WARLIKE SPIRIT. 199 



up, beliinJ which the defenders can rest in safety, 

 or use their fire-arms over it. On the level of the 

 gi-ound little archways sometimes pass through this 

 breastwork, by which means the defenders can 

 crawl out to the stockade to reconnoiti'e their ene- 

 mies. The Rev. W. Williams, who gave me this 

 account, added, that in one Pas 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 Pas are considered by the New Zealand- 

 ers as very perfect means of defence : for the at- 

 tacking force is never so well disciplined as to 

 rush in a body to the stockade, cut it dowrn, and 

 effect their entry. When a tribe goes to war, the 

 chief cannot order one party to go here and anoth- 

 er there, but every man fights in a manner which 

 best pleases himself; and to each separate individ- 

 ual to approach a stockade defended by fire-arms 

 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 uncom- 

 mon 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 civili- 

 zation, there is much less warfare, except among 

 some of the southern tribes. T heard a character- 



