The Flooring or Decking

The floor-like platform in a canoe can scarcely be termed a deck, for it was considerably below the level of the thwarts, and was but a rude grating. The floor itself was composed of small straight rods of about 1 in. diameter laid longitudinally in the canoe and supported by cross-pieces (pae). There seem to be three different methods of supporting the floor, or karaho, as it was termed, of which name raho and rahoraho are variant forms. In the east coast method described below a pliable aka (vine) is employed as a free or false rib, extending up both sides of the canoe. (See fig. 73.) Another method is to use two straight rods, one on either side of the hull, to support

Sketches by Miss E. Richardson

page 158

Sketches by Miss E. Richardson

page 159the cross-pieces. (See fig. 74, A, p. 158.) Yet another mode is seen in the case of "Te Heke Rangatira" canoe, in the Dominion Museum, in which the cross-pieces supporting the floor, though resting at either end on the sides of the canoe, are also suspended at either end from the thwarts by several ply of small but tough and pliant aka (stems of climbing-plants). This latter method may not be an old usage, however, and the manner of the attachment to the thwart-lashings looks doubtful.

The first of these methods may be described as follows: The flooring or decking of a canoe is supported by the tokai. These are stout pieces of tough, durable aka, one end of which is inserted under one end of the thwart; then the pliant stem is bent downwards so as to assume the form of the hold of the canoe, against which it is pressed; the other end of the piece is slipped under the other end of the thwart. Both ends are confined by lashing them with the ends of the cords that secure the thwarts. As this bent piece passes over the two battens that cover the inside of the join of top-strake and hull, it follows that just above such battens small open spaces occur between the tokai and the side of the canoe. Now, when a man is not using his paddle he thrusts the end of the blade into that space or crevice, and rests the hand-grip end on the thwart; thus his paddle is out of the way and secure.

The next item in the construction of the flooring is the securing of battens or rods, known as kauhuahua, in a horizontal position to the tokai by the universal means of lashing. Thus these fore-and-aft battens rest on the tokai; and pieces of timber (pae) are then laid across the canoe from side to side, resting on the battens, to which they are tied. (See upper design in fig. 73.) Then long, thin, straight rods, often of manuka (Leptospermum scoparium), are laid on these cross-pieces close together, fore and aft of the canoe, and tied to them. Here, then, is your floor. In large, important vessels, such as war-canoes, two openings are left in the floor as places whereat to bail out the vessel, such places being termed puna wai or taingawai. (In fig. 75, A, one such is shown.) Ngati-Porou folk seem to apply the name of taingariu to these bailing-places, though our informant thinks that this term properly applies to one only, the one nearest the stern at the deepest part of the hold. The cross-pieces are numer-ous, as they serve as floor-joists.

In fishing-canoes an open space was, in some cases, left in the flooring between each two thwarts, and in each of these open spaces was fixed a net into which the fisherman put his catch. This net was secured to a hoop supported by short vertical rods, and hung down into the hold like a bag. (See fig. 82, p. 180.)

The above notes on the construction of the flooring were supplied by Tuta Nihoniho, of the Ngati-Porou Tribe of the east coast.

In the other method a short straight rod called a tokai is placed against the inner side of the canoe on each side, as shown in fig. 74, A, at p. 158. The longitudinal supports (termed kauhua, kauhuahua and whakawahine in Williams's Maori Dictionary) for the cross-pieces are lashed to the uprights (tokai), and on them rest the cross-pieces (pae) that support the flooring or platform of rods. The cross-pieces, being lashed to the lower parts of the uprights, tend to keep the latter in position. The rods forming the platform are also lashed to the cross-pieces. Fig, 74, A, illustrates a method in which the kauhua was dispensed with.

In no case are the cross-pieces of the flooring allowed to rest on the inside battens of the rauawa, for obvious reasons. Anything that put undue strain on the lashings of a canoe was ever guarded against, not so much on account of a fear of breakage as the fact that all fibres so used are liable to stretch under such usage, and

Sketches from "D'Urville's Voyages" by Miss E. Richardson

thus cause a harmful slackness in lashings, and looseness in the parts lashed together. For it must ever be remembered that the stability of the vessel, and the cohesiveness of its parts, depended upon the lashings, which were equivalent to the bolts, rivets, metal stays and braces, spikes and nails, &c., used in the construction of our ships.

Wakefield seems to have seen the pliant stems of supplejack (Rhipogonum scandens) employed in making flooring-platforms in canoes on the Whanganui River: "In the large canoes a wattled floor made of kareao (supplejack) is raised level with the junction of the body of the canoe and the topsides; and on this the passengers sit. A square hole amidships is left for the use of the bailing-spoon. This is rather a graceful implement, being often handsomely carved. It somewhat resembles the small shovel used to take coals out of a page 161scuttle, with the handle turned forward over its upper side." (See figs. 122 to 127.)

The flooring-platform of a canoe is placed a little below the level of the junction of the hull and top-strakes, thus giving access to the lashings. In voyages the floor was often covered with rush mats, on which people reclined. In some cases a covering of bracken, or mingi, was so used, over which mats were spread.

Small canoes had no flooring or decking in them, and canoes with no top boards were not fitted with thwarts. Spare cordage and caulking-material were carried on voyages in case of need, as if a thwart worked loose or some caulking needed renewing.

The hole made in the bottom of the canoe to let the water run out when hauled ashore was situated in the middle or a little forward of the middle of the vessel. It was closed with a wooden plug. When a canoe was hauled up on the beach stern first, the water in the hold, running forward, escaped by the hole. This is said to be the east coast usage.

Williams gives kaiwae as another name for the flooring-platform of a canoe, and karemu as the plug employed to block the kowhao, or hole in the keel.