and outside of the basket, after having been mixed with some other substance, which latter causes the asphaltum, almost as soon as applied, to become and remain as hard as stone, in spite of the intense heat of the sun.
The sides and bottom of the gooffah are from three to five inches thick, according to the size of the craft, and the rim is nicely rounded off.
The natives of Mesopotamia possess a kind of boat used solely for fresh water navigation, which, for originality of design and manner of construction, is certainly very peculiar. "El Gooffah," as the Arabic speaking population of that region commonly calls this peculiar craft, is nothing more nor less than a huge, perfectly round basket, of extremely strong and coarse wooden wicker-work.
It is constructed of various sizes, varying between four and eight feet in diameter, and between three and four feet in depth; which size, combined with its spherical shape and slightly rounded bottom, renders it capable of carrying from two to ten tons of dead weight—a carrying capacity exceeding that of any other kind of boat of equal dimensions hitherto known.
The huge basket, which constitutes the frame-work of the craft, is rendered perfectly water-tight by a coat of asphaltum, carefully applied about an inch thick all over the inside and outside of the basket, after having been mixed with some other substance, which latter causes the asphaltum, almost as soon as applied, to become and remain as hard as stone, in spite of the intense heat of the sun.
The sides and bottom of the gooffah are from three to five inches thick, according to the size of the craft, and the rim is nicely rounded off.
What sub-type of article is it?
Cultural Artifact
Navigation Technology
What keywords are associated?
Mesopotamia
El Gooffah
Basket Boat
Wicker Construction
Asphaltum Coating
Freshwater Navigation
Where did it happen?
Mesopotamia
Foreign News Details
Primary Location
Mesopotamia
Event Details
The natives of Mesopotamia use a peculiar boat called 'El Gooffah', a round basket of wicker-work coated in asphaltum for water-tightness, sized 4-8 feet diameter and 3-4 feet depth, capable of carrying 2-10 tons, with sides and bottom 3-5 inches thick.