Phillips. — On a jfemliar Method of Arrow Projmlsion hy Maoris. 97 



Art. VII. — On a i^eculiar Method of Arrow Propxdsion as observed amomjst 

 the Maoris. By Coleman Phillips. 

 [Read before the Wellington PhilosojMcal Society, 1st September, 1877.] 

 While lately in the Upper Thames District, at Ohinemnri, 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 propulsion consisted in — 1st. Holding the arrow in the 

 left hand ; 2nd. Placing the string in the notch in the arrow ; and 3rd. 

 Whipping the arrow into the au% 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 cu'cumstance. 



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 



