shaped very
much like a New England Whale boat. Their large Canoes are, I believe,
built wholy for war, and will carry from 40 to 80 or 100 Men with their
Arms, etc. I shall give the Dimensions of one which I measured that lay
ashore at Tolago. Length 68 1/2 feet, breadth 5 feet, and Depths 3 1/2,
the bottom sharp, inclining to a wedge, and was made of 3 pieces hollow'd
out to about 2 Inches or an Inch and a half thick, and well fastned
together with strong platting. Each side consisted of one Plank only,
which was 63 feet long and 10 or 12 Inches broad, and about 1 1/4 Inch
thick, and these were well fitted and lashed to the bottom part. There
were a number of Thwarts laid a Cross and Lashed to each Gunwale as a
strengthening to the boat. The head Ornament projected 5 or 6 feet
without the body of the Boat, and was 4 feet high; the Stern Ornament was
14 feet high, about 2 feet broad, and about 1 1/2 inch thick; it was
fixed upon the Stern of the Canoe like the Stern post of a Ship upon her
Keel. The Ornaments of both head and Stern and the 2 side boards were of
Carved Work, and, in my opinion, neither ill design'd nor executed. All
their Canoes are built after this plan, and few are less than 20 feet
long. Some of the small ones we have seen with Outriggers, but this is
not Common. In their War Canoes they generally have a quantity of Birds'
feathers hung in Strings, and tied about the Head and stern as Additional
Ornament. They are as various in the heads of their Canoes as we are in
those of our Shipping; but what is most Common is an odd Design'd Figure
of a man, with as ugly a face as can be conceived, a very large Tongue
sticking out of his Mouth, and Large white Eyes made of the Shells of Sea
Ears. Their paddles are small, light, and neatly made; they hardly ever
make use of sails, at least that we saw, and those they have are but ill
contrived, being generally a piece of netting spread between 2 poles,
which serve for both Masts and Yards.

The Houses of these People are better calculated for a Cold than a Hot
Climate; they are built low, and in the form of an oblong square. The
framing is of wood or small sticks, and the sides and Covering of thatch
made of long Grass. The door is generally at one end, and no bigger than
to admit of a man to Creep in and out; just within the door is the fire
place, and over the door, or on one side, is a small hole to let out the
Smoke. These houses are 20 or 30 feet long, other