Summary

Mafatu begins to build his canoe. He fells a tamanu tree by burning it around the base and pulling it down with his own weight. Mafatu reflects on how glad he is now that he spent so much time learning how to make tools back at Hikueru. At the time he had been bored by the tasks, but now they are coming in very handy. He is able to build fish traps, netting, fishhooks, and most importantly a raft to use in the meantime before his canoe is complete. While Mafatu works, he thinks how wonderful it would be to kill a wild boar and make a necklace from its teeth, to be a symbol of his courage.

Days pass, and Mafatu continues to expand his inventory of tools and necessities. Using fibers from a mulberry tree he is able to create a sort of cloth...