1835.] NEW ZEALAND. 35 



ground. They consist of a double stockade of thick and tall posts, 

 placed in a zigzag line, so that every part can be flanked. Within the 

 stockade a mound of earth is thrown up, behind which the defenders 

 can rest in safety, or use their firearms over it. On the level of the 

 ground little archways sometimes pass through this breastwork, by 

 which means the defenders can crawl out to the stockade to reconnoitre 

 their enemies. The Rev. W. Williams, who gave me this account, 

 added, that in one Pahs he had noticed spurs or buttresses projecting on 

 the inner and protected side of the mound of earth. On asking the 

 chief the use of them, he replied, that if two or three of his men were 

 shot, their neighbours would not see the bodies, and so be discouraged. 



These Pahs are considered by the New Zealanders as very perfect 

 means of defence ; for the attacking force is never so well disciplined 

 as to rush in a body to the stockade, cut it down, and effect their entry. 

 When a tribe goes to war, the chief cannot order one party to go here 

 and another there; but every man fights in the manner which best 

 pleases himself; and to each separate individual to approach a stockade 

 defended by firearms must appear certain death. I should think a 

 more warlike race of inhabitants could not be found in any part of the 

 world than the New Zealanders. Their conduct on first seeing a ship, 

 as described by Captain Cook, strongly illustrates this; the act of 

 throwing volleys of stones at so great and novel an object, and their 

 defiance of " Come on shore and we will kill and eat you all," shows 

 uncommon boldness. This warlike spirit is evident in many of their 

 customs, and even in their smallest actions. If a New Zealander is 

 struck, although but in joke, the blow must be returned ; and of this I 

 saw an instance with one of our officers. 



At the present day, from the progress of civilization, there is much 

 less warfare, except among some of the southern tribes. I heard a 

 characteristic anecdote of what took place some time ago in the south. 

 A missionary found a chief and his tribe in preparation for war ; their 

 muskets clean and bright, and their ammunition ready. He reasoned 

 long on the inutility of the war, and the little provocation which had 

 been given for it. The chief was much shaken in his resolution, and 

 seemed in doubt ; but at length it occurred to him that a barrel of his 



?jnpowder was in a bad state, and that it would not keep much longer, 

 his was brought forward as an unanswerable argument for the 

 necessity of immediately declaring war ; the idea of allowing so much 

 good gunpowder to spoil was not to be thought of; and this settled 

 the point. I was told by the missionaries that in the life of Shongi, the 

 chief who visited England, the love of war was the one and lasting 

 spring of every action. The tribe in which he was a principal chief, 

 had at one time been much oppressed by another tribe, from the 

 Thames River. A solemn oath was taken by the men, that when their 

 boys should grow up, and they should be powerful enough, they would 

 never forget or forgive these injuries. To fulfil this oath appears to 

 have been Shongi's chief motive for going to England ; and when there 

 it was his sole object. Presents were valued only as they could be 

 converted into arms ; of the arts, those alone interested him which were 



