9.7 Migrations Within and from Eastern Polynesia
157
been designed – exploiting fast ocean currents. The eastern edge of the fast southflowing warm East Australian Current reverses in response to the landmass of New
Zealand and turns southeast towards the South Island, taking a canoe to a landing at Mahitahi (Bruce Bay) on the west coast. There, tradition tells us, Maui the
Navigator, following sailing instructions handed down from Lapita times, landed,
as the first New Zealanders must have landed before him.
The concept of the Polynesian triangle is, however, useful for highlighting the
very real maritime achievements of the Eastern Polynesian navigators and colonizing fleets which voyaged to New Zealand and Hawaii in the medieval warm period.
These navigators relied on wind power rather than on the propulsive power of ocean
currents. Their achievements imply, and were perhaps only made possible by, a long
history of evolution in canoe design. Significant design changes were needed first to
bridge the 1,200 km ocean gap between Western Polynesia and Eastern Polynesia
against the trade winds and currents of the southern Pacific. Further changes were
needed to cope with inter-island and inter-archipelago voyaging within Eastern
Polynesia.
As we have noted, by following fast warm currents in the earliest phase of the
settlement of the Pacific, Spice Island mariners avoided the difficulties in sailing
west–east against the trade winds and currents. The double-outriggers they used to
handle fast currents and run before the wind were probably unable to cope with the
complications of west–east sailing. Atholl Anderson [3], for example, notes Blust’s
claim “that the double canoe was invented in Fiji-West Polynesia and, further, that it
was the means of overcoming the difficulties of colonizing East Polynesia which had
until then defeated the efforts of outrigger seafaring”. A different choice of sailing
strategies was needed to breach the 1,200 km gap between Western Polynesia and
Eastern Polynesia. Canoes had to be redesigned to meet this task. Once Eastern
Polynesia had been reached and colonized, evolution of canoe design was likewise
shaped by the specialized needs of voyaging in this region.
Anderson noted the range of canoes developed in tropical Polynesia, for example,
the Fijian waqa drua, the Tongan kalia, the Tongan tongiaki and their many local
derivatives. He points out that these canoe types had highly specialized advantages
but often corresponding limitations:
The drua and its derivatives. . .were fast sailers (4 knots to windward, 10–15 knots off the
wind), could point up to 35 degrees into the wind but with heavy leeway, and could carry
large cargoes. However they required constant bailing, were very difficult to steer in strong
breezes and could not run before the wind, ‘the great weight of the sail, held down at the
tack to the head of the canoe, combined with the pressure of the wind upon it, caused the
canoe to run under instantly when set square before the wind’ (Thomson 1908 in Haddon &
Hornell 1975: 327). Yet they had one big advantage over earlier double canoes, which was
the end-for-end lateen rig (pp. 29–30).
The direction of specialization in Eastern Polynesia was perhaps predictable.
Both first- and second-wave Spice Island explorers, traders and migrants exploited
fast currents, employing stable double-outriggers with oceanic spritsails, running
before the wind. Eastern Polynesia developed less stable canoes which were unable
to run before the wind but could shunt, carry heavy cargoes, exploit light and
157
been designed – exploiting fast ocean currents. The eastern edge of the fast southflowing warm East Australian Current reverses in response to the landmass of New
Zealand and turns southeast towards the South Island, taking a canoe to a landing at Mahitahi (Bruce Bay) on the west coast. There, tradition tells us, Maui the
Navigator, following sailing instructions handed down from Lapita times, landed,
as the first New Zealanders must have landed before him.
The concept of the Polynesian triangle is, however, useful for highlighting the
very real maritime achievements of the Eastern Polynesian navigators and colonizing fleets which voyaged to New Zealand and Hawaii in the medieval warm period.
These navigators relied on wind power rather than on the propulsive power of ocean
currents. Their achievements imply, and were perhaps only made possible by, a long
history of evolution in canoe design. Significant design changes were needed first to
bridge the 1,200 km ocean gap between Western Polynesia and Eastern Polynesia
against the trade winds and currents of the southern Pacific. Further changes were
needed to cope with inter-island and inter-archipelago voyaging within Eastern
Polynesia.
As we have noted, by following fast warm currents in the earliest phase of the
settlement of the Pacific, Spice Island mariners avoided the difficulties in sailing
west–east against the trade winds and currents. The double-outriggers they used to
handle fast currents and run before the wind were probably unable to cope with the
complications of west–east sailing. Atholl Anderson [3], for example, notes Blust’s
claim “that the double canoe was invented in Fiji-West Polynesia and, further, that it
was the means of overcoming the difficulties of colonizing East Polynesia which had
until then defeated the efforts of outrigger seafaring”. A different choice of sailing
strategies was needed to breach the 1,200 km gap between Western Polynesia and
Eastern Polynesia. Canoes had to be redesigned to meet this task. Once Eastern
Polynesia had been reached and colonized, evolution of canoe design was likewise
shaped by the specialized needs of voyaging in this region.
Anderson noted the range of canoes developed in tropical Polynesia, for example,
the Fijian waqa drua, the Tongan kalia, the Tongan tongiaki and their many local
derivatives. He points out that these canoe types had highly specialized advantages
but often corresponding limitations:
The drua and its derivatives. . .were fast sailers (4 knots to windward, 10–15 knots off the
wind), could point up to 35 degrees into the wind but with heavy leeway, and could carry
large cargoes. However they required constant bailing, were very difficult to steer in strong
breezes and could not run before the wind, ‘the great weight of the sail, held down at the
tack to the head of the canoe, combined with the pressure of the wind upon it, caused the
canoe to run under instantly when set square before the wind’ (Thomson 1908 in Haddon &
Hornell 1975: 327). Yet they had one big advantage over earlier double canoes, which was
the end-for-end lateen rig (pp. 29–30).
The direction of specialization in Eastern Polynesia was perhaps predictable.
Both first- and second-wave Spice Island explorers, traders and migrants exploited
fast currents, employing stable double-outriggers with oceanic spritsails, running
before the wind. Eastern Polynesia developed less stable canoes which were unable
to run before the wind but could shunt, carry heavy cargoes, exploit light and