It is known that during the visit of Francis Xavier the Paravars were using two different types of boat for net fishing, which he called the "vallam" and the "toni". The latter was also used for trips to other coastal settlements and for trading journeys as far away as the Maldives. They were both large, open vessels with masts as well as oars; the sails were made with cotton, stiffened by boiling with roots and cow dung, and the fishing nets were made from coconut fibre. However, Iyengar believes that the "toni" was a hide-covered wicker basket similar to a coracle.