tree, and has a flat surface, on which, when they go to war, they mount a piece of ordnance—a six, eight, or twelve-pounder. Each rower is provided with a sword and lance, which are placed by his side in the boat. In addition to the crew, there are usually twenty or thirty soldiers aboard, armed with muskets and other weapons. When they advance upon their foes, they sing a war-song, to encourage the men and regulate the strokes of the oars. They display considerable dexterity in the management of these boats; and when they retreat, they row backwards, so as to keep the large gun bearing upon

the enemy.

The draught of water of these boats is very shallow, in proportion to their size, as the largest of them draw only about three feet. When a person of rank is aboard, there is usually a tilt or canopy placed over the part intended for his special accommodation. In Birman boats, the prow is always the place of dignity.

Some of these boats are gilded and ornamented down to the water's edge; but gilded boats are only permitted in those parts to princes of the blood and persons holding high stations, such as a Maywoon of a province, and a minister of State. (1)

SANDWICH ISLANDS CANOES.

THE Sandwich Islands constitute a solitary group in the North Pacific Ocean, far north of the main range of islands in the Western Pacific.

The canoes of the native islanders are well made, considering that they are each constructed by hollowing out the trunk of a tree. They are, however, very ticklish, and easily upset. Those which are used singly are fitted with a small log of wood for an outrigger, which is armed with a cut-water at the fore end; the whole standing out several feet beyond the canoe, in the form represented by the engraving on opposite page.

The double canoes of these islands consist merely of two ordinary canoes, held together, at the space apart of from four (') Syme's Embassy to Ava,' A.D. 1795; 'Voyages and Travels,' &c.

to six feet, by very strong beams, which are arched and stand up above the canoes. They are sometimes assisted with a small sail, of very primitive form, the mast for which is stepped in one of the canoes, and the sail sheeted in the other.

The bow and stern of the Sandwich Islands canoes are ingeniously shaped, and are different to those of any other islands (see the above engraving).

FEEJEE CANOES.

THE sailing-canoes of the Feejees, or Fiji Islanders, are of a very superior class. The largest size are as much as a hundred feet in length, and of the double or twin form, consisting of two canoes of different sizes united by cross-beams, on which a platform is laid. But although these are called 'double canoes' by Europeans, the second, or attached canoe, is in fact an outrigger, the bottom part of which is composed of a tree, hollowed out for the sake of buoyancy, like the canoe

itself. The mast and sail are fitted to the larger of the two cances; the smaller one, as above stated, serving as an outrigger to the other. (See the engraving opposite.)

These canoes are generally built of a native wood, known as the vas-wood.

The bottom of each of the canoes is formed of the trunk of a single tree, hollowed out and built upon with considerable ingenuity. The sides and coamings are fitted and secured to the canoe by dove-tailing the planks, which are also drawn closely together with lashings of cocoa-nut plait, passed through flanges left for the purpose on each of the planks. The joinings and crevices are filled and closed with gum taken from the breadfruit-tree, which is also used as an outer dressing, in the place of tar or paint. The planks are secured inside to small ribs, or timbers, which are placed at regular intervals, according to the usual mode of boat-building.

The fore and aft ends of the two vessels forming the double canoe are decked over; the larger one to the extent of about twenty feet at each end, and the smaller one somewhat less. This is done to prevent the shipping of seas in rough water.

The platform is firmly secured over the top of the open part of the canoes, resting on the cross-beams and raised sides (or coamings), and extending, on the outer sides, two or three feet beyond them. The depth of hold under the platform is about seven feet.

On the platform, nearly amidships, between the two parts of the canoe, there is a stage, about eight feet square by four or five high, with a railing on each side. On the stage there is space for several persons to stand or sit, more particularly for those who give directions as to the steering and management of the canoe. Beneath the stage is a small thatched house or cuddy, for the crew when seeking protection from the weather.

The covered fore and aft part of the canoes belonging to the chiefs of the Feejee Islands are prettily ornamented with shells, and the sails with white flags and streamers.

The sail of the Feejee canoes is of triangular shape, and so large as to appear quite out of proportion to the vessel. It is