70 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



wood, and the walls and roof are made of dry grass, pretty 

 firmly compacted. Some of them are lined with the bark of 

 trees, and the ridge of the house is formed by a pole, which 

 runs from one end to the other. The door is only high 

 enough to admit a person crawling on hands and knees, and 

 the roof is sloping. There is a square hole near the door, 

 serving both for window and chimney, near which is the 

 fireplace. 



The canoes of this country are not unlike the whale-boats 

 of New England, being long and narrow. The larger sort 

 seem to be built for war, and will hold from thirty to one 

 hundred men. One of these at Tolaga was found to measure 

 near seventy feet in length, six in width, and four in depth. 



They are rowed with a kind of paddles, between five and 

 six feet in length, the blade of which is a long oval, gradually 

 decreasing till it reaches the handle ; and the velocity with 

 which they row is really surprising. The vessels are steered 

 by two men, each having a paddle, and sitting in the stern ; 

 but they can only sail before the wind, in which direction, 

 however, they move with considerable swiftness. 



These Indians use axes, adzes, and chisels, with which 

 last they likewise bore holes. The chisels are made of 

 jasper, or of the bone of a man's arm ; and their axes and 

 adzes of a hard black stone. 



Their warlike weapons are spears, darts, battle-axes, and 

 the patoo patoo. The spear, which is pointed at each end, 

 is about sixteen feet in length, and they hold it in the middle, 

 which renders it difficult to parry a push from it. Whether 

 they fight in boats or on shore, the battle is hand to hand, 

 so that they must make bloody work of it. 



When they came to attack the English, there was usually 

 one or more thus distinguished in each canoe. It was their 

 custom to stop at about fifty or sixty yards' distance from 

 the ship, when the commanding officer, arising from his seat, 

 and putting on a garment of dog's skin, used to direct them 

 how to proceed. 



In the war-dance their motions are numerous, their limbs 

 distorted, and their faces are agitated. Their tongue hangs 

 out of their mouths to a vast length, and their eyelids are 

 drawn so as to form a circle round the eye ; they shake 

 their darts, brandish their spears, and wave their patoo 

 patoos to and fro in the air. They accompany this dance 

 with a song, which is sung in concert ; every strain ending 

 with a loud and deep sigh. There is an activity and vigour 

 in then: dancing, which is truly admirable ; and their 

 idea of keeping time in music is such, that sixty or eighty 

 paddles will strike at once against the sides of their boats, 

 and make only one report. 



