ii6 OTAHITE TO OHETEROA CHAP, vi 



describe everything of this kiiid from the commonest size). 

 The next stage, under 1 1, is formed of straight planks about 

 4 feet long, 15 inches broad, and 2 inches thick. The 

 third stage, under c c, is made, like the bottom, of trunks 

 of trees hollowed out into its bilging form. The last stage, 

 above cc, is formed also out of the trunks of trees, so that 

 the moulding is of one piece with the plank. This work, 

 difficult as it would be to an European with his iron tools, 

 they perform without iron and with amazing dexterity. 

 They hollow out with their stone axes as fast, at least, as 

 our carpenters could do, and dubb, though slowly, with pro- 

 digious nicety. I have seen them take off the skin of an 

 angular plank without missing a stroke, the skin itself scarce 

 one-sixteenth part of an inch in thickness. Boring the holes 

 through which their sewing is to pass seems to be their 

 greatest difficulty. Their tools are made of the bones of men, 

 generally the thin bone of the upper arm ; these they grind 

 very sharp and fix to a handle of wood, making the instru- 

 ment serve the purpose of a gouge, by striking it with a 

 mallet made of hard black wood. With them they would 

 do as much work as with iron, were it not that the brittle 

 edge of the tool is very liable to be broken. When they 

 have prepared their planks, etc., the keel is laid on blocks 

 and the whole canoe put together much in the same manner 

 as we do a ship, the sides being supported by stanchions and 

 all the seams wedged together before the last sewing is put 

 on, so that they become tolerably tight, considering that they 

 are without caulking. 



With these boats they venture themselves out of sight 

 of land : we saw several of them at Otahite which had come 

 from Ulhietea ; and Tupia has told us that they undertake 

 voyages of twenty days ; whether this is true or false I do 

 not affirm. They keep the boats very carefully under such 

 boat-houses as are described on p. 111. 



22nd. We saw a double pahie such as that described 

 yesterday, but much longer. She had upon her an awning 

 supported by pillars, which held the floor at least four feet 

 above the deck or upper surface of the boats. We saw 



