THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 3a; 



The imitative arts being nearly allied, no wonder thar, to ^'7_^j- 

 their ifkill in working figures in their garments, and carv- 

 ing them in wood, they fhould add that of drawing them in 

 -colours. We have fometimes feen the whole procefs of their 

 -whale-fifhery painted on the caps they wear. This, though 

 'rudely executed, ferves, at leaft, to (hew, that though there 

 Jbcno appearance of the knowledge of letters amongft them, 

 they have fome notion of a method of commemorating and 

 reprefcnting atftions, in a lading way, independently of 

 what may be recorded in their fongs and traditions. They 

 have alfo other figures painted on fome of their things; but 

 it is doubtful if they ought to be confidered as fymbols, that 

 4iave certain eftabliflied fignifications, or only the merecrca- 

 ■tion of fancy and caprice. 



Their canoes are of a fimple ftru(flure ; but, to appearance, 

 well calculated for every ufeful purpofc. Even the largeft, 

 which carry twenty people or more, are formed of one tree. 

 Many of them are forty feet long, feven .broad, and about 

 three deep. From the middle, toward each end, they be- 

 come gradually narrower, the after-part, or fiern, ending 

 abruptl-y or perpendicularly, whh a fmall knob on the top ; 

 but the fore-part is lengthened out,-ftretching forward and 

 upward, ending in a notched point or prov/, confidcrably 

 higher than the fides of the canoe, ^hich run -nearly in a 

 •ilvaight line. For the moft part, they are without any orna- 

 ment ; but fome'have a little carving, and are decorated by 

 fetting feals' teeth on the Turface, iikeftuds; as is the, prac- 

 tice on their maflcs and weapons. A few have, likewife, a 

 kind of additional head or prow, like a large cut-water, 

 which is painted with the figure of fonie animal. They 

 have no' feats, nor any other fupporters, on the infide, than 

 feveral round flicks, little thicker than a cane, placed acrofs, 



at 



