proa
/ˈprəʊə
/(also prau or prahu)
noun
A type of sailing boat originating in Malaysia and Indonesia that may be sailed with either end at the front, typically having a large triangular sail and an outrigger.The early fishers were Malays, also known as Macassans, from the Indonesian islands, and it seems they regularly sailed south in their sailing ships or praus to harvest, preserve, and take their trepang home....
- Did ancient prahus sail down to the Antarctic seas, searching for a promised land but dying a frozen death?
- Macassans crossed the Arafura Sea each December in a fleet of small wooden vessels, called praus, and set up camp on beaches, particularly on islands in the Gulf of Carpentaria and in Arnhem Land.
Origin
Late 16th century: from Malay perahu.