AND MANAGING THEM. 17 



When desirous of making' sail, the first process is 

 to set up in the bow two poles as masts, and on the 

 weather side a long-er and stouter one is laid across 

 the gunwale, and projects outwards and backwards 

 as an outrigger. These are further supported by stays 

 and guys, and, together with another long pole 

 forked at the end, serve as a frame to support the 

 pressure of the sails, which are usually two in num- 

 ber, made of matting of pandanus leaves, and ave- 

 rage four and a half feet in width and twelve in 

 height. The sails have a slender pole on each side 

 to which the matting is secured by small pegs ; 

 when set, they are put up on end side by side, tra- 

 velling along- the backstay by means of a cane 

 gromet. When blowing- fresh it is usual to keep 

 a man standing- on the temporary outrigger to coun- 

 teract by his weight the inclination of the canoe to 

 leeward. From the whole sail being placed in the 

 bow these canoes make much leeway, but ^^'hen 

 going fi-ee may attain a maximum speed of seven or 

 eight knots an hour. Except in smooth water they 

 are very wet, and the bailer (a melon shell) is in 

 constant requisition. 



The inhabitants of the mainland and Prince of 

 Wales Islands use the spear and throwing-stick, but 

 throughout the remainder of Torres Strait bows and 

 arrows are the chief weapons. The bows, which are 

 large and powerful, are made of split bamboo, and 

 the arrows of a cane procured from New Guinea, 

 afterwards headed with hard wood variously pointed 



VOL. II. c 



