106 



NATIVE CANOE. 



with the top sides tumbling well home. At both 

 bow and stern was a projecting ledge, overhanging 

 several inches. It had an outrigger on both sides, 

 formed by laying a pole across the midship part, 

 and another across the stern, projecting six or eight 

 feet on each side, and fastening to the ends of these 

 poles, which bent down so as nearly to touch 

 the water, two flat boat-shaped pieces of light 

 wood, about eight feet long, looked like two little 

 boats parallel to the large one. Their paddles were 

 diamond-shaped in the blade, with long handles, so 

 that they might be used by a man standing up. A 

 coil of neatly formed rope lay in the bows, spare 

 paddles, outriggers, spears, throwing sticks, small 

 twine, fishiug gear, large shells for baleing, lay 

 in the boat, everything neatly fastened into its place 

 by a bit of line. The men were tall, well made, 

 with rather high square foreheads, the hair cut 

 short, and Hinall straggling beards. They had each 

 lost a front tooth, had a few horizontal scars upon 

 the breast, and small epaulet-like* scars on the 

 shoulder. In one man the rim of the riffht ear had 

 recently been cut, so as to form a wide loop, the 

 edges of which were still unhealed. The other had 

 the lobe of His right ear pierced, and hanging down 

 in a narrow strip to his shoulder. They were quiet 

 in their manners, and seemed perfectly frank, open, 



* This is the first mention I found made in my note-books of 

 that oval shoulder mark, which we afterwards found universal in 

 Torres Strait, from Possession Isles to Darnley Island. 



