1) Armed scow of 1776 
[ship] A Radeau was a simply constructed vessel used for many purposes, most notably as a naval battle platform. The term `Radeau` is derived from the French, meaning raft. Because of the versatility and wide variation of the craft, as well as the ambiguity of the term, there are many vessels that could fall under the category of radeau. Ho...
• (n.) A float; a raft.
Ra`deau' (rȧ`dō') noun [ French] A float; a raft. « Three vessels under sail, and one at anchor, above Split Rock, and behind it the radeau Thunderer.» W. Irving.