They have an adze of ftone; a chiffel, or gouge, of bone,
generally that of a man’s arm between the wrift and elbow
a rafp of coral; and the Ikin of a fting-ray, w ith coral fand,
as a file or polilher.
This is a complete catalogue o f their tools, and with foefe
they build houfes, eonftruft canoes, hew ftone', and fell,
cleave, carve, and polifli timber.
The ftone which- makes the blade o f their adzes is a kind
of Bafaltes, of a blackilh or grey colour, not very hard, but o f
confiderable toughnefs: they are formed of different fizes ;
feme, that are intended for felling, weigh from fix to eight
pounds j others, that are ufed for carving, not more than fo
many ounces; but it is neeeffary to fharpen both almoft every
minut efor which purpofe, a ftone and a cocoa-nut fhell
fu ll o f water are always at hand.
Their greateft exploit, to which thefe tools are lefs equal
than to any other, is felling a tree: this requires many hands,
arid the conftant labour of feveral days. When it is down,
they fplit it, with the grain, into planks from three to four
inches thick, the whole length and breadth of the tree,
many of which' are eight feet in the giro, and forty to the
branches, and nearly of the lame thicknefs throughout. The
tree generally ufed is in their language called A-vw, the ftem
o f which is tall and ftrait; though fome of the fmaller boats
are made o f the bread-fruit tree, which is a light fpongy
wood, and eafily wrought. They fmooth the plank very ex-
peditioufly and dexteroufly with their adzes, and can take off
a thin coat from a whole plank without miffing a ftroke.
As they have not the art of warping a plank, every part Of
the canoe, whether hollow or flat, is fhaped by'hand.
The
The canoes, ©r boats, which are ufed by the inhabitants ,
of this and the neighbouring iflands, may be divided into
two general clafiesi one of which they call Ivflhahs,xhc. other
Pahies.
The Ivahah is ufed for foort excurlions to fea, and is wall-
fided and flat-bottomed; thePahie for longer voyages, and is
bow-fided and fharp-bottomed. Tire Ivahahs are all of the
fame figure, but of different fizes, and ufed for different
purpofes: their length is from feventy-two feet to ten, but
the breadth is by no means in proportion; for thofe of ten
feet are about a foot wide, and thofe of more than feventy
are fcarcely two. There is the fighting Ivahah, the filhing
ivahah, and the travelling Ivahah; for fome o f thefe go from
one ifland to another. The fighting Ivahah is by far the
longeft, and the head and ftem are confiderably raifed above
the body, in a femicircular form particularly the ftern,
which is fometimes.feventeen or eighteen feet high, though
the boat it-felf is fcarcely three. Thefe nevergo to fea Angle,;
but are fattened together, fide by fide, at the diftance of about
three feet, by ftrong poles of wood, which are laid acrofs
them and laflied to the gunwales. Upon thefe, in foe forepart
a ftage or platform is raifed, about ten or twelve feet
long and fomewhat wider than the boats, which is fupported
by pillars about fix feet high:, upon this ftage ftand foe fighting
men, -whofe miflile -weapons are flings and fpears; for,
among other Angularities in, foe manners of thefe people,
their bows and arrows are ufed only for diverfion, as we
throw,quoits: below thefe ftages fit the rowers, who receive
• from them thofe that are wounded, and furnifo frefli men
to afcend in foeir room. ;So.me of thefe have a platform of
bamboos or other light wood, through their whole length,
and confiderably broader, by means o f which they w ill carry
F f a a great