BUNGO or BONGO dugout

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aukepalmhof
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BUNGO or BONGO dugout

Post by aukepalmhof » Sun Dec 10, 2017 7:32 pm

The ‘bungo” or “bongo” is in Panama a large 18th century dugout canoe, that carried passengers and cargo on the Rio Changres across the isthmus from Panama City to Porto Bello.

During the gold rush to California it carried the forty-niners the nickname for the first passengers to the gold fields in 1844 from the Rio Charges at Gorgona to Las Cruises a distance of forty-mile which took three to four days. From there the passengers were taken overland to Panama City, to board a passenger vessel for San Francisco.
The bongo was partly covered with a palm-thatched shelter as seen on the stamp, to protect the passengers against the sun and rain.
The bongo was paddled by a crew of 18 – 20 . Length ca 37 m. Could carry only a few passengers with their luggage. The stamp shows only three crew poling the bongo.
More on this set of stamps is given on http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewt ... allery]/1/

Source: Various internet sites and Aak to Zumbra a dictionary of the World’s Watercraft.
Canal Zone 1949 6c sg 196, scott 143.
Attachments
1949 bungo 1.jpg

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