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East New Britain is a province of Papua New Guinea, consisting of the north-eastern part of the island of New Britain and the Duke of York Islands. The capital of the province is Kokopo, not far from the old capital of Rabaul, which was largely destroyed in a volcanic eruption in 1994. Canoes are an important part of the life of the people of Milne Bay Province, as much of the province is made up of many islands. As such much of the population depend on sea travel as a means of transportation. The best account of the canoes of southeast New Britain and the neighboring islands is that given by Klupfell: he says that there are two kinds of craft in that region: the dugout with an outrigger; and the «mon» of planks. The outrigger canoes range in length from 10 to 26 feet and can carry from one to seven men. The hull is alike at both ends, and of elegant form. The hull consists of the lower part of a well-grown Alslonia tree and is now hollowed out with iron-bladed adzes. The strength of the side is tested by tapping with the fingernail. The bow and stern which curve upward do not ship water, and this curve is continued by the additional end-pieces, that serves as a protection against the waves and the natives liken the traveling canoe to a swordfish leaping up. There are some main types of end pieces. 1.On the fig. (a) is the most usual end- piece on the Gazelle Peninsula(stamp 14t). The fore end-piece rises vertically with a slight curve into a long thin erection which is recurved at the tip: there is a sharp spar at its base where the divarication begins. The aft end piece is similar but slopes gently upward instead of being nearly vertical. On the opposite coast of New Britain it was rare and was not seen farther north or south. 2.In Kandass district the design of the bow-piece showed on fig.(d). (See stamp 50t). The Еxplorer- Stephan has given an elaborate account of the meaning of the carvings and painting of the end-pieces. Each end-piece is bifid below and each limb extends along the top of the gunwale for about one eighth of the length of the hull, to which it is lashed by means of fern stalks. Sometimes a washstrake which joins the ends of the end-pieces is added, but this is not primitive, and was seen in only a few canoes. The Еxplorer- Meyer describes the way in which canoe are made the rites and magical songs then employed, the payment for making them. and other details. He says that the natives of Watom (Vuatom ), a small island north of the Gazelle Peninsula, are. in general, excellent seamen. Their commom craft is a small narrow outrigger canoe(oanga) which is not serviceable in a heavy sea.
Papua New Guinea 1979;14t;SG ?
Papua New Guinea1997;50t;SG 810.
Source: 1.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_New_Britain_Province. 2.A. Haddon, John. Hornell: Canoes of Oceania.1937.Volume II. 3.www.mfac.org.pg/index.php/2012-09-11-11 ... -programme.