THE NATIVE CANOE 53 



before it could be repaired suflicieiitly to float. Tlius 

 it happened that nearly all the river transport of the 

 expedition was laboriously carried out in canoes. 



The canoes used by the natives on the Mimika and 

 neighbouring rivers arc simple " dug-outs," that is they 

 are made from one tree trunk without any joinery at 

 all. They vary considerably in size but the length 

 of an average canoe is about thirty-five feet. The 

 sides curve inward towards the gunwale so that in 

 section the canoe forms a large segment of a circle. 

 The breadth at the gunwale is about eighteen inches 

 and the breadth at the widest part from eighteen to 

 twenty-four inches. The gunwales are almost hori- 

 zontal, though in some boats there is a considerable 

 " sheer " towards the end of the canoe. They end in 

 a square bow and at the stern they come together to 

 a fine point. The bottom of a canoe — there is no keel 

 — slopes finely up from the middle towards the ends 

 so that when the canoe is afloat several feet of its length 

 at bow and stern are out of water. 



The square bow of the canoe is carved in a more 

 or less symmetrical fashion and there is usually a narrow 

 margin of ornamental carving at intervals along the 

 sides. A common feature of this carving, as also of 

 the other native ornaments, is an object which is in- 

 tended to represent the human eye. Occasionally 

 they attach to the bow of the canoe, one on either 

 side and one in the middle, three long boards carved 

 in a sort of fretwork manner and painted red and white. 

 These project about four feet in front of the bow and 

 give it somewhat the appearance of a bird's beak. 



