Purrures.— On a peculiar Method of Arrow Propulsion by Maoris, 97' 
Arr. VII.—On a peculiar Method of Arrow Propulsion as observed amongst 
the Maoris. By Corgwas Purus. 
[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 1st September, 1871.) 
Wae lately in the Upper Thames District, at Ohinemuri, I observed some 
Maori boys playing with an arrow. The peculiar method of propulsion 
arrested my attention, never having seen or even heard of the like before. 
The following is a brief description of the process :— 
. The arrow was about nine inches in length, shaped like a mustard- 
spoon, and roughly carved out of a piece of white pine (kahikatea). The 
shaft was square and contained a small notch about two and a half inches 
from the point. : 
The bow consisted of a piece of manuka, about 
three feet in length and half an inch in diameter, 
quite ‘straight, but elastic. The string was at- 
tached to one end of this stick, the two together forming a perfect whip. A 
knot was tied at the end of the string, which was merely a common piece 
of twine. 
The mode of oe consisted in—1st. Holding the arrow in the 
left hand; 2nd. Placing the string in the notch in the arrow; and 38rd. 
Whipping the arrow into the air, or at any desired object. The boys at 
play were, apparently, not very skilful performers, although one of them 
managed to hit a duck at twenty yards. When sending the arrow into 
the air a much greater distance was easily attained. 
I have since made many enquiries into the matter in order to discover 
the origination of this peculiar method, but I have met with little success. 
The plan appears to be purely a native one, although I know of none 
similar among the inhabitants of the South Seas, Polynesians or Melanes- 
ians. In itself it is a harmless weapon, and how it happens that the 
Maoris—a section of the Polynesian race—should have thus allowed so 
useful a weapon as the South Sea bow-and-arrow to degenerate into a mere 
toy is to me a curious circumstance. : 
In the course of my enquiries, I believe that I have discovered a reason 
for cutting the notch in the arrow. It is well known that in olden days the 
Maoris launched their spears against a hostile pa by means of a whip 
similar to the one above described, and they were even able to hurl stones 
a long distance. In these instances the projectile was laid upon the ground 
and the end of the whip made fast round it, by taking one turn and casting 
back the little knot at the extreme end of the string. This sufficiently well 
fastened the whip, but.immediately the jerk forward was given the string 
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