54 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



Polynesia. I have before stated that the Eastern Polynesians make bnt little 

 use of the weapon, while the Western Polynesians always use it as a weapon 

 of war. This difference is readily accounted for if we turn to the various 

 tribes inhabiting the Malay Islands, the original habitat of all the Poly- 

 nesian islanders. There are four great races in Malaysia possessing various 

 degrees of civilization and great difference of language, and three or four 

 savage races. The first are the Malay proper (inhabiting the Malay penin- 

 sula, and the coast regions of Borneo and Sumatra) ; the Javanese ; the 

 Bugis ; and the Talagese, The savage races comprise the Dyaks (wild 

 tribes of Borneo), Battaks, Jakuns, and the aborigines of Northern Celebes, 

 Sula Island, and part of Bouru. These various peoples have, at different 

 times, migrated, or been driven to migrate, and naturally carried their dif- 

 ferent customs with them. Some used the bow and arrow sacredly or in 

 sport, some as a weapon of war, and some the poisoned arrow. Western 

 Polynesia has evidently been peopled by the wild Malay tribes, or Papuans, 

 who use the war or poisoned arrow ; while Eastern Polynesia has evidently 

 been peopled by the long-haired, more civilized, Malayans, who were not so 

 savage and warlike. 



With reference to the statement that archery was a sacred game : — Mr. 

 Ellis, in his Polynesian Researches * gives the following account of the 

 matter as observed in Tahiti : — 



"The ie-a, or archery, was also a sacred game, more so perhaps than any 

 other. The bows, arrows, quiver and cloth in which they were usually kept 

 together with the dresses worn by the archers, were all sacred, and under 

 the especial care of persons regidarly appointed to keep them. It was 

 usually practised as a most honourable recreation between the residents of a 

 place and their guests. The sport was generally followed either at the foot 

 of a mountain or on the sea-shore. My house in the valley of Haamene, at 

 Huahine, stood very near an ancient raid te-a — place of archery. Before 

 commencing the game, the parties repaired to the marae, and performed 

 several ceremonies ; after which they put on the archer's dress, and proceeded 

 to the place appointed. They did not shoot at a mark ; it was therefore only 

 a trial of strength. In the place to which they shot the arrows two small white 

 flags were displayed, between which the arrows were directed. The bows 

 were made of the light, tough wood of the puraii; and were, when unstrung, 

 perfectly straight, about five feet long ; an inch, or an inch and a quarter, in 

 diameter in the centre, but smaller at the ends. They were neatly polished, 

 and sometimes ornamented with finely braided human hair, or cinet of the 

 fibres of the cocoanut husk, wound round the ends of the bow in alternate 

 rings. The string was of romaha, or native flax ; the arrows were made of 

 """" ~ * Vol. I., p. 229, 



