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The Material Culture of the Cook Islands (Aitutaki)

Double Canoes

Double Canoes.

Double canoes, vaka tirua or unu rua, have completely disappeared from Aitutaki. Except for a couple of specimens at Atiu and Mauke they have disappeared from the Cook Group. Mr. T. E. Downes kindly procured some notes and drawings of the one at Atiu, but their use is deferred for consideration with the material culture of that important island.

In the double canoe, a smaller canoe took the place of the float of the outrigger. In detailed historical narrative the name of each canoe is usually given. The smaller canoe was known as the katea. These large sea-going double canoes were known as pahi.

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Te Erui, after his first unsuccessful attempt to reach Aitutaki from the Society Group, succeeded in the canoe Rangi-pae-uta. The katea was Rangi-pae-tai. They were connected with booms, and a platform was built over them. There were two masts, each with its own proper name. Te Erui's first canoe, which was dismasted by a hurricane, was Viripo, and the katea was Moe-te-kauri.

In the tradition concerning Te Muna-korero, who came from Havaiki, mention is made of canoe decoration. The narrative says, "E rei e pamounga te hakamanea o taua vaka" — "The rei and the pamounga were the decorations of that canoe." The rei is said to be a raised stern piece, and the pamounga, a triangular motive carved upon it. Mounga means mountain. In the geometrical coloured patterns worked on the borders of sleeping mats, the pamounga. is a triangular motive that is worked between two decorative bands, or pae. Another version states that Te Muna-korero came from Tonga, and that he brought the heke (cuttle-fish), the pahua, and the ariri. The pahua and ariri are shellfish. The shellfish were also used to decorate his canoe. They were dropped off at Maina Island, whence they grew and multiplied.