454- 



R E M A R K S 



O N 



T H E 



ARTS 



AND 



SCIENCES 



The chief warriors who fight on the ftages of th^ir war^canoes, 

 have likewife a drefs peeuliar to themfelves, whofe fabric requires 



fome labour and ingenuity. 



The awhoii is a helmet of more than 



five or fix feet high, formed of wicker work 



the fhape of a 

 between three 



lono- cylinder 3 to this they add a frontlet, which is 

 and four feet in length, it covers the front of the helmet or the 

 half of -the cylinder; towards the top however it does not lie 

 clofe to tke cyllndric bailcet, but projects fome what forward in a 

 hollow ihape -, all this frontlet is covered with green gloffy pigeons- 

 feathers ; fometimes they form of white feathers one or more borders 



d the whole frontlet, and to its outer edge they fi 



great 



number of tail-feathers of the tropic-bird in a diverging manner 

 which gives the warrior a very grand appearance. 



Thefe machines 



can by no means be worn, becaufe they are fo unwieldy, and at the 

 fame time fo light, that the lead breath of wind mufl almofl over- 

 fet the man, who fhould prefume to wear one of them ; fo that I 



, r 



am of opinion thefe helmets are more for lliew than real ufe, in de- 

 fending the head agalnfi: flones^ or blows of clubs, and lances j it 



about 



their 



may poffibly ferve as a flandard, to rally the troops 

 leaders, which is not quite improbable, as we faw only fingle hel- 

 mets in one or two war canoes, in a fleet of 1 69.* The warriors on 



the 



* In Sydney Purlcinfon's Journal, of a Voyage to the South-Seas, plate xi. page 71 ; and 

 In Capt. Cook's Voyage, vol. I. plate No. 61, p. 342 : rcprefcntations of this helmet iBiiy 

 ht fecn ,- that in Parkinfon ^ives by for the befl idea of it. 



/ 



