Buildings
Index
Search
Contact us
The Single Canoes have a float supported by two out riggers; one Forward and one aft, the Float being nearly the length of the Canoe; these are Chiefly used for Fishing and Other Uses. The Canoes of this Built, Used for Sailing, are nearly of about 30 feet long and are either Double or single as the Owner fancys; they are raised with Wash boards and the Masts stepd on Cross peices above all, the Double ones have two Masts placed one in each Canoe at equall distance one from the Stem and the other from the Stern and a like distance from each other, being Nearly at the thirds of the Canoes length; the Masts are Supported by the Shrouds and Stays, of which they have always one to shift to Windward. On the Mast Head they Have a kind of Funnel basket fixd by way of ornament — The Sails are made of Matting, and are long and Narrow, being mostly as long as the Canoe and the Mast one Third Shorter, the breadth not exceeding 5 or 6 feet. The foot of the sail is spread by a Short Crooked boom having an elbow or knee on the after part to which a spreet is securely lashd and to which the sail is laced all up the after leech and being secured at the Mast Head by a rope to keep it from spliting the Sail, it forms a sweep in which form the Sail is Cut & the end of the spreet Comes directly over the Mast head where it is Confined in form of a Fiddle Bow, by the rope which supports the Weather leech of the sail; the sail being extended on a frame is quite flat, having no belly but what the Wind gives it—at the Spreet end hangs a long Pendant of Feathers, wove on three lines which reach the Heel of the Mast; the Sheet is generally made fast to the Splice or Joint of the Boom & Spreet, and is at the Command of the Man who Steers if a Single Canoe but if a Double Canoe they must have others to attend them—The Sails of the War Canoes are Made in the same ’ Manner but they being larger have a frame ladder to go to the Mast head while the others have only a few short sticks seized a cross the Mast to get up to fasten the sail and the line which keeps the Spreet in its place.
The single Canoes riggd for Sailing have only one Mast, and are riggd with a large Float paralel to their Keel or Middle line and two Thirds of Her length from the side supported by an Outrigger / a little before the Midships, Consisting [of] several strong peices . or Spars of a proper Size, & Steadyed by a single one from the Stern to keep it fore and aft, on the top of the Fore Out rigger the Mast Stands and two soars are fixd one third of the Canoes length supporting a stage of two Planks on the Opposite Side to the
 |
Indigenous Histories |  |
© Derived from the 1935 Print Edition edited by Owen Rutter, page 203, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/-morrison-076.html