NOTES ON FISHING METHODS OF THE SOUTH SEAS. 809 
The halyards are rove through holes in the head of the mast. The 
wood being very hard, the holes become very smooth. The gaff is 24 
feet long and 22 inches in diameter in the middle, tapering to 2 inches 
at the ends; boom the same length as the gaff, but heavier. It is oval- 
shaped, the sail bent to the narrow edge. 
The mast is supported by seven shrouds, all on the weather or out- 
rigger side, one leading from the masthead and the others arranged 
equal distances apart below it and fastened to the outrigger frame. 
Besides the shrouds are two masthead stays made fast to pins at the 
bow and stern. ‘The pins are also used for fastening the tack of the 
sail. The stays are temporarily made fast, one being slacked up 
and the other hauled taut each time a tack is made. This admits of 
the masthead being hauled forward. The halliards, a single part, is 
made fast to a cleat 24 feet above the foot of the mast. The sheet is 
also a single part made fast to a bridle on the boom, and the hauling 
part to a cleat on the weather side of the gunwale just abaft the plat- 
form. We were told that cotton sails have been tried, but were too 
heavy and hold too much wind. The mat sails are lighter and more 
porous, allowing a portion of the wind to pass through them. This is 
very essential, particularly when a strong breeze is blowing accom- 
panied by occasional squalls. At such times the sail has to be handled 
quickly, and as there are no reef points or any means of reefing the 
sail in the ordinary way, it is triced up by means of a spiller. This 
brings the weight of the boom and sail near the masthead, and in the 
case of a cotton sail being used it would make the canoe top-heavy. 
The spiller consists of a line made fast to the boom in the center of the 
sheet bridle, passing up the lee side of the sail through a hole in the 
masthead a little above where the halliards reeve; thence to the for- 
ward side of the weather platform, where it is made fast. There are 
two of these spillers, but only one is used at a time. The second one 
is on the opposite side of the sail, also rove through the masthead and 
the end fastened to the other side of the weather platform. By this 
means there is always a spiller on the lee side of the sail ready for use. 
Ordinarily three men are required to sail a canoe—one to steer, one 
to tend the tack of- the sail, and the other stationed at the spilling line. 
Whena squall strikes or a sudden gust of wind comes up, the boom is 
lifted by pulling on the spiller. This immediately decreases the sail 
area as much or as little as may be desired, regulated according to the 
strength of the wind. The force of the wind having passed, the 
spilling line is slacked away and the boom and sail drop dropped down. 
If the breeze be steady, but too strong to carry all sail, the boom is 
hauled up, reducing the sail to the required area that can be carried. 
When running free, or with the wind abeam, there is little difficulty 
in handling a canoe of this rig. In beating to windward, however, 
more or less complications are likely to arise, such as getting the sail 
