The craft frequenting our upper rivers are called _Bovenlanders_. They
are totally different from the types met with so far. They are all
relatively long and narrow, flat-bottomed and draw but little water.
It may be said, as a general rule, that the “Bovenlanders” appear
where the tidal rivers end. They have been in existence since the most
distant times although they are rarely ever seen in the engravings. If
they were not often mentioned, it was doubtless because they were not
considered as being worth a description, or, perhaps again, because
they were not sufficiently known. ~Witsen~ mentions only the following
vessels (p. 170-171) of which he says textually:
“~A~) The _Overlanders_, which come to us from the Upper Rhine, are
vessels with high sides, heavy and rather unfinished. Whole families
live on them.
[Sidenote: II 213]
[Sidenote: II 214]
“~B~) The _Samoreuzen_ are very long flat boats which bring wood down
the Rhine. They carry a very high mast, made in two parts, and fastened
by lines to the ends and sides of the boat.
“~C~) The _Aeken_, which bring wine from Cologne, are long, high and
very full. Their rudder is very wide.
“~D~) The _Dortsche Koolhaelders_ are very long, open boats,
flat-bottomed, so as to be better able to cross the shoals of the
river. They have near the middle a square deck house which serves as a
dwelling for the boatmen. They are square at the corners and the rudder
is long and broad. The sail is square and is hoisted on a short mast,
near the deck house, by means of a curved yard.”
~Van Yk~ speaks of “Geldersche Samoreusen” (p. 348) and ~Le Comte~,
of a “Samoreus” or “Keulenaer” (p. 44) which are to be seen on the
Groenewegen engraving. (Series F, No 3.)
The “Overlanders” mean the “Bovenlanders”, and the “Samoreuzen” mean
the boats coming from above Cologne, while the “Aeken” are probably
big “Keenaken”. Finally, the “Dortsche Koolhaelders” are undoubtedly
the “Dorstensche Aken”. Neither engravings nor description give any
exact idea. But the types of these craft have been very well preserved
on the Rhine until the introduction of iron; the clinker built hulls
have even remained intact, and this enables us to appreciate even now
what these boats of by-gone days were and whence they came.