This is a copy of the kind of ship in which the Polynesians sailed the
Pacific Ocean more than two thousand years ago.
Sailors of the South Sea
Most of the sailors who first explored the Mediterranean Sea were
looking for new places to trade. But, long ago, other sailors set out to
explore the Pacific Ocean in search of new places to live.
These people started out from somewhere in Southeast Asia. More than
three thousand years ago they reached the islands of Tonga and Samoa. By
about two thousand years ago, they were spreading out to find new homes
on all the islands of the Pacific. They discovered Hawaii, to the north,
New Zealand, to the south, and many other places. They were the people
we now call Polynesians (pahl uh NEE shuhnz).
A Polynesian ship was two long canoes joined together side by side, with
a space between. A deck was built over the space, and a small hut was
built on the deck. These double canoes were moved by means of paddles,
but they also had triangular sails made of woven plant leaves. Such a
ship could carry as many as fifty people, together with pigs and other
animals. The people also took young fruit and vegetable plants, to plant
when they reached their new home.
The voyages that the Polynesians made in their small, rather frail ships
were really quite wonderful. These people sailed across thousands of
miles of open ocean, with only the sun, stars, wind, and waves to guide
them. They were some of the world’s truly great sailors!
