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Latest revision as of 21:29, 28 January 2019

A cannon-bearing qamian, as seen in Jajich in the early 1800s

A qamian was a small, shallow-hulled craft used for coastal, river and lake transport and defence in 17th- to 19th-century Trellin and around the Sea of Velar. Roughly comparable to a shallop, the qamian was a chiefly oar-powered craft measuring about 10 metres in length. Up to two masts could be mounted, though this was uncommon. It could carry between twenty and thirty people and a modest cargo. The qamian was generally military in function and could mount several cannon for combat, although numerous examples exist of civilian qamiaz, especially on bays and rivers where they were the primary movers of cargo for most of two centuries. Military qamiaz were deployed in substantial numbers in the War of the Velaran Succession.

The name qamian derives from qama, a Trellinese word meaning to float or carry a cargo over water. It is known in Urbont as a palon.