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Historical Records of New Zealand Vol. II.

Navigation

page 477

Navigation.

These people are by no means ignorant of the art of seamanship. They have indeed carried it to perfection, relatively to their needs. Their pirogues or canoes are of great beauty. I have measured some that were 70 ft. in length by 8 ft. in width, and made out of a single piece of timber. They are sharp at each end, and the keel is hewn out in such a way as to insure a good speed. They travel at a very rapid rate. We have seen no sails in any of them, very light paddles being used. There are usually about forty men in each canoe. The stern and the prow are ornamented with two pieces of carving; that on the stern is about 12 ft. in height and 2 ½ in. in width. It is open-worked, and painted red like the canoe itself. Above this board is a sort of plume of black feathers.

The ornament of the prow is not more than 2 ft. in height, and on the top also are feathers. The tools they use for building are made in the same style as those of the natives of the Island of Cythera (Tahiti). It is a sort of adze made of touch-stone, fitted on to a bent piece of wood. Others of their tools are made of a green stone which is transparent, and of which they make tools for their carvers.