HUILU- Double canoe of New Caledonia

[Anatol]

In 1980, the post office of New Caledonia issued a stamp dedicated to the South Pacific Art Festival with a picture of a Double canoe. Various researchers reported visiting New Caledonia and canoes: FORSTER about the double canoes of New Caledonia wrote: “We were surrounded by about twenty canoes, each of which was provided with sails, and consisted of two buildings connected by a platform of planks, on which lay a heap of soil and ashes, where the natives fired a constant fire ...” CAPITAIN COOK speaks of seeing 10 or 12 large canoes at Balade in the northwest, and CHEYNE counted 19 war canoes of this kind at the same spot ; he says each held 35 to 40 men.The earliest account is that given by Captain Cook: "The canoes, which these people use, are somewhat like those of the Friendly Isles (Tonga) hut the most heavy, clumsy vessels I ever saw. They are what I call double, made out of two large trees, hollowed out, having a raised gunnel, about two inches high, and closed at each end with a kind of bulk head of the same height; so that the whole is like a long square trough, about three feet shorter than the body of the canoe; that is ,a foot and a half at each end. Two canoes, thus fitted, are secured to each other, about three feet assunder, by means of cross spars, which project about a foot over each side. Over these spars is laid a deck, or very heavy platform, made of plank and small round spars on which they have a fireplace and generally a fire burning and they carry a pot or jar to dress their victuals in. The space between the two canoes is laid with plank, and the rest with spars.On one side of the deck, and close to the edge, is fixed a row of knees, pretty near to each other, the use of which is to keep the mast, yards, etc. from rolling overboard. They are navigated by one or two latteen sails, extended to a small latteen yard, the end of which fixes in a notch or hole in the deck. The foot on the sail is extended to a small boom. The sail is composed of pieces of matting, the ropes are made of coarse filaments of the plantain tree, twisted into cords of the thickness of a finger; and three or four more such cords, marled together serve them for shrouds, etc. I thought they sailed very well; but they are not at all calculated for rowing or paddling. Their method of proceeding, when they can not sail, is by sculling: and for this purpose there are holes in the boarded deck or platform. Through these they put the sculls, which are of such a length, that when the blade is in the water, the loom or handle is four or five feet above the deck. The man who works it stands behind, and with both his hands sculls the vessel forward. This method of proceeding is very slow; and for this reason, the canoes are but ill calculated for fishing, especially for striking of turtle,which, I think, can hardly ever he done in them …Their canoes are about thirty feet long, and the deck or platform about twenty- four in length and ten in breadth … The holes, made in the several parts in order to sew them together, were burnt through ". Double canoes served for long voyages and for warfare. According to RAY, the Lifu “HUILU” were made in New Caledonia. LEGRAND says canoes were built at Hienghene on the northeast coast for Uvea. They were bartered for daughters, necklaces, slingstones, and other valuables.Their length ranged from 10 to 15 meters, The largest one seen by De Rochas was 14.5 meters long, 3 meters broad, and 1,10 meters high. One hull was smaller than the other and served as an outrigger float. The distance between the hulls was 1 meter or at most 1,25 meters. The ends of the hulls for a distance of about 1 meter were decked with planks, and transverse poles were lashed onto the upper border of the washstrakes ; they crossed the remaining central portion and extended a short distance beyond each outer side of the hulls. Planks were laid longitudinally across the poles, and on the sides of this platform a balustrade was erected (See Fig.). The platform carried one or more fireplaces, and a small wooden house- with grass walls might also be erected in its center. This had room for four to six persons in a lying or crouching position and for provisions and a hearth. These huts had only a low doorway and the roof had a deck for the commanding officer.
New Caledonia1980;27f;SG638. Source:A. Haddon, John. Hornell: Canoes of Oceania.1937.Volume II.