CARABUS
CARABUS (
κάραβος,
καράβιον [Hesych.], Mod. Gr.
καράβι, whence
caravel and its cognates in
other languages), a coracle or boat made of wicker-work and covered with raw
hides. The word is late, not before Isidore (
Orig. 19.1, 26);
but the thing is described by Caesar (
B.C. 1.54) as employed
by him in Spain, from having seen it in Britain. It was used by the Veneti
on the Padus, as well as by the Britons (Lucan,
Phars. 4.131
ff.; and a gloss of Papias, quoted by Saglio, s. v.). The illustration,
given both by Rich and Saglio, is taken from Scheffer,
de Mil. Nav.
Veterum, who describes it as from an ancient
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Carabus or Coracle. (From a MS. of Vitruvius.)
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MS. of Vitruvius (Polenus,
Supplem. ad Graev. et
Gronov. v. p. 831). The lines down the sides show the seams where
the different skins are sewn together. A similar form is seen on a
sepulchral marble in Boldetti (
Cimiterj, p. 366, cited by
Rich).
[
W.W]
