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The Maori Canoe

Indonesian Canoes

Indonesian Canoes

Canoes of Celebes

Canoes of Celebes illustrated by D'Urville show a double outrigger form—two booms and floats attached by short curved pieces of timber. The sail is set or slung on the mast as is a triangular lateen sail, but is oblong and rectangular. Another illustration shows the two floats attached to the booms by means of two sticks, one curved, the other straight. Yet another shows curved booms connected directly with the floats. Mr. J. Hornell's researches give us a clear idea of the outrigger canoes of Indonesia.

Canoes of Borneo

In his work on the natives of Sarawak and British North Borneo, H. Ling Roth gives some information about native boats. A carved figurehead of a Kayan war-canoe, partially perforated, shows the double scroll seen on the prow of the Maori war-canoe. A Dyak war prau shows a very lofty and ornate stern-piece, also a fighting-stage extending nearly the whole length of the vessel. These folk are said to usually paddle their craft about six miles an hour, but when exerting themselves can double that speed. A carved paddle depicted is of Maori form; two plain ones have blades of square form, and look clumsy with cross-pieces on the handle-ends. A Dyak dugout has a top-strake attached, also the Maori mode of bracing or strengthening by means of lashed-on thwarts instead of knees. The top-strake seems to be fixed clinker-fashion. Modes of building up page 376sides, securing planks, steering, &c, differ considerably in Borneo, owing doubtless to race-mixture and foreign influences. Awnings or shelter roofs are often used. Some craft have elevated prow and stern, some show carved work on figurehead or stern-piece. Kayan canoes are seen as much as 38 yards in length and 7 ft. in beam; such a craft accommodates about a hundred paddlers, who sit two abreast On the rivers a considerable amount of poling is done, the natives being remarkably expert with the pole.

Outrigger Canoes of Ceylon and India

The author of The Cruise of the "St. George," gives us a brief account of outrigger canoes seen in 1891 at Ceylon, and which are also used on the coast of India. The hold of these canoes was but 15 in. across, reminding us of some Polynesian forms; in fact, this is just the inside measurements of a Manihiki canoe in the Dominion Museum; and another therein measures only 11 in. in width, inside measurement.

The above writer remarks: "These catamarans consist of a hollowed-out tree-stem, rounded up at both ends, with sides made of inch boarding sewed on with coconut-fibre cordage, for there is not a nail in the whole concern. As this would be too narrow to remain upright in the water itself, it is supported by an outrigger made of another log about half the length of the boat, and kept parallel to it, and about two yards off, by two pieces of bamboo, lashed fore and aft at right angles from one to the other. When the wind gets strong and threatens to overturn it, one or more of the men get upon the outrigger to weigh it down."

"In the India Museum," says Colonel Lane Fox, "there is a model of a very early form of vessel from Birmah [Burmah], described as a trading-vessel. The bottom is dug out, and the sides formed of planks laced together. A large stone is employed as an anchor."

Long, narrow vessels, made from a single tree, with both ends much elevated, and accommodating 150 rowers, were seen in Siam in 1771.

Polack compared the Maori canoe to the pirogue of Madagascar, which, he says, it resembles.

The canoes of Manipur, as shown in an old print, resemble Maori and Polynesian forms in the high prow and ornamental work at the stern showing scrolls. About fifty-six paddlers are shown. Another such print shows a canoe of Burmah, with a high prow and stern, and about thirty-two paddlers; also a Siamese canoe, with high prow and stern, and a figurehead.

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Of a small dugout canoe of the Andamans, C. B. Kloss writes: "Near the hut lay a nearly completed dugout canoe, about twenty-eight feet long by three feet wide and deep, of the usual Andamanese form, with sawed-off ends, and projecting platforms at bow and stern, forming convenient places to stand on when spearing turtle and fish. The sides were left about one inch and a half thick."

Of the canoes of Kar Nicobar the same authority writes: "These vessels, all dugouts, constructed from a single trunk, are very narrow in proportion to their length, and of graceful shape. After the canoe is hollowed it is somewhat spread out by cross-pieces of wood, which are lashed from gunwale to gunwale, at intervals of about a foot. To give the required stability an outrigger is attached. To two projecting spars lashed to the canoe, a log of very light wood, about three-quarters the length of the hull, and sharp at either end, is fastened, and the correct level of this float is maintained by each spar [boom] being bound to, and resting in, the angle made by three intersecting pairs of hardwood pegs, which are driven into the outrigger [float]. The vessels are further provided with ornamental projecting stem and stern pieces, carved in a variety of designs, and sometimes painted red…. The paddles are about four feet long, very light and thin … with lancet-shaped blades."

Of another canoe seen at the Nicobar Islands he writes: "A new and very large canoe was lying on the beach, the dugout portion, without additions, measuring forty-two feet long by three feet wide and three feet deep. The hull was charred, and decorated by grooved bands running at short intervals from gunwale to gunwale round the outside. Canoes are fitted, according to size, with from one to four short bamboo masts, each supported by four wide spreading stays of rattan, and on these are hoisted lateen sails with a short tack of about twelve inches, made of cotton or pandanus-leaves. The masts are never stepped on the floor of the canoe, but always on one of the crossbars or thwarts."

The charring of the outer surface of the hull was for protection from the effects of water, no paint being used. We have seen that the outer batten, covering the join of the top-strake, was sometimes charred by the Maori: this was to blacken it. An illustration of one of these Nicobar canoes afloat shows an upward-sloping stern-piece and prow, the latter terminating in two long points or prongs. Another illustration shows a similar design marked as a stern-piece. It has ornamental carved designs at the base of the two prongs.

Of canoes of Great Nicobar seen in 1688 Dampier remarked: 'The canoes that they go fishing in are sharp at both ends, and both the sides and the bottom are very thin and smooth. They are shaped page 378somewhat like the praus at Guam, with one side flattish and the other with a pretty big belly, and they have small outlayers [outriggers] on one side." When Dampier and others made a canoe voyage from Great Nicobar to Acheen some natives of the latter place fitted the canoe with double outriggers.