144 SAMOAN GROUP. 



who sit two abreast, and are guided by a steersman. The seat of 

 honour is on the forward deck, in the centre of which is a row of pegs, 

 to which the large white ovula shell is attached by way of ornament. 

 The natives find no difficulty in occupying this place, as they manage 

 to sit in almost any position with ease to themselves ; but a stranger 

 who attempts it, and is for any time confined to one of these places of 

 honour, will repent of the distinction he enjoys before many minutes are 

 over. One of our gentlemen was treated with this distinction, and will 

 long recollect the words of the song they sing. 



" Lelei tusilava le tau mua, 

 Leango tusilava le tau muri." 



44 Good above all is the part before, 

 Bad above all is the part behind." 



The uneasiness, from his account, does not only proceed from the 

 small place left to sit upon, but also from the constant apprehension of 

 being precipitated into the sea. This faa Samoa, or Samoan fashion, 

 is any thing but agreeable. 



Having both a prow and stern, these canoes cannot be manoeuvred 

 without tacking; consequently the out-rigger, that constitutes their 

 safety, is, in using their sail, alternately to leeward and windward, and 

 does not, when to leeward, add much to the stability of the canoe. 

 They carry less sail than the canoes of the other natives of Polynesia, 

 and to guard against the danger of upsetting, the natives rig a sprit 

 or boom (suati), projecting from the opposite side to that on which the 

 out-rigger is fitted. This boom is secured with guys to the top of the 

 mast. When the wind blows fresh, some of the men go out upon it, 

 and thus balance or counteract the force of the wind. Those on the 

 other side of the canoe are kept ready to go out on the out-rigger when 

 that becomes necessary. The sail is made of a mat, of a triangular 

 shape, with its apex below : some of these are ten feet high. 



None of the canoes we saw at the Samoan Group are calculated for 

 long voyages. Those used in their intercourse with the Tonga Islands, 

 are the large double Feejee canoe, of which I shall speak when I treat 

 of those islanders. 



In their trips from town to town, they are generally on parties of 

 pleasure, termed malanga, and are frequently to be met with singing 

 their boat-songs. 



These songs have but little variety, are destitute of melody, and 

 have small pretensions to harmony. They consist, for the most part, 

 of two short strains, repeated alternately, the first by a single indi- 

 vidual, and the second by several. Their voices are loud, and have 



