4 
Cotunso,—Iynorance of Ancient New Zealander of Use of Projectiles, 117 
he considered the heelaman, or shield, an unnecessary appendage, as the 
hand was sufficient to turn aside and alter the direction of any number of 
spears. He, nevertheless, highly praised the woomera, or throwing-stick, as, 
from its elasticity, he acknowledged the weapon to receive much additional 
velocity. He was visibly chagrined when he saw the old man wounded 
through the body, and would certainly have executed vengeance upon its 
author, had he not been restrained by the solicitations of the spectators, '— 
Nicholas’ ** New Zealand," Vol, IL., p. 869 
_Appenpix C.— (See p. 114). 
M. Crozet's description of this attack is so graphic, and at the same time 
so much in keeping with what I have known to take place among the New 
Zealanders in their old sieges, that I am tempted to give an extract, as I 
believe his work is not commonly known in the colony :—M. Crozet com- 
manded the King's sloop of war, the ‘Mascarin,’ under M. Marion, and put 
into the Bay of Islands in distress, having lost his-masts. With great diff- 
culty they cut down fit trees, some three or four miles off in the woods, and 
to get them out had to make a road! They had now been here at anchor 
thirty-three days, when the Maoris suddenly rose against the French, and 
killed Marion, with twenty-eight men! and it was with extreme difficulty 
that Crozet managed to get on board the ship those left on shore. After 
this the New Zealanders made several attempts to take even the ships, 
which they fiercely attacked in a hundred large canoes. At last Crozet, 
seeing it impossible to supply the ships with masts, uuless he could drive 
the natives from the neighbourhood, went to attack their pa, which was one 
of the greatest and strongest. He put the carpenters in front to cut down 
. the palisadoes, behind which the natives stood in great numbers on their 
fighting stages, from which they threw down stones and darts.* His people 
drove the natives from these stages by keeping up a regular fire, which did 
Some execution. The carpenters could now approach without danger, and 
in a few moments cut a breach in the fortification. A chief instantly 
stepped into it with a long spear in his hand. He was shot dead by Crozet's 
marksmen, and presently another occupied his place, stepping on the dead 
. body. He likewise fell a victim to his intrepid courage, and in the same 
manner eight chiefs successively defended the post of honour. The rest, 
seeing their leaders dead, took flight, and the French pursued and killed 
numbers of them. M. Crozet offered fifty dollars to any person who should 
take a New Zealander alive, but this was absolutely impracticable. A 
soldier seized an old man and began to drag him towards his Captain, but the 
savage, being unarmed, bit into the fleshy part of the Frenchman’s hand, 
* As described in Cook's Voyages, Vol. IL, p. 342-344. 
