THE HAWAIIAN PEOPLE. 29 



appreciate in a measure the difficult ics tli.-it miisl Iuinc Ix-sct tlie TT;i.\v;iiitiiis in 

 transporting liviny' ciittiiius of this delicate seedless plant from far oft' Kahiki 

 to these islands, yet it is practically certain that not only was the breadfruit 

 brought here in this mannci- but also the banana, the taio. the mountain apple, 

 the sugar-cane and a score or more of their other important economic plants. 

 The wild fowl, the pig and th(^ dog were also brought with them in the same 

 way, in very early times, and were in. a state of common domestication over the 

 group when the islands were first visited by the white race. 



Naturally there were many references in Hawaiian and Polynesian tradi- 

 tion to these long and teinpestous voyages. AVhen all the circumstances sur- 

 rounding these rugged feats of daring and adventure are considered, it is not 

 loo much to say that the race to which the ancient Hawaiians belonged is worthy 

 of a special place among the most daring and skillful navigators of all times. 

 To this day their prowess and aptitude in matters pertaining to the sea is such 

 as to command the admiration and respect of all. 



Double Canoes. 



The making of the large canoes employed in their important journeys by 

 the use of stone tools alone, was by no means an ordinary task. Aside from the 

 descriptions of their canoes handed down to us in their traditions, we know that 

 a century ago there existed in these islands the remains of war canoes, such as 

 we are told were used in those early voyages, that were seventy feet in length 

 by more than three feet in width and depth, capable of carrying seventy per- 

 sons from island to island. What is still more remarkable the hull in each case 

 was carved from a single giant koa log. 



The selecting of a suitable tree from among its fellows in the mountain 

 forests, the felling and shaping of it by means of the crude stone implements 

 of the time, and the subsequent transporting of the rough-hewn canoe to the 

 sea by main strength, was an undertaking not to be lightly assayed; but the 

 executing of a 2000-mile voyage in such a craft seems almost incredible. In this 

 connection it is well to remember that the early Polynesians made not only 

 single canoes of monstrous proportions, but double ones by lashing two together 

 and rudely decking over the space between them. In this ingenious way they 

 made a craft capable of carrying a large numl)er of people and a ^-oodly supply 

 of provisions. 



Provisions for Long Voyages. 



It is probable that in tlicii- more extended xoyaues. especially when they 

 were voluntarily luidertakeii, the natives used the double canoe and provided 

 the craft with a mast to which lliey riiii^vd laruc dui-able sails made of mats. 

 The legendary mele telling of the coming of llawaii-loa states that during live 

 changes of the moon he sailed in such a craft to b.' i-ewarded at last by the 

 sight of a new land ever after calh-d Hawaii. 



As to the snp])ly of pro\isions it is to be remembered that the Polyiu^sians 



