There is uncertainty regarding whether or not the present boats called "vallam" are similar to the ones described 500 years ago. Hornell's report of 1920 described the single-masted "vallam" in use around that time at being about long and with a cargo capacity of around 2 tons. In 1914 he had described a larger three-masted boat, called the "dhoni", which was used for pearl fishing and ferrying between anchored ships and Tuticorin harbour, as well as coastal journeys. The "dhoni" may owe its origin to Arab designs but could equally be indigenous.