B54 Essays. 
podium volubile), of both which the women often made graceful wreaths and 
garlands. They carved handsome staves (hani and taiaha) out of the hard 
variegated wood of the ake (Dodonea viscosa) ; which weapon was used both 
as insignia of rank and for defence; this they further ornamented with 
mother-of-pearl eyes set into the wood, and with small red feathers, obtained 
from under the wings of the brown parrot, firmly fastened around it, and 
with the prized long white hair of their dogs’ tails, neatly quilled up into 
little queues and pendant from it. Then their musical instruments (rude 
though they were and possessing only a few notes) were several ; perhaps 
they would have improved these had they ‘possessed proper material for 
making them. - Their three or four flutes of different sizes were made of 
human bone, or the hollow stems of the tutu (Coriaria ruscifolia), or of the 
. kohoho (Solanum aviculare), or of two pieces of hard wood, cleverly constructed 
and fitted together, having the joining in the centre, where, too, it was much 
larger. Their trumpet was made of a large conch shell (Triton variegatum), 
and sometimes of a piece of wood. All their musical instruments were also 
more or less carved and ornamented. Their larger war-gongs were made of. 
matait wood, and were suspended in their forts. Their combs for their hair 
were also both neatly made and carved ; these, however, were not used as 
combs commonly are by us, but by the chiefs to keep up their hair, much as 
English ladies use their high back-combs. The cloth-like inner bark of the 
aute, or paper mulberry, was manufactured only for head ornaments, for. 
which sole purpose too the exotic was carefully and annually cultivated. 
They very elaborately carved their boxes for holding their huia and kotuku 
feathers; and so they afterwards often, did their tinder-boxes.' They also 
carved the deep circlet necks, or collars, of hardwood, which they neatly 
fixed on to their large provision calabashes for potted birds; to which they 
also fitted tripod-like stands. The poukaakaa, or parrot perch, was also gene- 
rally earved and ornamented. And they assiduously sought, and only ob- 
tained with much trouble and preparation, their favourite colours of red and 
blue mineral pigments, with which to ornament their bodies, as well as their 
chiefs’ houses, canoes, storehouses, tombs, and boundary posts. 
17. Buying and selling for a price, as practised by us, was unknown to 
them. Such was not wanted where every man or household had nearly 
alike, and made their own commodities. They had, however, a kind of 
barter or exchange; or, more properly, a giving to be afterwards repaid by 
a gift. Dried sea-fish, or dried edible sea-weed, or shark oil, or karaka 
berries, would be given by natives living on the sea-coast to friendly natives 
dwelling inland ; who would afterwards repay with potted birds, or eels, or 
hinau cakes, or mats, or rouge, or birds’ feathers and skins. So, a chief 
-~ would give to one of his own, or of a friendly tribe, some article as an - 
