3o8 Memoirs Bcniicc P. BisJiop Miisciiiii 



practise, which invohed much unnecessary labor, is given by Porter (49, pp. loi- 

 102). He says: 



Each piece, and indeed each paddle has its separate proprietor. To one belonsjs the 

 piece projecting from the stern, to another the part forming the how. The jiieces forming 

 the sides belong to different persons and when a canoe is taken to pieces, the whole is scat- 

 tered throughout the valley and divided, perhaps, among twenty families. Each has the right of 

 disposing of the part belonging to him. and when it is to be set up each brings his piece with 

 materials for securing it. The setting up of a war canoe goes on with the same order and 

 regularity as all their other operations. 



Mention of this curious system of ownership is also made liy Desgraz 

 (15, pp. 281-282 ) but as his book ap])ears to be a little more than a compilation 

 from earlier sotirces. this can hardly be taken as a verification. 



It seems certain that there must have been a definite order in which the 

 various sections were placed in position, but no exact information was obtained 

 on this point. The structure of the carioes, however, partially indicates the fol- 

 lowing sequence: 



The first step must have been to arrange the pads which took the place of caulking be- 

 tween structures or sections. There were four of these, two being placed along the sides of 

 the tuiderbody and one at either end. The side pads consisted of two thick flat ropes, of the 

 same length as the underbody, each of which was plaited from three strands of coconut husk- 

 fiber. Cellular tissue of the husk was left adhering to this fiber, probably with the idea of filling 

 the interstices and making the finished seam more nearly water tight. These ropes were laid 

 along either edge of the underbody. being lield in position by continuous bark strings which 

 fastened them to the underbody at each lashing hole. The end pads were made from a num- 

 ber of the fiberous leaf sheaths of the coconut which were spread out flat with their upper 

 ends resting on the top of the underbody and their lower ends bending down over its flat 

 vertical bow and stern. They do not seem to have been attached to the underbody in any way. 



The next step was to place the bow and stern pieces in position, and then the side 

 planks. Whether the bow and stern pieces were attached before the side planks were put on 

 is imcertain, but it seems probable that the whole superstructure was lashed to the underbody 

 in a single continuous operation. In the models the lashing of each side is done with a single 

 continuous line, beginning at the bow. 



The lashings were of broad three-plait coconut fiber cord considerably heavier than that 

 used for house lashings. This was passed several times through the upper and lower lashing 

 holes, outside of the strips, the outer side of the lashing being flat, the full width of the hole, 

 and only one cord thick. According to one informant a large wooden needle, with the point 

 barbed on one side was used to facilitate passing the cord in and out. (See section on Miscellane- 

 ous Tools. I The upper ends of the side planks were attached to the bow and stern pieces by small 

 lashings, each of a single piece of cord tied on the inside. The inside lashings are said to 

 have been ornamented on some canoes with designs derived from string figures. 



CAULK I XG 



The lashings of the underbody and superstructure did not completely fill the 

 triangular holes provided for them, and the openings were caulked with pieces of 

 coconut htisk wadded up and beaten in with a wooden mallet and pointed stick. ( See 

 section on ^liscellaneous Tools.) The seams at the ends of the canoe were calked 



[48] 



