CoLenso,—Ignorance of Ancient New Zealander of Use of Projectiles. 109 
Dr. Forster, who accompanied Cook on his second voyage round the 
world, has given us a full account of the weapons of the people of Tanna, an 
island they discovered and spent some time at on their third voyage from 
Tahiti to New Zealand. There, at Tanna, not only darts and slings were 
used in warfare, but also bows and arrows. And, again, subsequently, 
. when at New Caledonia (which island Cook also discovered during that 
voyage), Dr. Forster gives another interesting account of the very peculiar 
manner in which those natives threw their darts, and, also, their prepared 
stones from slings.* 
Mr. Nicholas, who was in New Zealand with Mr. Marsden in 1814, and 
who spent several months in the country travelling about, and seeing all 
that was to be seen, saw no projectile weapon used by the natives save their 
common hand spears. And Major Cruise, during his ten months’ residence, 
is also equally silent about any missiles used by them in their warfare, 
although as a military officer, in command of soldiers, anything of that kind 
would be sure to have attracted his notice. 
We gather the same from Rutherford's Journal. This witness had 
ample opportunities during his long sojourn of ten years among the New 
Zealanders, during which time he got fully tattooed and lived wholly á-la- 
Maori, in his frequent travellings with the Maoris from place to place in the 
interior, and from his having been a witness of several severe and bloody 
battles. Curiously enough, Rutherford was at the great battle fought at 
Kaipara between the Ngatiwhatua and the Ngapuhi tribes, in which the 
savage and murderous chief Hongi was present, commanding the Ngapuhi, 
and in which fierce battle Hongi’s son, Hare, was slain, and his head, with 
others, carried off in triumph by Rutherford’s Maori party from the East 
Coast; that battle was fought in the year 1825. Rutherford is in many 
respects a truthful witness, as I have good reasons for saying, having formerly 
traced out not a few of his statements. To the above I might add the 
uniform testimony of all the first missionaries, who saw quite enough of 
bloody work; and of Polack,+ who resided a few years in New Zealand; 
* See appendix A for these extracts which I make, as Forster’s Voyage is a scarce 
work; and, also, believing they may be of service hereafter. 
t Polack says :—“ The weapons employed in the native warfare were not remarkable 
for beauty or variety, and are now entirely laid aside. The bow and arrow found among all 
savage nations were unknown in the country, where numerous woods exist admirably 
fitted for the formation of such universally known weapons. Slings, another implement 
that did much execution, were also unknown." (Vol. IL, pp. 28-29). Polack is a writer 
whom I should scarcely ever think of quoting, not merely on account of his being com- 
paratively modern (in my writing of the ancient New Zealander) but owing to his many 
errors ; had he contented himself with giving us plainly what he saw, without colouring 
(for he travelled a little while in New Zealan without attempting anything of 
science or history, theology or language, or Re drawing of deductions,(!) for all which he 
was totally unfitted, then his observations would have been of real service, 
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