New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-19

POLYNESIAN CANOE TYPE-SAMOA
land, of which all retain the name. Ii was The
home of the race in the beginning. il was al
that home that they learned 10 become sailors
and ocean adNcnturcrS The only family OF the
Polyncsan race which does not begin in a legend
Of a dangerous trip across the waters is the Sa-
moan. They believe that the earth was made
at their archipelago, that they are themselves
the first race of human beings. EthnCloSists are
agreed on one point; they acknowledge that
even if Samoa is not the nest of the PolyHesar
race still its largest island Savaii. is carried IN
all these traditions as a. least the place Of the
final dispersion Of these colonies.
This gives us the shortest and the most direct
line in the evolution Of naval construction. BY
it We can judge how primitive man first essayed
to build ships a primitive man who was not
afraid Of the water. Compared with the brown
race IF tn. South Sea the Tyrian naVgatOrs OF
remote antiquity and the Viking roVers Of more
recent ages are nothing but longshOremen We
are able to see in the present day what the
primitive savage did in remote ages when he
Ventured Oh tn" sea. The POlynesian vessel is a
type which has been preserved with almost abb
solute uniformity in all the wandering families
of that race. 1t is the type of what the floating
log became wher human ingenuity was exered
10 III it for emergencies which arose early in
saVagery.
As Samoa is acknowledged to he the dispersal
centre Of the Poly ncsian race the Samoan type
Of vessel may not improperly be assumed as
containing all the elements of naval archi-
lecture as known 10 the race at the time of the
great diSi and therefore the most simple
deVe ,opment Of the carly typ of vessel. There
is Just time To catch the Samoan type before ii
vaniShes Already the boat copied after eau
casian models is dsplacing the native craft
from end g end OF the archipelago. Fifteen
years ago there were many sailing canoes in
Samoa: this year there Is but one, and il is
drawn ~ on a remote each and left to fall into
decay. never again 10 be used. The same change
will continue 20 work; it will not be long before
this primitive type Of vessel will be but a
museum curiosity.
DIFFERENT FROM THE PRAHU.
Before proceeding to the consideration Of what
the Polyncsian vessel is, it is ncedful TO make
Gear one thing which it is not. for great confu-
sion exists on that point. The Polyncsian vessel
is not a prOa or prahu. Where the prahu j.
found in the Pacific il has been carried by the
MALAY race or 10y the Tarapon stock. which has
pcoplcd Micronesia. II is a sure proof that the
users are not Polyncsian people. The Polyne-
sian vessel is the diametric opposite of the
prahu. il is everything which the prahu is not
Kcop that clearly in mind before passing to
study Of the details
Thc rrahu must have these features. l. bow
and stern must be alike; > one side must be
fiat and that fiat side must always be 10 FEC
ward. - the OutTigg"r is always 10 WIhdWaTd'
and cxorts a downward force; !, the mast IS
fyed AT the vertical, J. the sail is as nearly as
poeS be an cqU!lat"Ial triangle.
The Pnlvncsian vessel differs in these features:
I bow and stern are on different lines. with a
SINGLE execution. > the lines are symmet1cal
win respcct to the central fore and aft line; ..
the olfricccr is designed TO act by huoNancy,
70 exert an upward force. ana IS absent from
sailing canoes: t. the mast hinges III the step
and IS never vertical. hut always cart"d Tor
ward: = The sail is never an equuatcrai triangle;
mn enarp isoscclcs triangle ia Whl"h boom ana
aft measure the equal sides. VINE the after
leach rs about one-third OF their length.
Bearing in mind. therefore, that the lra"u
and the canoe are radlca ~ dlSuhct III cNiit
rarfjcular lct US proceed to the study 81 IN"
Polvrcsian vessel, as typifcd III the naNdi aIcH -
tec,i,re Of the SamOans, whose skill in shiiplhN
canned for them At the hands of B1uSdnNi I-r'
" no discovered them. tn" the 81 IN" NaN'E7
tors q name which only now Is beng remover
from the maps ,. a.o
According to their uses. Samoan vessels are
divided into the two classes. such a. "r" pro-
,,nu.d Lv sails and such as depend on lhr Iau-
dlo for rropulsion The latter again arc d.'ld'u
into tly6 classes the canoe which is bdilt up %.
lords and that which is shaped from a siilEI'
t,.. mink Cf these the simplest ana accord
inglv tbn most primitive type is the du@"ul or
nrriaeua type As sucn it should receive hist
consideration. -, -,
m. essentials Of this canoe are a hull hol-
l,.ld am If the trunk Of tree in a : nslc piece,
and an outriggcr on the port SIDE. "hCh Is at
"acbcd 10 th4 huh by double set Of brace.
vertical and horizontal. These canoes sun
abound on every Samoan beach 1hey are com
monty from three 10 five fathoms long ana sell
dom vary in the other dimensions with any at
tempt 10 preserve ratu 10 the length me
beam is approximately eighteen inches that Is