464 DRESS. 



pottery. Their only instrument for tillage was "a long narrow 

 stake sharpened to an edge at one end, with a short piece 

 fastened transversely at a little distance above it, for the con- 

 venience of pressing it down with the foot." Their animal 

 food consisted principally of fish and shell-fish, and Captain 

 Cook observed large shell-mounds near their houses. They 

 sometimes also, though rarely, killed rails, penguins, shags, 

 and other birds. They obtained fire from two pieces of wood 

 in the usual manner.* A New Zealand stone adze is repre- 

 sented in figs. 111113, p. 103. 



The only quadrupeds in the islands were dogs and rats. 

 They had no hogs, and the dogs were kept entirely for food. 

 They were skilful in fishing, having excellent lines, hooks 

 made of bone and shell, and very large nets, which were made 

 of the leaves of a kind of flax, split into strips of the proper 

 breadth and tied together. In making the lines the leaves 

 are " scraped by a shell, which removes the upper or green 

 part, and leaves the strong white fibres, that run longitudi- 

 nally along the under side."^ This kind of cordage has even 

 been preferred to that made of European hemp. 



Of these leaves also they made most of their clothes, for 

 though acquainted with the manufacture of bark-cloth, it was 

 very scarce, and worn only as an ornament. The leaves were 

 split into three or four slips, which were interwoven into a 

 kind of stuff, something between netting and cloth. Dog's 

 wool was also used for the same purpose. J The dress was 

 alike in both sexes, and consisted of two parts ; one piece of 

 their rude cloth (if so it may be called) was tied over the 

 shoulders and reached to the knees, beinsr fastened in front 



o 



by a piece of string or a bone bodkin ; the other piece was 

 wrapped round the waist, and reached nearly to the ground. 



* D'Urville, vol. ii. p. 479. 



t Fitzroy's Voyage of the "Adventure" and " Beagle," vol. ii. p. 599. 



I D'Urville, vol. ii. p. 500. 



