204 G - A - J- VAN DER SANDE - 



For pivoting the mast there are two steps, dbe génie, àbiâi génie, situated on the 

 platform, near the fore edge, one at the starboard side, one at the port side. They are formed 

 upon two athwartship spars, samrari, which actually bear the foot of the mast (see fig. 129, 

 under the right foot of the man standing in front); but to prevent the slipping of the mast 

 athwartships, at each step, by means of strong rattan, a pair of fore-and-aft spars is lashed, 

 fitting between the laths of the platform. 



The sail, dbiâi, like in British N. G. (SELIGMANN [1906, 238]) is made of Pandanus 

 leaves, sewn together horizontally (fig. 132), unlike the sails of Tumleo (ERUWEG [1902, 368]) 

 and Attack Harbour (FlNSCH [1888, 336]), which are made of pièces of bark. It is higher than 

 it is broad, flat-headed, yard and boom, laced to it, being equally long and horizontal. A 

 single halliard is bent to the yard, somewhat outside the middle, and at the boom, near the 

 clew of the sail, the sheet is fastened. When not used it is always rolled up, from the bottom 

 to the top, and laid on the ornamented carrying pegs (page 201). 



Running before the wind a very great speed can be attained with thèse narrow 

 boats; the same as with the craft of eastern British N. G., which "will outsail an ordinary 

 whaleboat" (Mac FARLANE [1888, 117]). In sailing along the coast one has the land- as well 

 as the sea breaze abeam. Close hauled the wâche are of small value, they can't beat to 

 windward and it appears strange to me to read in PlTCAlRN [1891, 86] of the Wari canoës: 

 "it is surprising how close to the wind they can go". Indeed, by-the-wind they make a 

 considérable leeway and by tacking at intervais, make very little progress in the direction 

 from which the wind is blowing (see also SELIGMANN [1906, 239]). 



With regard to the practical sailing with the wâche, reports vary a good deal. 

 Personal expérience and enquiries hâve taught me, that the mast in H. B. is erected on the 

 platform, close to the fore edge, stepped into one of the two "âbè gênu\ namely in the one 

 which is on the weather side. The model N°. 654 (PI. XXII, fig. 11) has only those two 

 âbè gênii at the indicated places. The mast does therefore not rest on the bottom of the craft, 

 as customary in Astrolabe Bay (BlRO [1901, 74, fig. 37]) nor on the edge of the side wall, 

 that is opposite the one where the outrigger is, as PARKINSON [1900, 30] mentions of the 

 Berlin Harbour district, — for the latter purpose the mast is provided at the lower end 

 with a deep cutting. In fig. 133 the position of the mast is wrong. 



Van DER GOES [1858, 174] writes: "mast and sail are turned arbitrarily towards the 

 weather side, in such a manner, that the outrigger is at the lee side". This would mean that 

 the mast is always erected at the port side and that the craft only sails ahead when on the 

 port tack and otherwise, goes astern ; in the latter case therefore the mast, which has to 

 stand before the middle (in the direction of the movement), being erected near the real back 

 edge of the platform ! 



To prevent misunderstanding, I must remind the reader, that the outrigger is always 

 carried in H. B. on the starboard side, the right hand side of the boat, looking forward from 

 the stern ; besides one then has the ornamented prow ahead, which proves that the opinion 

 of De Clercq and SCHMELTZ [1893, 93], that the ornamental prow in H. B. is generally 

 fastened at the back, is incorrect. Fig. 1 34, representing a wâche sailing backward, shows an 

 accidentai exception to the rule. That the mast is not placed hère according to the rule of 

 VAN DER GOES and of PARRINSON, on the side which is turned away from the outrigger, 



