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The photograph shows a group of uniformed Sāmoan rowers with long paddles behind a fautasi. The uniform appears to be tailored according to European fashion. Boat racing, particularly in Apia harbour, was a common mode of amusement. Besides their recreational use, fautasi enabled inter-island travel and exchange or transport of goods. Traditionally, boats were carved from trees, generally spanning most of the tree’s length.

Author: Charlotte Klinge, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa