POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
165 
but the edge of one simply laid on that of the other^ and 
fitted with remarkable exactness by the adze of the work- 
man^ guided only by his eye i they never used line or rule. 
The edges of their planks were usually covered with a 
kind of pitch or gum from the bread-fruit tree^ and a 
thin layer of cocoa-nut husk spread between them. 
The husk of the cocoa-nut swelling when in contact 
with the water^ fills any apertures that may exists and^ 
considering the manner in which they are put together^ 
the canoes are often remarkably dry. The two canoes 
forming Tiaitoerau^ which was a double one^ were fasten¬ 
ed together by strong curved pieces of wood^ placed hori¬ 
zontally across the upper edges of the canoes^ to which 
they were fixed by strong lashings of thick cinet. 
Skremed Canoe. 
The space between the two bowsprits^ or broad 
planks projecting from the front of our canoe^ was 
covered with boards, and furnished a platform of con¬ 
siderable extent; over this a kind of temporary awning 
of platted cocoa-nut leaves was spread, and under it 
the passengers sat during the voyage. The upper part 
of each of the canoes was not above twelve or fifteen 
inches wide; little projections were formed on the inner 
part of the sides, on which small moveable thwarts or 
seats were fixed, whereon the men sat who paddled it 
