A distant view of six multi-oared canoes, commonly called dragon boats, under way preparing for a race off Apia, Upolu, Samoa. The photographer is on board the Cunard Line passenger cruise ship Franconia (1923) looking towards the shore showng one of her own motor lifeboats returning to the ship while another motor boat is on the extreme left heading for the shore. Each dragon boat has a crew of thirty men and is propelled by 26 oars. At the water's edge on the left is the Mulivai Cathedral at Apia, built between 1852 and 1857.