On Making a Raft

[Mission]

In his book The Voyages and Travels of Captain Nathaniel Uring (1928 reprint, first published in 1726), Captain Uring describes how he built a raft from the wreckage of his ship and trees found on the island he landed on, just off of Honduras in late 1719. It's kind of an interesting description so I thought I'd share it.

"It may not be improper to describe the manner of making our Float [raft], which may be some Instruction to Seamen that fall under the like Misfortune. The ship's Main-Mast we placed in the middle; the Fore-Mast, Mizzen-Mast and Bowsprit, at proper Distances on each side, with the Yards lashed a-cross, fasten'd very well together with the Running Rigging; having likewise truniled [tied?] and nailed them to each other with long Nails, to prevent the Floats from separating, if by ill Fortune we should have been forced on any Shoals of Rocks that might have cut our Lashings to Pieces; on the middle of the Raft, in the Main-Mast we fixed the Mizen-Top-Mast, supporting it with Shrouds, and had the Mizen-Top-Sail for a Main-Sail; and forward we set the Boat's Main Mast, on which we hoisted the Sail which made a Fore-Sail, in the Spaces between the Masts and Yards, we placed our Cask of Rum and wet Provisions, which were securely lashed to them, and served for Ballast; on each side the Cask,

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fore and aft, we nailed three Breadths of Plank, which was not only convenient to step upon, but made the Float more boyant. In the After-part of the Main-Mast we fixed a Crutch, and provided a long Oar to steer her; we put a good deal of Lumber on the After-part of the Float; laying over it some slit Deal [planks of softwood timber, such as pine], which served as a Quarter-Deck, upon which we placed a Fire Hearth to dress our Provisions, where the People¹ carried most of their Chests and Cloaths. We also fastened Bamboe Trees fore and aft, which served as Rails to prevent the Mens falling over-board. My People were now no longer afraid to go on the Float; which being finished, and taking such other Things into the Long-Boat as it could not carry, leaving on the Island laying five Hens and a Cock to breed, we set forward in the Afternoon, and by Night reached the next island..." (Uring, p. 239-40)

¹ From Footnote 2 on p. 20: "A term given to the crew in the 18th century. "Ships company" is a 19th century expression.

[William Brand]

...having likewise truniled [tied?] and nailed them to each other with long Nails...

I'm sure it's an alternate spelling for 'trunneled' which is a shipbuilding term for fixing timbers together with long, wooden pegs. Water causes the pegs to swell and hold the timbers fast together.

Great description. Thank you again for all of your avid reading.

[Mission]

Yes, that is no doubt correct. Uring's spelling is pretty typical of what I've found in other period books. Not knowing what trunneling was, I just guessed based on context. (thus the ?)

[William Brand]

No, it was a good guess. I actually first thought of trunnions, and thought that it might be some idiom for fixing the raft with rope on fixed points, but then I remembered trunneling, because I recently helped paint and seal up the ox barn out at the American West Heritage Center. The barn out there was built with the peg and post system of trunneling adopted from shipbuilding techniques. That barn is going to stand forever.