478 MUSIC. GAMES. FURNITURE. 



force of the Society Islands at one thousand seven hundred 

 war canoes, manned by sixty-eight thousand men.* 



Their principal musical instrument was the drum ; it was 

 made from a piece of solid wood, hollowed out, and covered 

 over with shark's skin. They had also a kind of trumpet 

 made of a large shell, with a hole at the small end, into 

 which they fastened a bamboo cane about three feet long. 

 Their flutes were of bamboo, and were blown with the nose. 

 They had various kinds of games, some of which appear to 

 have resembled our hockey and football. They were also very 

 fond of dancing. 



They were quite ignorant of pottery, but had large dishes 

 made of polished wood. The shells of cocoa-nuts were used 

 as water-bottles and cups. They were scraped thin, polished, 

 often very ingeniously carved, and kept extremely clean. 

 Generally the natives of Tahiti sat cross-legged on mats spread 

 on the floor ; but the chiefs had often four -legged stools. 

 Chairs and tables were unknown. They slept also on mats 

 and used a wooden pillow, very much resembling a small 

 stool. The upper side was curved like the seat of the stool, 

 to admit the neck. Each house also contained a light post, 

 planted in the floor, and with several projections, from which 

 the various dishes, calabashes of water, baskets of food, etc., 

 were hung.-f- 



Their weapons were formidable, though simple. They con- 

 sisted of slings, pikes headed with stone, and long clubs made 

 of hard, heavy wood. With the former they were very skilful. 

 Their sling-stones were of two kinds, " either smooth, being- 

 polished by friction in the bed of a river, or sharp, angular 

 and ruuced ; these were called qfai ara faced or celled 



oO ' " * ' 



stones." J We have already mentioned (p. 105) that two 

 sorts of sling-stones, closely corresponding to these, were used 



* Cook's Second Voyage, vol. i. t Ellis, 1. c. vol. ii. p. 184. 

 p. 349. I Ibid. vol. ii. p. 49. 



