196 VOYAGE TO THE 



of a hard wood, and highly polished. The spears 

 were headed with bone, or the sting rays of the raia 

 (pastinea); a custom which once existed at Otaheite, 

 and now extends to many of the low islands. The 

 antiquity of this practice is traced to very remote 

 periods, as it is said that the head of the spear pre- 

 sented by Circe to Telegonus, and with which he 

 unceremoniously slew his father Ulysses, was of this 

 kind. At Gambier Island they remove the heads 

 of the spears when not required, a square piece be- 

 ing left at the end of the staff to receive it. Besides 

 these weapons, they always carry large sticks. 



Contrary to the general custom, no canoes are 

 seen at Gambier Islands, but rafts or katamarans are 

 used instead. They are from forty to fifty feet in 

 length, and will contain upwards of twenty persons. 

 They consist of the trunks of trees fastened toge- 

 ther by rope and cross-beams : upon this a triangu- 

 lar sail is hoisted, supported by two poles from each 

 end ; but it is only used when the wind is very fa- 

 vourable; at which time, if two or three katama- 

 rans happen to be going the same way, they fasten 

 on and perform their voyage together. At other 

 times they use very large paddles made of a dark 

 hard wood, capable of a good polish, and neatly 

 executed. Some of them had a hand or a foot, 

 carved at the extremity of the handles, very well 

 finished. They are above five feet and a half in 

 length, including two feet eight inches of blade, 

 which is about a foot in width, curved, and furnish- 

 ed with a small point or nail at the extremity. In 

 shallow water they make use of long poles for punt- 

 ing, in preference to their paddles. 



