S. p. Smith. — Tongarcioa, or Penrhyn Island. 97 



offers of peace — -another custom common to these people and 

 the Maoris. 



Of their manufactured articles their canoes must rank as 

 the first in importance. They were of all sizes, the largest 

 capable of holding forty or fifty men, and they invariably had an 

 ama, or outrigger. They were made of a tree called to — not the 

 ito, or iron wood, of the other islands, but a much softer wood. 

 A tree from 3ft. to 4ft. in diameter was selected, and then 

 patiently hacked down with their shell tokis. The log is then 

 rolled to the sea, where the action of the waves partially 

 softens the wood — sufticiently so to allow the builders to split 

 it up into variously-sized pieces, the longest and narrowest of 

 which is selected to form a keel about a foot broad, rounded 

 at the bottom and hollowed inside. The keel is shaped so as- 

 to gradually slope up at either end, terminating above the 

 water in the ihu, or bow, at one end. Various pieces of irre- 

 gular shape are now cut to fit one another, and with them the 

 sides are built up, each piece being carefully rounded off so as 

 to conform to the general contour. They are polished with 

 coral to make them fit, and the edges of each piece are bored 

 with a sharp stone or shell to receive the lashings which hold 

 them together. The joints are cemented together with a pre- 

 paration of pounded cocoanut-husk steeped in water. The 

 body of the canoe is not built the whole length of the keel- 

 piece, but projecting parts are left, both at stern and bow 

 — the latter to act as a cutwater, which, being bluff, pre- 

 vents the vessel from sinking in the trough of the seas. The 

 upper tier of pieces has a projecting ledge on which the 

 paddlers sit, whilst in the stern is a raised seat used tO' 

 steer from. The paddle is long, the blade narrow, and usually 

 carved. 



The natives also make kumctes, or bowls for their food ; 

 cocoanut-shells serving for cups. Their toki, or adze-handles, 

 as also their shark-hooks, are made of a hard wood like 

 mvrtle. Everything else is formed of cocoanut, excepting 

 their tuis (spoons) and mataus (fish-hooks), which are formed 

 out of pearl-shell, the former of which are often carved. 

 Their houses appear generally to be mere huts made of cocoa- 

 nut-leaves, open at the sides ; but in the better class mats to 

 lift up aiid down are used to keep out the wind : in this they 

 correspond with the houses of Samoa. The floors and vicinity 

 of the houses are spread with rounded white pebbles of coral, 

 which gives them a neat and cleanly appearance. The people 

 sleep on mats made from the pandanus-leaves, which they 

 call kie. Eopes are made of cocoanut-husk after it has been 

 beaten and soaked, as are also their fishing-lines. The former 

 are called kaha, the same as the Maori word for rope. Bags 

 aiid nets are also made from the same material, and are 



