In Building their Canoes they hollow out the Bottom or Keel pieces, and having fitted them they smear each part of the Butt with Pitch Made from the Gum of the Bread fruit Tree, which being wrapd round a Number of Candle Nuts reeved on Sticks for the Purpose and being lighted and held over a tray of Water the Pitch drops in and being taken out of the Water & made up in balls is fit for use — with this as before said they smear the Edges and Buts of the Plank, & having a quantity of Cocoa Nut fibers beaten up like Oakum they lay it between the pieces and bringing them together with Sets & Wedges, lash the parts firmly together with plat made of the same and after they have passd as many turns as the holes will admit they Caulk them with more of the beaten fibers; over the Seams in the Wake of the lashing they Spread more Pitch & Oakum, and lay a piece of Bamboo split & soakd for the Purpose, and having formd the Bottom they proceed to bring on the next peice or Streak, pitching the seams and securing it as before — they never pay the bottom or sides, tho it would be of much service to them, but they cannot bear to toutch the pitch, which would be often the Case as they haul all their Canoes up as soon as they land.

They have no rule for Building but the Eye, and have no Idea of Working by a line; yet nevertheless some of them are built with as much exactness, as if they had been pland by able builders and according to the oppinion of some good Workmen they are well finishd.

The War Canoes (and those Made presents to the Deity which are occasionally Used for that purpose, and are in fact built for it only by the Contrivance of the Priests who are in the intrest of the King and tells the other Chiefs that the Deity wants Such a Number of Canoes of Such a Size & they set about building them Immediately) are Built by levying Contributions and are done thus — Each Chief who has one to build Calls the Towhas & Ratirras together to a Feast and informs them of the Request of the Deity and desires

Indigenous Histories