[Illustration: _A Branch of the Bread-fruit Tree._ _A War Canoe._]
These vessels are rowed with a kind of paddles, between five and fix feet in length, the blade of which is a long oval, gradually decreasing till it reaches the handle; and the velocity with which they row with these paddles is really surprising. Their sails are composed of a kind of mat or netting, which is extended between two upright poles, one of which is fixed on each side. Two ropes, fastened to the top of each pole, serve instead of sheets. The vessels are steered by two men, having each a paddle, and sitting in the stern; but they can only sail before the wind, in which direction they move with considerable swiftness.
These Indians use axes, adzes and chissels, with which last they likewise bore holes. The chissels are made of jasper, or of the bone of a man’s arm; and their axes and adzes of a hard black stone. They use their small jasper tools till they are blunted, and then throw them away, having no instrument to sharpen them with. The Indians at Tolaga having been presented with a piece of glass, drilled a hole through it, and hung it round the neck. A small bit of jasper is thought to have been the tool they used in drilling it.
Their tillage of the ground is excellent, owing to the necessity they are under of cultivating or running the risk of starving. At Tegadoo their crops were just put into the ground, and the surface of the field was as smooth as a garden, the roots were ranged in regular lines, and to every root there remained a hillock. A long narrow stake, sharpened to an edge at bottom, with a piece fixed across a little above it, for the convenience of driving it into the ground with the foot, supplies the place both of plough and spade. The soil being light, their work is not very laborious, and with this instrument alone they will turn up ground of six or seven acres in extent.
The seine, the large net which has been already noticed, is produced by the united labour, and is probably the joint property of a whole town. Their fish-hooks are of shell or bone; and they have baskets of wicker-work to hold the fish.
Their warlike weapons are spears, darts, battle-axes, and the patoo-patoo. The spear, which is pointed at each end, is about sixteen feet in length, and they hold it in the middle, so that it is difficult to parry a push from it. Whether they fight in boats or on shore, the battle is hand to hand, so that they must make bloody work of it. They trust chiefly in the patoo patoo, which is fastened to their wrists by means of a strong strap, that it may not be wrenched out of their hand. These are worn in the girdles of people of a superior rank, as a military ornament. They have a kind of staff of distinction, which is carried by the principal warriors. It is formed of a whale’s rib, is quite white, and adorned with carvings, feathers, and the hair of their dogs; and they sometimes carried a stick six feet long, inlaid with shells, and otherwise adorned like the military staff. This honourable mark of distinction was commonly borne by the old men.
[Illustration: _A New Zealand Warrior in the Dress of his Country._]
When they came to attack the English, there was usually one or more thus distinguished in each canoe. It was their custom to stop at about fifty or sixty yards distance from the ship, when the commanding officer, arising from his seat, and putting on a garment of dog’s skin, used to direct them how to proceed. When they were too far from the ship to reach it either with stone or lance, they cried out, _Haromai, haromai, harre uta a patoo-patoo oge_.--“Come to us, come on shore, and we will kill you all with our patoo-patoos.” During these menaces they approached the ship, till they came along-side, talking peaceably at intervals, and answering whatever questions they were asked. Then again their threats were renewed, till, imagining the sailors were afraid of them, they began the war-song and dance--an engagement always followed, and sometimes continued till the firing of small shot repulsed them; at others, only till they had satiated their vengeance by throwing a few stones on board the ship.
[Illustration: _The Manner in which a Native of Otaheite defies his enemy by the wry Mouth._ _The manner in which the New Zealand Warriors defy their Enemies._]
In the war-dance, their motions are numerous, their limbs are distorted, and their faces are agitated. Their tongue hangs out of their mouths to a vast length, and their eye-lids are drawn so as to form a circle round the eye; they shake their darts, brandish their spears, and wave their patoo-patoos to and fro in the air. They accompany this dance with a song, which is sung in concert; every strain ending with a loud and deep sigh. There is an activity and vigour in their dancing, which is truly admirable; and their idea of keeping time in music is such, that sixty or eighty paddles will strike at once against the sides of their boats, and make only one report.
They sometimes sing, in times of peace, in a manner resembling the war-song; but then they do not dance with it. The women, whose voices are exceeding soft and harmonious, likewise sing in a melodious, but mournful manner; and their songs appear as if sung in parts. Their instruments of musick are, a shell, from which they produce a sound, resembling that made by a common horn; and a wooden pipe, not superior in musical found to a child’s whistle.
These people fortify all their hippahs, or towns, of which there are several between the bay of Plenty and queen Charlotte’s sound. In these the inhabitants of those parts constantly reside; but near Tolaga, Tegadoo, Hawk’s bay, and Poverty bay, there are no towns, only single houses at a considerable distance apart. On the sides of the hills were erected long stages, supplied with darts and stones, which were thought to be retreats in time of battle, and on which, from their elevated situation, they can combat the enemy with these weapons to great advantage. In these repositories they store their dried fish and fern-roots. The inhabitants of this part of the country were all subject to Teratu, who resided near the bay of Plenty; and to their being thus united under one Chief, they owed a security unknown to the inhabitants of the other parts of the country. There were several inferior governors in Teratus’s dominions, to whom the most implicit obedience was paid. One of the inhabitants having robbed the English, complaint was made to a Chief, who chastised him by kicking and striking him; while the thief bore his punishment with unresisting humility.
The inhabitants of the southern parts appeared to be co-partners in their fishing-nets and fine apparel. The latter, which probably were obtained in war, were kept in a little hut, destined for that use, in the centre of the town, and the several parts of the nets, being made by different families, were afterwards joined together for the common use. The gentlemen imagined, that the employment of the men consisted in cultivating the ground, making nets, catching birds, and fishing; while the women were engaged in weaving cloth, procuring fern-roots, and shell fish, and dressing food.
With regard to religion, they acknowledge one superior being, and several subordinate. Their mode of worship could not be learned, nor was any place proper for that purpose seen. There was indeed a small square area, encompassed with stones, in the middle of which hung a basket of fern-roots on one of their spades. This they said was offered to the gods, in the hope of a plentiful crop of provisions.
The inhabitants of the southern district said, they disposed of their dead by throwing them into the sea; but those of the north said, they buried them in the ground: our adventurers, however, saw not the least sign of any grave or monument; but the body of almost every inhabitant bore the marks of wounds which they had given themselves, in token of grief for the loss or their friends and relations. Some of these scars were newly made, which is a proof that their friends had died while the ship’s crew were there; yet no one saw any thing like a funeral, as these islanders conceal every thing respecting the dead, with the utmost caution.
A great similitude was observed between the dress, furniture, boats and nets of the New Zealanders, and those of the inhabitants of the South-sea islands, which furnished a strong proof, that the common ancestors of both were natives of the same country. Indeed the inhabitants of these different places have a tradition, that their ancestors migrated from another country many ages since; and they both agree, that this country was called HEAWIGE. But perhaps a yet stronger proof that their origin was the same, will arise from the similitude of their language, of which the following is a specimen.
NEW ZEALAND. OTAHEITE. Whahine, Aheine, _A woman_. Taata, Tata, _People_. Heoo-oo, Eraowroo, _The hair_. Erai, Irai, _The brow_. Mata, Matau, _The eyes_. Ahewh, Eahoo, _The nose_. Paparinga, Paparea, _The cheeks_. Ateraboo, Eoboo, _The belly_. Apeto, Pito, _The navel_. Heromai, Harre mai, _Come hither_. Taro, Taro, _Coccos_. Tahai, Tohe, _One_. Rua, Rooa, _Two_. Torou, Torhoo, _Three_. Ha, Ha, _Four_. Etu, Hitoo, _Seven_. Iva, Iva, _Nine_. Heneaho, Eneeho, _The teeth_.