These are small flat hulled boats used primarily by the Cajuns of the Louisiana marsh to travel around. These boats are usually not intended for over-night travel but they are mostly light-weight and small so it can be taken onto land with very little hassle and it could also easily be turned over to drain any water that may get into the boat. This boats' source of power comes from paddles that have one blade (as opposed to a kayak paddle, which contains two).
The word comes from the Spanish word piragua. Traditionally, it was just another name for dugout canoes, but it came to refer to a specific type of canoe.
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