268 DESCRIPTION OF CANOE. 



of a chief. He called a small canoe alongside, and 

 g-etting- under the mizen chains attempted to climb 

 up at once, and appeared surprised that the privileg'e 

 of coming' on board denied to the other natives was 

 not immediately extended to him. He was, how- 

 ever, accidentally allowed to come up the side and 

 remain on deck for a short time. He was a tall 

 slender man, of about forty years of ag'e, with sharp 

 Jewish features, — his face and chest were painted 

 black, and he wore a crest of cassowary feathers 

 across his head. 



This larg-e canoe measured about forty feet in 

 length, and was constructed of a hoUowed out tree 

 raised upon with large planks forming- a long" coffin- 

 like box, closed with high end boards elegantly 

 carved and paiated. Two rows of carved fishes ran 

 along the sides, and both ends were peaked, the bow 

 rising higher than the stem, and, like it, but more 

 profusely, decorated with carving painted red and 

 white, streamers of palm-leaf, egg-cowries, and 

 plumes of cassowary feathers. The outrigger frame 

 work was completely covered over, forming a large 

 platform above the centre of which a small stage 

 rested on a strong projecting beam the outer end 

 of which was carved into the figure of a bird, while 

 the inner reached to the centre of the body of the 

 canoe, and served to support the mast. The planks 

 forming the sides were strongly supported by knees 

 where each of the ten or twelve outrigger poles 

 passes through one side and rests against the other, 



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