204 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



THE "FLYING PROAS" OF THE LADRONE ISLANDS. 



BY Capt. Stupart, R. N. 



Lord Anson in his voyage round the world in 1740-44, speaks 

 thus of these boats : 



" If we examine the simplicity and ingenuity of its construction 

 and the extraordinary velocity with which it moves, we shall find it 

 worthy of our admiration and deserving a place amongst the mechan- 

 ical productions of the most civilized nations, where arts and sciences 

 have flourished ; hence these boats deserve our attention." 



The Islands are situated between 10° and 20° north latitude, and in 

 longitude 145° East; they were first made known to the world in 

 1521, by Magellan. 



Dampier (who has always been considered a most accurate observer 

 and a good describer) followed in 1686; he writes: "The natives 

 were very ingenious beyond any people in making boats or pi'oas, as 

 they ai-e called in India, and therein they take great delight. I did 

 for my own satisfaction try the swiftness of one of them ; sailing by 

 our log we had 12 knots on our reel, and she ran it all out before the 

 minute glass was half out, which if it had been no more, is at the rate 

 of 12 miles an hour, but I do believe she would have run 24 miles 

 an hour." 



There is another point which gives a more correct idea of " Pacific " 

 navigation than I have met elsewhere. Mr. Walter Coote, F. R. G. S., 

 accompanied Bishop Selwyn in his periodical visit to the Pacific 

 Islands in the yacht Southern Gross, in 1882, and he thus speaks of 

 the navigating knowledge of the " Santa Cruz " natives. 



" The natives of Santa Cruz do not hesitcxte to make cruises far out 

 of sight of land, their knowledge of the stars being very considerable." 

 " I have noticed the elder of the three boys whom we subsequently 

 brought away from here, teaching the names of various stars to his 

 younger companions," and they knew the direction of their native 

 island however distant it misht be. 



