“Le Martegaou”

Billing Boats- “Le Martegaou” French Merchant Vessel.
A flat-bottomed boat from Provence in France.
Vessels of this type were commonly used along the Rhone River for transporting building timber, fodder & tiles from Arles.
The runs were eventually extended to include the southern coasts of France.
In the end these vessels lost out to railway transport as it developed & became more widespread.