Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/216

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158
GENERAL ACCOUNT OF SOUTH SEA ISLANDS
Chap. VII

nor is their height increased in much greater proportion. They may be subdivided into three sorts, the fighting ivahah, the common sailing or fishing ivahah, and the travelling ivahah. The fighting ivahah is by far the longest; the head and stern of these are considerably raised above the body in a semicircular form, 17 or 18 feet in height when the centre is scarcely 3 feet. These boats never go to sea singly; two are always fastened together side by side at the distance of about two feet by strong poles of wood extending across both, and upon them is built a stage in the fore-part about ten or twelve feet long, and a little broader than the two boats: this is supported by pillars about six feet high, and

Fig. 1. Fig. 2

upon it stand the people who fight with slings, spears, etc. Below are the rowers, who are much less engaged in the battle on account of their confined situation, but who receive the wounded from the stage, and furnish fresh men to ascend in their room. (This much from description, for I never saw any of their battles.)

The sailing and fishing ivahahs vary in size from about 40 feet in length to the smallest I have mentioned, but those which are under 25 feet in length seldom or never carry sail: their sterns only are raised, and those not above four or five feet: their prows are quite flat, and have a flat board projecting forwards about four feet beyond them.

Those which I have called travelling ivahahs differ from these in nothing except that two are constantly