196 G. A. J. VAN DER SANDE. 



admiration, when it is considered that, in order to obtain the forward movement, the blade 

 of the paddle must of course be placed more or less transversely, whilst each time when the 

 paddle is taken out of the water for a fresh stroke, the whole remains for a moment 

 entirely without any latéral support. The paddle is also used right and left alternately. When 

 not in motion, the man, in order to obtain the use of his right hand, seizes the paddle 

 in the middle, the blade being in the water and the handle resting on his left thigh, now 

 making the necessary compensating movements. If the man wishes to hâve both hands at 

 his disposai, he places one leg (KoNING [1904, 276, the figure to the left]), sometimes also 

 both legs, over the edge in the water and with them makes the necessary, short, transverse 

 movements. In this position he can use his bow and arrows. At a sham fight, once held by 

 request, some men could, whilst resting on one knee in the canoë, the other leg only just 

 in the water, keep the upper part of their body quite erect. 



The people of the Agaiambo tribe (Annual Report [1904 — 05, 6]), although their canoës are described 

 as "frail and narrow", kneel in the bottom, supporting the body upon their heels. Finsch [1888, 319] mentions 

 of Guap Island and Caprivi River, fast boats, in which the paddlers cannot place both feet alongside èach 

 other. Robidé van der Aa [1885, 88] and Horst [1889, 247] both mention crafts of the Witriwai; the 

 first named States: "they are about eight feet in length, nearly round at the bottom and so narrow, that it 

 is almost impossible to place the legs inside, one in front of the other, but one is obliged to sit on the 

 edges"; — the second: "canoës of a very primitive make, the paddlers being unable to place their legs 

 alongside each' other, whilst they are seated on the edges. On the bar in front of the river mouth, we 

 saw some men, standing with one leg in their canoë, whilst the other was hanging outside and served as 

 a paddle". Thomson [1892, 135] describes a small craft of the upper reaches of the Fly River: "which 

 had no outrigger, was from twelve to fifteen feet in length, sharp at both ends, ten inches in breadth, and 

 about the same in depth". About this craft Macgregor [1897, 55] writes: "It seems marvellous how they 

 can maintain the whole in equilibrium. This is perhaps done by means of the paddle". Especially thèse 

 last reports give rise to the supposition that an analogue with the ïsja is hère described; however for the 

 présent no certainty has been obtained respecting this. 



The ïsja is in the fullest sensé of the word a men's boat ; I never saw a woman 

 making use of it ; on the other hand, boys from 10 — 12 yè'ars old, manage it with the greatest 

 confidence. The possession at this time of life of a somewhat smaller ïsja, dépends, no doubt, 

 upon the early âge at which boys are hère admitted into the men's watch-houses. Every 

 Sentâni man, has an Ïsja ail his life, and he cannot really do without it, as he has to go 

 to the gardens daily, to protect the women. After a visit to a village, the expédition was 

 generally followed by a swarm of men, each in his own craft (fig. 126). To get inside,- he 

 pushes the canoë off the shore into the shallow water, places a foot in the middle at the 

 bottom, andletting himself down with the nates on both edges, the other leg is pulled 

 inside and simultaneously the canoë is shoved off with the paddle. Fig. 127 plainly shows 

 that it is really incorrect to talk of a seat (see above, HORST), as the man only rests 

 with both trochanters on the edges, whilst (fig. 131) really only- the lower part of the legs 

 finds a place inside the hull of the craft. The freeboard at the middle of the boat can bé 

 estimated in the last mentioned fig. as fuliy i'/ 2 handbreadth; loaded; with two perspns this 

 is reduced to barely one handbreadth. Thus I saw, now and then, a father removing his son, 

 whose feet had been bandaged, placed in front of him on the ïsja,- the boy with his face 

 towards the fore part, and once some of our quite untrained Malay coolies were even 



