SAVAGE WEAPONS AT THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION. 219 



forms of Maori wooden clubs, known as pdtu; one has a sharp edge to 

 the axe-like head, and a bunch of feathers intended to shake in the face 

 of an enemy and disturb his aim. The weapon to the right is paddle- 

 shaped, and has two edges ; a not 

 uncommon form in Polynesia. 



The merai or pdtu-pdtu of New 

 Zealand is a two edged club of a 

 prolonged ovoidal shape. It usu- 

 ally has a hole in the neck for a 

 wrist-cord. Fig. 7 is of green 

 jade, very symmetrical, and beau- 



Fig. C. — Wooden elul>s. New Zealand. 



Pig. 7.— Stone merai, 

 New Zealand. 



Fig. 8. — Green-stone 

 merai, New Zealand. 



tifully polished with a species of corundum found in the island. Fig. 8 

 is of stone, and is also carefully made and polished. Such weapons be- 

 come heir-looms in families, and possess names, much as in former times 

 titles were given to swords, as, for instance, Samsamah, the cinieter of 

 Haroun al Raschid, and Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur. The stone 

 merai, Fig. 8, was called Kororaki. Fig. 9 is a stone weapon called Pdtu 

 Kohatu ; its wrist-thong occupies a circular depression. Fig. 10 is a 

 carved weapon, the name of which was KaikanoM, or " face-eater." It 

 is made from a bone of a spermaceti whale, and has the reputation of 

 having been handed down in the family for twelve generations. Merais 

 of this shape are also made of wood, but are not as much valued as 

 those of harder and more enduring materials. 



It had been supposed that the " flattened soda-water-bottle shape," 



