In the eighteenth century, bateaux (French for boats) were the most popular and versatile watercraft for the inland waterways of British and French colonial America. Hundreds of these small vessels plied the rivers and lakes of upstate New York and the surrounding territories, where they transported most of the commerce of the region. They were also an important part of the military arsenals of the competing European superpowers, carrying supplies as well as troops. They were double-ended, flat-bottomed, chine-built, and powered by oars and sails. When the French and Indian War between Britain, France, and their allies broke out in 1754, the waterways of New York were key areas of conflict. The French controlled Lake Champlain and the British Lake George. Bateaux were extensively used by both armies.
In the autumn of 1758, the British commanders at Lake George deliberately sank two floating batteries, some row galleries and whale boats, a sloop, and 260 bateaux in order to protect them from the French army over the winter. In the spring of 1759, the British raised this fleet from wet storage, repaired these wooden boats, and put them back in action against the French. The British army of 11,000 men and 800 boats quickly moved north to Lake Champlain; but some of the bateaux were not recovered and lost to history.
This volume by marine archaeologist Joseph Zarzynski tells the intriguing story of the rediscovery of the lost bateaux in 1960 and the decades-long efforts to preserve, recover, and study these lost vessels. Zarzynski describes the various initiatives developed by him and his colleagues under the auspices of Bateaux Below, the non-profit organized to preserve the bateaux. Much of this work was groundbreaking for maritime archaeology, and the story provides important precedents for marine preservation everywhere. Over a period of forty years, these dedicated archaeologists have developed new technology and policies to govern preservation of marine sites, as they have recovered vast quantities of invaluable information about a little known chapter of American history. This volume tells that story and is thus a major contribution to the entire field.
