LAUNCHING OF.THE HAWEIS. 241 
to move the vessel. They have a number of these 
kinds of songs, some of considerable length, which 
I have at different times written down. They were 
designed to stimulate the men who were drawing 
the canoes into the water. 
The natives employed in this work generally 
laid down on the beach short logs of the cylin¬ 
drical trunk of the cocoa-nut tree, and drew the 
canoes over these natural rollers into the sea. 
Some of these songs were very short, as Iriti i 
mua , iriti i muri , e to, e to tau vaa ie: Lift up 
the stem, lift up the stern, and pull, and pull, my 
strong canoe. The song employed on the present 
occasion appeared rather a long one : I tried to 
comprehend its import, but, notwithstanding all 
the vociferation of the orator, it was recited with 
such rapidity, and there was so much din and 
clamour among the people, who on such occasions 
only put forth their strength in proportion to the 
noise which they make, that I could only now and 
then distinguish the word pahi, a large canoe or 
ship. Had I been able to hear more distinctly, 
it is probable that at that time I should not have 
understood the bard, as many words not in common 
use are found in their songs. 
At length the vessel moved towards the sea, 
amid the shouts of the assembled multitudes. 
Before, however, she fairly floated, an accident 
occurred, which threw a damp over the spirits of 
all present. As she glided smoothly along towards 
the water, Pomare, who had stationed himself by 
the sea-side for the purpose, gave the vessel her 
name, by throwing a bottle of wine at her, and 
exclaiming, la ora na oe e Haweis, Prosperity to 
you, O Haweis. It having been agreed to desig¬ 
nate the first vessel of any size built in the islands 
II. R 
