A boat of light draught. See quot. 1803.
1759. Open batteaux.—‘Ann. Register,’ p. 44. (N.E.D.)
1769. Three men were loading a battoe at the [Hartford] ferry.—Mass. Gazette, July 17.
1775. It was determined … that colonel Allen should command the batteaus, a name generally affixed to boats of a particular construction, calculated for navigating the lakes and rivers, and drawing but little water, though heavily laden.—William Gordon, ‘History of the American Revolution,’ ii. 15 (Lond., 1788).
1776. (June 10) Burgoyne carried the frames of two vessels for the Lakes, and ironwork, &c. for batteaux.—Thomas Hutchinson, ‘Diary,’ ii. 65 (1886).
1777. They are preparing timber for building 1500 batteaus for the spring.—Maryland Journal, March 18.
1777. Five batteaus arrived with stores for the garrison…. The troops, which were to guard the batteaus, marched up. The captain of the batteaus, and a few of his men, were fired upon by a party of Indians.—Id., Sept. 2.
1778. I had intelligence that one column were retiring in 220 batteaux, covered by five armed gallies.—Id., Jan. 6.
1787. A batteau was carried on a cart in the evening, thro’ the back streets [of Philadelphia].—Id., Dec. 25.
1790. A large Wood Flat, with red Bends and a black bottom … and a small Batteau, with a brimstone bottom.—Id., Feb. 26.
1791. The bateaux men commonly hug the north shore.—Mass. Spy, Jan. 6.
1796. Found, a Batteau, about four or five weeks ago.—Advt., The Aurora (Phil.), March 17.
1796. A small batteau, which is a light boat with a flat bottom, was dispatched to our relief.—Isaac Weld, ‘Travels through North America,’ p. 58 (Lond., 1799).
1803. A batteau is a flat-bottomed boat, widest in the middle, and tapering to a point at each end, of about 1500 weight burden; and is managed by two men with paddles and setting-poles.—Thaddeus M. Harris, ‘Journal of a Tour,’ p. 38 (Boston, 1805).
1810. [The man] leaped into a batteau, and pushed off a few yards to a shallop.—Mass. Spy, Nov. 21.
1812. Many of the batteaux which have passed this town (Troy, N.Y.) manned with soldiers only, were in a very leaky condition.—Boston-Gazette, Sep. 14.
1812. During last week, nearly a hundred English batteauxs [sic] laden with military stores and troops, passed [Ogdensburg] on their way to the lake.—Id., Sept. 17.
