Pontoon bridge unprecedented 730-meter, fortified pontoon bridge across the Scheldt river at the Siege of Antwerp in 1584 to close off water access to the city. In the battle of Saraighat in 1671, the Ahoms spanned the river Brahmaputra at Saraighat over an improviso bridge of boats. In the 1670s, the French devised the copper pontoon; after this point, rivers and canals ceased to present significant obstacles. The early modern period in pontoon use was dominated by the wars of the 18th and 19th centuries during which the art and science of pontoon bridging barely changed. This however did not stop all
Luzzu while at sea. On 30 October 1948, a luzzu that was being used as a Gozo ferry capsized and sunk off Ħondoq ir-Rummien, Gozo. 23 people were killed. The town of Marsaxlokk is especially famous for the large numbers of luzzu and similar craft operating in its harbour. The luzzu is often considered as a symbol of Malta. Some luzzi have been converted to passenger carriers for tourists although the vast majority continue to be used as fishing vessels. A "kajjik" is similar in appearance and function to the luzzu, but has a square transom instead of a double-ended hull.