Matting of various kinds is another considerable manufacture, in which they excel, in many respects, the Europeans. They make use of the coarser sort to sleep on, and in wet weather they wear the finer.
They greatly excel in the basket and wicker-work; both men and women employ themselves at it, and can make it of a great number of different patterns.
They make ropes and lines of all sizes of the bark of the _poerou_, and their nets for fishing are made of these lines: the fibres of the cocoa-nut they make thread of, such as they use to fasten together the several parts of their canoes; the forms of which are various, according to the use to which they are applied.
Their fishing-lines are esteemed the best in the world, made of the bark of the _Erowa_, a kind of nettle which grows on the mountains; they are strong enough to hold the heaviest and most vigorous fish, such as bonetas and albicores; in short, they are extremely ingenious in every expedient for taking all kinds of fish.
The tools which these people make use of for building houses, constructing canoes, hewing stone, and for felling, cleaving, carving and polishing timber, consist of nothing more than an adze of stone, and a chissel of bone, most commonly that of a man’s arm; and for a file or polisher, they make use of a rasp of coral, and coral sand.
The blades of their adzes are extremely tough, but not very hard; they make them of various sizes, those for felling weigh six or seven pounds; and others which are used for carving, only a few ounces; they are obliged, every minute, to sharpen them on a stone, which is always kept near them for that purpose.
The most difficult task they meet with in the use of these tools, is the felling of a tree, which employs a great number of hands for several days together.
The tree which is in general use is called _Avie_, the stem of which is strait and tall. Some of their smaller boats are made of the bread-fruit tree, which is wrought without much difficulty, being of a light spongy nature. Instead of planes, they use their adzes with great dexterity. Their canoes are all shaped with the hand, the Indians not being acquainted with the method of warping a plank.
They have two kinds of canoes, one they call _Ivahahs_, the other _Pahies_; the former is used for short voyages at sea, and the latter for longer ones. These boats do not differ either in shape or size; but they are in no degree proportionate, being from sixty or seventy feet to ten in length, and not more than the thirtieth part in breadth. Some are employed in going from one island to another, and others used for fishing. There is also the Ivahah, which serves for fighting; these are by far the longest, and the head and stern are considerably raised above the body. These Ivahahs are fastened together, side by side when they go to sea, at the distance of a few feet, by strong wooden poles, which are laid across them and joined to each side. A stage or platform is raised on the fore-part about ten or twelve feet long; upon which stand the fighting men, whose missile weapons are slings and spears. Beneath these stages the rowers sit, who supply the place of those who are wounded.
The fishing Ivahahs are from thirty or forty to ten feet in length; and those for travelling have a small house fixed on board, which is fastened upon the fore-part, for the better accommodation of persons of rank, who occupy them both day and night.
The Pahies differ also in size, being from sixty to seventy feet long, they are likewise very narrow, and are sometimes used for fighting, but chiefly for long voyages. In going from one island to another, they sometimes are out a month, and often at sea a fortnight or twenty days, and if they had convenience to stow more provisions, they could stay out much longer.
These vessels are very useful in landing, and putting off from the shore in a surf; for by their great length and high sterns they landed dry, when the Endeavour’s boats could scarcely land at all.
They are very curious in the construction of these boats, the chief parts or pieces whereof are formed separately without either saw, plane, chissel, or any other iron tool, which renders their fabrication more surprizing and worthy observation.
These parts being prepared, the keel is fixed upon blocks, and the planks are supported with props, till they are sewed or joined together with strong plaited thongs, which are passed several times through holes bored with a chissel of bone, such as they usually make use of; and when finished, they are sufficiently tight without caulking.
They keep these boats with great care in a kind of shed, built on purpose to contain them.
Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander were at a loss to find out their method of dividing time; they always made use of the term _Malama_, which signifies moon, whenever they spoke of time, either past or to come; they reckon thirteen of these moons, beginning again when they are expired. This proves that they have some idea of the solar year; but these gentlemen could not discover how they computed their months, so as to make thirteen of them equal to the year; for the natives say, that their month consists of twenty-nine days, one day, in which the moon is invisible, being included. They knew the fruits that would be in season, and even the prevailing weather of the months to come.
They divide the day into twelve parts, each consisting of two hours, six belonging to the day, and the other six to the night. They reckon from one to ten when they numerate, making use of their fingers, and changing hands till they come to the number which they intend to express, and in conversation they joined signs to their words, which were remarkably expressive of their meaning.
They are not so expert in measuring distances, as in computing numbers; for when they speak of the distance from one place to another, they are obliged to express it by the time that would be taken to pass it.
Their language is soft and musical, abounds with vowels, and is easy to be pronounced. But whether it is copious, Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander were not sufficiently acquainted with it to know. As very few either of their nouns or verbs are declinable, it must consequently be very imperfect. They found means, however, to be mutually understood without much difficulty.
The following specimen will possibly enable the reader to form some idea of their language.
Teine, _a brother_. Tooaheine, _a sister_. Tane, _a husband_. Aree, _a chief_. Midee, _a child_. Aheine, _a woman_. Erowroo, _the head_. Matau, _the eyes_. Eahoo, _the nose_. Meyoooo, _the nails_. Huaheine, _a wife_. Oowhau, _the thighs_. Kipoo a meemhee, _a chamber-pot_. Oorè dehaiya, _a large nail_. Oorè eeteea, _a small nail_. Pahiè, _a ship_. Aihoo, _a garment_. Parawei, _a shirt_. Tumatau, _a bonnet_. Poe, _ear-rings_. Epanoo, _a drum_. Toonoah, _a mole in the skin_. Hooare, _spittle_. Epeènei, _an eccho_. Mahana, _a day_. Poa, _a night_. Otaowa, _yesterday_. Aouna, _to day_. Oboboa, _to-morrow_. Tatta te Hàmannee Màitài, _a good-natured person_. Amawhattoo, _a shrew_. Epehe, _a song_. Teà, _white_. Marroowhai, _dry_. Myty, _good_. Porai, _to talk_. Mutee, _to kiss_. Eàwow, _to scold_. Emòto, _to box_. Eei, _to eat_. Matte roah, _to die_. Mayneenee, _to tickle_. Itopa, _to fall_. Ainao, _take care_. Eeyo, _look you_. Neeheeo, _good night_. Waow, _I_. Tooanahoe, _you and I_. Wahaa, _fire_. Avy, _water_.
In respect to diseases, the natives are seldom afflicted with any, except sometimes an accidental fit of the cholic. They are subject to the erisypelas, attended with cutaneous eruptions, not unlike the leprosy; and if they have had it for any time to a certain degree, they are secluded from all society, and live alone in a small house, in some unfrequented part of the island.
Here the management of the sick falls to the lot of the priests, and their method of cure consists chiefly of prayers and ceremonies, which are repeated till the patients recover or die. If they recover, they attribute the cure to these remedies; if they die, like the medical tribe of this and every other country, they say the disease was incurable.