Canoe of Bilibili.New Guinea.

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Anatol
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Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2009 2:13 pm

Canoe of Bilibili.New Guinea.

Post by Anatol » Sat Feb 06, 2016 9:32 pm

The best canoe seen by explorers were at Bilibili of Madang Province which is the center of a flourishing pottery industry, the canoes being largely employed in this trade: The canoes are from 20 to 30 feet long; each end of the hull is produced into a long point flattened above, to which Ovulum shells are fastened. Many canoes have two washstrakes on each side which are frequently painted with representations of fishes, turtles, and birds. Canoe have the breakwater as having fastened to it in front a carved forwardly protecting spur to which tassels are attached. The two booms are curved and each is connected to the rather weak float (about 14 feet long) by two pairs of undercrossed sticks. Amidships on the booms is a platform on which is erected a kind of cabin resembling a large cage in which merchandise (pottery), provisions, and weapons, are stored; a potsherd with glowing charcoal in a layer of sand is carried on the platform. The roof forms a second platform and has lateral railings. There is a two mast. Each mast carries a small quadrangular mat sail, they diverge fore and aft from two-storied platform. The end of the mast is often adorned with a roughly carved wooden bird or a ruddled Nautilus shell. The Bilibili natives are not great sailors. They may go as far as Karkar ( Dampier lsland) a distance of 40 miles, and never go out of sight of land, nor do they put to sea in rough weather but on the whole the sea here is calm. The Bilibili canoes of a smaller build are exactly like those at Bongu. Тhe anchor as a piece of tree trunk, the partially cut-off branches of which form hooks; it is weighted with one large or several small stones which are bound on with rattan, and a strong rattan serves at a cable, this use how a sinker for a fishtrap. There are three sizes of paddles for men, women, and children, besides the steering paddle which are large and rough. The grips of the paddles have the grip carved and often pierced, or as in some steering paddles, with a human head but there is no crutch.
Papua New Guinea 2009;K3.70;SG?
Sources:A. Haddon, John. Hornell: Canoes of Oceania.1937.Volume II. http://www.cherini.eu/etnografia/Oceania/Oceania.html
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Bilbil-picture.jpg

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