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Waka Taua of the Maori of New Zealand


Brandishing greenstone clubs, champions exchange challenges as their canoes converge. The double-hulled canoe in the foreground is running downwind, both spars winged out to fully expose the sail to the breeze. Most canoes were single-hulled; carved from gigantic trees and usually wide enough to provide stability without outrigger floats. Paddling was the primary power mode, being more dependable for short coastal voyages than sail, but sails of plaited flax or rushes furnished auxiliary power. Some canoes exceeded 100 feet in length, more than 6 feet in width and could carry more than 100 men.

Source：Unknown | Author：Karen | There People read | Time：2011-01-25 16:23

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