158 GENERAL ACCOUNT OF SOUTH SEA ISLANDS cu. vir 
nor is their height increased in much greater proportion. 
They may be subdivided into three sorts, the fighting wahah, 
the common sailing or fishing wwahah, and the travelling 
wahah. The fighting wahah is by far the longest ; the head 
and stern of these are considerably raised above the body 
in a semicircular form, 17 or 18 feet in height when the 
centre is scarcely 3 feet. These boats never go to sea singly ; 
two are always fastened together side by side at the distance 
of about two feet by strong poles of wood extending across 
both, and upon them is built a stage in the fore-part about 
ten or twelve feet long, and a little broader than the two 
boats: this is supported by pillars about six feet high, and 
=) 
wee Qa 
Fig.1. Fig.2. 
upon it stand the people who fight with slings, spears, etc. 
Below are the rowers, who are much less engaged in the 
battle on account of their confined situation, but who receive 
the wounded from the stage, and furnish fresh men to ascend 
in their room. (This much from description, for I never 
saw any of their battles.) 
The sailing and fishing ivahahs vary in size from about 
40 feet in length to the smallest I have mentioned, but 
those which are under 25 feet in length seldom or never 
carry sail: their sterns only are raised, and those not 
above four or five feet: their prows are quite flat, and 
have a flat board projecting forwards about four feet beyond 
them. 
Those which I have called travelling ivahahs differ 
from these in nothing except that two are constantly 
