164
NOTES ON DUG-OUT BOATS.
either cut or broken off flush with the gunwale, which at this
point is slightly hollowed, as though worn. There is an identi-
cally similar hole on the same side of the bow. Unfortunately,
the corresponding parts of the left side of the boat are gone."
The only object found that could be identified as an imple-
ment was a piece of oak, sharpened to a point, which can be
seen lying inside the boat in the plate given in the last part.
"This was got below the boat, in a similar position to the one it
occupies in the plate, and may possibly have been part of a
punting pole. Unfortunately, the rest of it, along with the bow
and part of the side, had been broken off by the workmen before
they had realised the nature of their find."
The boat has now (March, 1902) been removed to the
British Museum at Bloomsbury. Mr. Traill adds, "it may be
interesting to note that several pieces of Roman pottery and a
well-made iron spear-head have been found at points ranging
from fifty to a hundred yards from where the dug-out was lying,
and in practically the same stratum." These last mentioned
specimens, together with others found in the excavations, are
now deposited in the Epping Forest Museum of the Club, by
the kindness of Mr. Sharrock, Mr. Traill and Mr. Marsh, the
engineers superintending the works.
In 1878, when the marshland on the northern side of the
Thames was being excavated across the Plaistow and East Ham
level for the construction of the Royal Albert Docks (Victoria
Docks extension), the workmen uncovered a "dug-out" canoe,
which from the description appears to be similar to that found in
the Lea deposits. Fortunately the geological sections in these
excavations were examined and described by Mr. Whitaker,
F.R.S. (Geology of London, &c., I., pp. 461-2), and Mr. Flaxman
C. J. Spurrell, F.G.S., F.S.A., had an opportunity of seeing the
boat in situ. His observations were published in the Archaeological
Journal for 1890 (vol. xlvii., p. 170), and from that paper we
compile the following account. Mr. Spurrell made a drawing of
the section in his note-book at the time, and as this has not
hitherto been published we are glad, by his kindness, to engrave
it now.
The "dug-out" was in a fairly good state of preservation
and made out of a single trunk of oak and carefully fashioned
into a regular form, and planned to measure. The length from