SKREENED CAXTOE. 
157 
fills any apertures that may exist, and, considering 
the manner in which they are put together, the 
canoes are often remarkably dry. The two canoes 
were fastened together by strong curved pieces of 
wood, placed horizontally across the upper edges 
of the canoes, to which they were fixed by strong 
lashings of thick coiar cordage. 
Skreened Came . 
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 
considerable 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 wrought with the pad¬ 
dle, while the luggage was placed in the bottom, 
piled up against the stern, or laid on the elevated 
stage between the two canoes. The heat of the 
sun was extreme, and the awning afforded a grate¬ 
ful shade. 
