248 GENERAL ACCOUNT OF NEW ZEALAND CHAP, x 



one I bought, but much against the inclination of its owner, 

 for though he liked the price I offered, he hesitated much to 

 send it up ; yet, having taken the price, I insisted either on 

 having that returned or the head given, but could not 

 prevail until I enforced my threats by showing him a 

 musket, on which he chose to part with the head rather 

 than the price he had, which was a pair of old drawers of 

 my white linen. The head appeared to have belonged to a 

 person of about fourteen or fifteen years of age, and evidently 

 showed, by the contusions on one side, that it had received 

 many violent blows which had chipped off a part of the 

 skull near the eye. From this, and many other circum- 

 stances, I am inclined to believe that these Indians give no 

 quarter, or even take prisoners to eat upon a future 

 occasion, as is said to have been practised by the Floridan 

 Indians ; for had they done so, this young creature, who 

 could not make much resistance, would have been a very 

 proper subject. 



The state of war in which they live, constantly in danger 

 of being surprised when least upon their guard, has taught 

 them, not only to live together in towns, but to fortify 

 those towns, which they do by a broad ditch, and a 

 palisade within it of no despicable construction. 



For these towns or forts, which they call Heppahs, they 

 choose situations naturally strong, commonly islands or 

 peninsulas, where the sea or steep cliffs defend the greater 

 part of their works ; and if there is any part weaker than 

 the rest, a stage is erected over it of considerable height 

 eighteen or twenty feet on the top of which the defenders 

 range themselves, and fight with a great advantage, as 

 they can throw down their darts and stones with much 

 greater force than the assailants can throw them up. 

 Within these forts the greater part of the tribe to whom 

 they belong reside, and have large stocks of provisions : 

 fern roots and dried fish, but no water ; for that article, in 

 all that I have seen, was only to be had from some distance 

 without the lines. From this we concluded that sieges are 

 not usual among them. Some, however, are generally out 





