Linton — The Marquesas Islands 301 



Vaka poti are rarely if ever used for inter-island voyages as most of the 

 villages possess whale boats, which are more suitable for such trips. The na- 

 tives, however, make fairly long coasting A'ovages in the vaka poti. They keep 

 as close in shore as possible, rowing along the edge of the breakers in the narrow 

 belt of comparatively calm water caused by the backwash from the cliffs. Even 

 when there are large bays along the route they prefer to skirt the shore rather 

 than to cut straight across. This custom of lying close inshore no doubt ac- 

 counts in part for the indifferent way in which the boats are sailed. \Mien the 

 wind is astern the sheet is paid out on the side away from the outrigger, and as 

 there is no way of reefing in case of a strong wind it is necessary for the oc- 

 cupants of the canoe to lean far out on the outrigger side or even climb out on 

 the outrigger frame to keep the boat from capsizing. When the Avind is on the 

 port quarter the sheet is paid out on the outrigger side, but it is dangerous to 

 sail this way as a sudden puff' may drive the outrigger under and capsize the 

 boat. When the wind is abeam the natives lower sail and row out against it for 

 some distance, then spread sail and come in at a long slant with the wind on the 

 c[uarter, repeating the maneuver whenever they get too close to the coast. They 

 do not seem to understand tacking, and never sail except with a following wind. 



ANCIENT CANOES 

 THE DUGOUT 



Two ancient types of canoe are remembered by the natives, a small fishing 

 canoe, and a built up war canoe. The small canoe is said to have been 

 a simple dugout, identical with the modern fishing canoes alreadv described 

 except that it lacked the plank gunwales and had an outrigger of the 

 ancient form (p. 309). Porter (49), who mentions these canoes, says that they 

 were "commonly nothing more than the hollowed keels of the large ones after the 

 upper works have been taken off." They appear to have been used only around 

 the harbors, all longer voyages being' made in canoes of the built up type. 



BUILT UP CANOES 



Large built up canoes have been obsolete for many years, as the ]\Iar- 

 quesans were quick to see the superiority of the European small craft and soon 

 learned to imitate them. Even in 1838 Du Petit-Thouars (48, p. 348) says that 

 the ancient canoes had been largely replaced by whale boats which the natives 

 obtained from passing ships. Small built up canoes have, however, continued in 

 use until comparatively recent times and a seaworthy example is still to be 

 seen on the island of Fatu Hiva. The form of these smaller craft is well re- 

 membered by many living persons and from their descriptions, the numerous early 



[41] 



