Caiouque on Oxus River
During her Central Asian travels in the early 20th century Ella Christie was transported from the steamer taking her up the Amu (historically known as the Oxus) River from Charjou (Chardzhou) towards Khiva, by a type of boat called a "caiouque", propelled by three men using paddles, and with a small sail at the bow, which was decorated with a horse-hair mascot on the prow, giving a certain resemblance to a Viking longship. Ella Christie found the vessel to be fairly comfortable, but rather dusty from the use of mud rather than pitch for caulking the hull. This small "tender" was able to negotiate the canal leading from the main river to the town of Novy Urgench.
