Lintoti — The Marquesas Islands 309 



with feathers, beaten in. Langsdorff (38, p. 173) says that the seams were cov- 

 ered with the gum of the breadfruit tree, but this was not mentioned by informants 

 or by any other early visitor. All accounts agree that the craft leaked so badly 

 that one or two men were kept constantly employed bailing. 



THE OUTRIGGER 



All canoes, when not fastened together in pairs, were provided with out- 

 riggers. Quiros (50, p. 28) says that they had "outriggers of cane on either side, 

 after the manner of the gunwales of galleys." Porter (49, p. 102) also mentions 

 the use of double outriggers in connection with large canoes differing somewhat 

 from the type now under discussion. Canoes appear, however, to have been 

 normally fitted with a single outrigger on the right side. 



This outrigger was of indirect type, consisting of crosspieces, uprights and a float. In 

 the smaller craft two crosspieces only were used, in the larger canoes there were three, the 

 third being in the middle. These crosspieces passed over the canoe, their right ends project- 

 ing beyond it, and were lashed firmly to the side planks by cords passed through holes in the 

 upper edges of the side planks. 



Each of the uprights consisted of four or six small sticks or splints. When four sticks 

 were used they were placed two on either side of the crosspiece. and the lower ends of each 

 pair rested together, the upper ends being some inches apart so that they formed a V. 

 Each of these \"s in turn sloped outward from the crosspieces : their attachments to the float 

 were a foot or more apart. Informants say that this form of upright, although much more 

 difficult to make than the modern one, was superior to it. In landing through a heavy surf 

 the forward end of the float often strikes bottom, and with the modern heavy upright the canoe 

 is turned end over end. \\'hen the old upright was used the thin sticks of which it was com- 

 posed broke easily, and the canoe would land without capsizing. The lower ends of the uprights 

 were wedged into slots in the upper surface of the float, which consisted of a hibiscus log 

 sharpened at the forward end. 



CANOE PL.\TFOR^IS 



According to old accounts the large war canoes were provided with plat- 

 forms at bow and stern, while Porter (49, p. loi) mentions an additional central 

 platform on which the chief sat. The use of such platforms is only vaguely re- 

 membered by the natives and these platforms are not shown in the newer models. 

 Stewart (59, p. 244) says that the platform was made of small sticks and covered 

 with a mat, and that the stern platform was considerabh- higher than the one in the 

 bow. In two old models the stern platforms are made as follows : 



Two rather large peeled sticks were laid across the canoe, the inner stick being close 

 behind the forward end of the stern piece while the outer was just in front of the breakwater. 

 Two other poles were then laid across the ends of these, lengthwise of the canoe, and the 

 whole lashed to the side planks with bark rope passed through holes in the canoe. The rear 

 ends of the second pair of poles projected slightly beyond the stern breakwater. Two more 

 cross poles were laid on the ends of these, above which two very long poles were placed 

 lengthwise, their tips projecting back almost to the tip of the upward curving tail. The four 

 upper poles were then lashed to the frame formed by the four lower ones. The bow platform 

 was built on tlie same principle except that the tops of the second set of poles were flush with 



[49] 



