PORTER'S JOURNAL. 
17 
leaking sufficiently to give constant employment to one or two 
persons to bail the water out of them. The keel consists of one 
piece which runs the whole length, and is hollowed out in the form 
of a canoe, and seems to stiffen the whole vessel and keep it straight. 
Three pieces of thin plank, placed in the manner of partitions, di¬ 
vide the interior into four parts, and perform the office of timbers 
to keep the vessel from separating or closing together; and out¬ 
riggers from the bow, middle and stern, with a long piece of 
light wood secured to the extremity of each, keep them from 
upsetting, which from their narrowness would frequently happen 
were it not for this contrivance. The ornamental part consists of 
a flat prow, which projects about two feet, and is rudely carved on 
the upper surface, to represent the head of some animal, and most 
probable a man: sometimes there is attached to it a small board, sup¬ 
ported by a rudely carved figure of a man. From the stern is a slen¬ 
der projection of six or eight feet in length, and in the form of a 
sleigh runner, or the fore part of a Holland skate. Their paddles 
are very neatly made, of a hard black wood highly polished; their 
handles are slender, the blades of an oval form, broadest toward 
the lower part, and terminating in a point like a hawk's bill. They 
were all without sails, and did not appear to be managed with 
much skill or dexterity. At some of the coves I saw the frames 
of boats of a different construction, set up shorter and wider than 
the canoes, and in shape somewhat similar to the common whale 
boat; but I saw no such vessel in use among those who visited 
the ship. 
Toward sunset I passed the western part of the island and had 
a view of a bay, which makes in, after rounding some islets, which 
appeared to afford good anchorage, secure against the prevailing 
winds, with a smooth landing. The valley which extended from the 
head of it, had the appearance of great fertility, and several houses 
were interspersed among the clusters of trees, and the whole 
had a very agreeable and inviting appearance, but no natives or 
canoes were observable: and it is probable that, intimidated by the 
number of vessels in sight, they had all left their residence and 
retired to the other side of the island. 
