1769. ROUND THE WORLD. ^^3 



these parts separately, without saw, plane, chissel, or 

 any other iron tool, may well be thought no easy 

 task ; but the great difficulty is to join them to- 

 gether. 



When all the parts are prepared, the keel is laid 

 upon blocks, and the planks being supported by 

 stanchions, are sewed or clamped together with 

 strong thongs of plaiting, which are passed several 

 times through holes that are bored with a gouge or 

 auger of bone, that has been described already ; and 

 the nicety with which this is done, may be inferred 

 from their being sufficiently water-tight for use with- 

 out caulking. As the platting soon rots in the water, 

 it is renewed at least once a-year ; in order to which, 

 the vessel is taken entirely to pieces. The head and 

 stern are rude with respect to the design ; but very 

 neatly finished, and polished to the highest degree. 



These Pahies are kept with great care in a kind 

 of house built on purpose for their reception ; the 

 houses are formed of poles set upright in the ground, 

 the tops of which are drawn towards each other, and 

 fastened together with their strongest cord, so as to 

 form a kind of Gothic arch, which is completely 

 thatched quite to the ground, being open only at the 

 ends ; they are sometimes fifty or sixty paces long. 



As connected with the navigation of these people, 

 I shall mention their wonderful sagacity in foretelling 

 the weather, at least the quarter from which the wind 

 shall blow at a future time ; they have several ways 

 of doing this, of which however I know but one. 

 They say, that the Milky- way is always curved later- 

 ally ; but sometimes in one direction, and sometimes 

 in another : and that this curvature is the effect of 

 its being already acted upon by the wind, and its 

 hollow part therefore towards it ; so that, if the same 

 curvature continues a night, a corresponding wind 

 certainly blows the next day. Of their rules, I shall 

 not pretend to judge ; but I know that, by whatever 



