104 ' On Aboriginal Art 



work for which they have been from our first knowledge of 

 them, remarkable, namely, in the building of canoes. The 

 old double war canoe of these people, as it was built 

 generations back (a model of which, executed by them, I 

 now produce), was throughout of such excellence as would 

 do credit to a civilized people. Alas ! these have now 

 departed, making way for the single canoe and outrigger, 

 which although decidedly a decadence must yet be con- 

 sidered a creditable performance. 



Their canoes range from 20 to 40 feet in length, and they 

 are seldom more than three feet in Avidth, which necessitates 

 an outrigger. They are rudely fashioned from the body of 

 a tree, and are attached by two poles in a way similar to 

 that formerly employed for the double canoes. These canoes 

 are in many instances lavishly ornamented with shells and 

 mother-of-pearl, yet never display any such beautiful traced 

 or carved ornament as those emanating from the Fijian 

 or the New Zealander. When the French navigator, 

 Bougainville, visited this group of islands in 1768, he was 

 struck with the large fleet of canoes with which his vessel 

 was immediately surrounded ; and hence he designated them 

 " the Navigators ;" Samoa being the native name of the 

 group." 



New Caledonia. — If we compare the works of the 

 natives of New Caledonia with those produced by the 

 Samoans, we shall find that the two styles are almost 

 identical, excepting the particular item of canoe building. 

 In each case the manufactures are of an useful and substan- 

 tial character, the most esteemed weapons of war being 

 in many cases totally destitute of ornament. Neither of 

 these races possesses high ability in ornamentation. A slight 

 advantage may be justly awarded to the New Caledonian 

 for his production of a rude kind of pottery ; it is, however, 

 of such an inferior kind as to be in no respect comparable to 

 the fine and most useful fictile works of the Fijian." 



Mr. Pain having instanced his views by the examples 

 above given, and having pointed to the Fijian and New 

 Zealander as the most energetic and skilful of these 

 aboriginal races, contrasts them with the Australian and 

 Tasmanian natives, whom he characterizes as the most 

 indolent, and as occupying the lowest grade of intelligence, 

 and especially of constructive ability, of all these races ; so 

 low, indeed, as to show scarcely sufficient capacity or skill 



