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00:48:51
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00:48:51
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Transcription: [00:48:51]

{SPEAKER name="Gordon Ekholm"}

...in a boat out carrying over two hundred people, plus goods. So we know that at this time, there were regular commercial or trading voyages being run over these very long distances. This fifty seven mile, this fifty seven day voyage by the way, was one in which there were no, no landfalls during that time. They sailed directly from the open sea the, the whole time. Generally, it would seem that this rather advanced sailing complex probably goes back a considerable time in Southeast Asia, I would be inclined to guess that it goes back several thousand years B.C.. And that some of the most important navigational - or sailing techniques that were developed were developed there.

[00:50:04]

They have the 4 1/2 [rabbet?] in 400 A.D. which is one of course, the, the most important sailing elements. It's the kind of rig which later used by the Polynesians in their long Ocean voyages. We've often described the invention of this important technique of 4 1/2 rigging to the Polynesians, I think there is a tendency to ascribe it to them, but I would think without any question that it probably came out of a much larger, more highly developed sailing complex from Southeast Asia. And that the what we see in Polynesia is a peripheral extension.

[00:51:16]