324 HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

The contrivance and addition of the outrigger, which has been already fullydescribed in the account ot the Indian proa, and which forms so singular and pro-eminent a feature in the South Sea marine, appears in almoft general use, althoughmore extensively, perhaps, adopted bv the inhabitants of one country, than bythose of another ; a plain and demonstrative proof, that the advantages of thepractice are uniformly understood and acknowledged, although peculiar circum-stances occasion its more prevalent use in some particular islands. Theexpert and warlike Zealanders, who are accustomed to give a greater proportionof breadth to their canoes, more especially those constructed for the purposesof contes*', than their neighbours ; having been consequently less sensibleof the want of such ingenious addition, are naturally, as it were, lessaddicted to the use of it. .The same cause, vice versa , renders it to theOtaheitians esteemed, as, perhaps, one of the most valuable principles of the art.The manual operation of preparing the timber, among these untutored mechanics,is, perhaps, little less curious and worthy of remark, than that of putting ittogether ; and the immensity of labour which, owing to the imperfection oftheir tools, at least previous to their intercourse with the Europeans, mightdivide admiration between the patient perseverance, and the natural ingenuity ofthose people. The act of felling a single tree is an operation which requiresmany days. When this primary measure is completed, they are accustomed tosplit it, following the grain with great accuracy, into planks of three or fourinches in thickness, which, as many of the trees are more than eight feet ingirth, amount frequently to five or six in number, even from a single stick.The plank thus divided, is smoothed by a species of adze, w'hich they arc ac-customed to use both expeditiously and ingeniously ; for they frequently takeoff a piece, or shaving from a whole plank, without missing a single stroke.This art is particularly useful; for being ignorant of the art of warping a plank,every part of the canoe, whether hollow or flat, is formed by hand. The in-genuity of this secluded people is not confined merely to themselves, but appearsto extend in a no less animated a degree over the face of the whole Southern orIndian Ocean. The following annexed description of working the planks, andthe principles adopted in the construction of canoes belonging to the SocietyIslands, will fufficiently evince this fact ; and the method cannot be betterdescribed than in the precise words of an actual spectator."

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