James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770: No. 111

           Georges Island.    Manners & Customs ---
note left margin[Their large Canoes]
And this way of Travelling is Extremely commodious about such Islands as are inclosed by a reef as this is, for as these Canoes draw but Little water they can always keep within the Reefs & by that means are never in danger. They have some few other Canoes Pahee's as they call them which differ from those above discribed but of these I saw but 6 upon the whole Island & was told they were not built here   the 2 largest was each 76 feet long & when they had been in use had been fastened together   these had been built Sharp & Narrow at both Ends & broad in the Middle   the bottom is likewise Sharp inclining to a wedge yet Bildges[bulges] out very much & rounds in again very quick just below the Gunwale  they are built of several pieces of thick plank & put together as the others are only these have timbers in the inside which the others have not they have high Curved Sterns the head also Curves a little & both are Ornamented with the image of a man carved in wood very little inferior work of the like kind done by common Ship Carvers in England   when one Considers the Tools these people have to work with one cannot help but admiring their workmanship. these are Adzes & small Hatches made of a hard Stone Chisels & Gouges made of human bones generally the bone of the Fore Arm, but Spike Nails have pretty well supply'd the the place of these, with these ordinary Tools that a European workman would expect to break the first stroke, I have seen them work surprisingly fast,  to plain or polish their work they rub upon it with a small stone Coral Beat small & Mixt with Water this is done sometimes by scraping it with Shells with which alone they perform most of their small wood work. -----
    Their Proes or Canoes large & Small are row'd & Steer'd with paddles & not with Hands.  The large ones appear to be very unweildy they manage them very dexterously, & I believe perform long & distant Voyages in them, otherwise they could not have the Knowledge of the Islands in these Seas they seem to have, they wear     for Shew or Ornament at the Mast Head of most of their Sailing Canoes Pendants made of Feathers. 
note left margin[Their Arms]    Having described their Fighting  Canoes I shall next describe the Arms with which they attack their enemys both by Sea & Land, these are Clubs, Spears or Lances, Slings & Stones which they throw by the hand, the Clubs are made of a  hard wood & are about 8 or 9 feet long, the one half is made flatish with 2 edges & the other half is round & not thicker than to be easily grasped by the hand, the Lances are of various length some from 12, 20 or 30 feet & are generally Arm'd at the Small end with the Stings of Stng-rays which makes them very dangerous weapons.  Altho' these people have Bows & Arrows & those none of the worst, we are told that they never use them in their wars which doubtless is very extraordinary & not easily accounted for.  They have very Curious breast plates made of small wickers pieces of Matting etc & neatly Cover'd with Sharks teeth, Pearl Oyster shells, birds feathers & Dogs hair, thus much for their Arms etc.---------
note left margin-[Their way of making Cloth]    I shall now describe their method of making Cloth which in my opinion is the only Curious manufacture they have all their Cloth is I believe made from the Bark of Trees, the finest is made from a plant which they Cultivate for no ther purpose.  Dr Solander thinks it is the same plant the bark of which the Chinese make paper of.  they let this plant grow till it is about 6 or 8 feet high.  The Stem is then about as thick as ones Thum[thumb] or thicker. after this they cut it down