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"The canoes were poor and flimsy, but ten to twelve feet
long and formed of many small bits of wood sewn
together. Even the paddles were made of two pieces: a
short, narrow blade with a separate handle lashed to it.
The two-piece paddle is unique for Polynesia, but again
the form of the canoe and paddle was a local adjustment
forced upon the people by the lack of material. Successive European voyagers saw fewer and fewer canoes on Easter Island, not because of degradation in the population, but because of constant decrease in the wood supply. The people swam out to ships sometimes with a supporting float formed of a conical bundle of bulrushes. Wood was as precious as gold in Europe or jade in New Zealand. The minimum quantity was used for necessities, and the surplus constituted wealth in the form of wooden breast ornaments, dance implements, and carved tablets." (Buck) |