FURNITURE. WEAPONS. 379 



often very ingeniously carved, and kept extremely clean. 

 Generally the natives of Tahiti sat cross-legged on mats 

 spread on the floor ; but the chiefs had often four-legged 

 stools. Chairs and tables were unknown. They slept 

 also on mats and used a wooden pillow, very much resem- 

 bling a small stool. The upper side was curved, like the 

 seat of the stool, to admit the head. Each house also con- 

 tained a light post, planted in the floor, and with several 

 projections, from which the various dishes, calabashes of 

 water, baskets of food, etc., were hung.* 



Their weapons were formidable, though simple. They 

 consisted of slings, pikes headed with stone, and long clubs 

 made of hard, heavy wood. With the former they were very 

 skilful. Their slingstones were of two kinds, " either smooth, 

 being polished by friction in the bed of a river, or sharp, 

 angular and rugged ; these were called ofai ara faced or 

 edged stones." f We have already mentioned (p. 76) that 

 two sorts of slingstones, closely corresponding to these, were 

 used by the ancient inhabitants of Europe. It would be 

 interesting to know the relative advantage of the two classes, 

 which surely cannot have been used for exactly the same 

 purposes. They had also bows and arrows ; which, however, 

 were not sufficiently strong to be used in warfare. The bow 

 strings were made of Roava bark.J The Society Islanders 

 are said to have been cruel in war, but according to 

 Captain Cook " they are seldom disturbed by either foreign 

 or domestic troubles. " Though not cowards, they regard it 

 as " much less disgraceful to run away from an enemy with 

 whole bones, than to fight and be wounded. " 



" Of tame animals they had only hogs, dogs, and poultry ;|| 

 neither was there a wild animal in the island, except ducks, 



* Ellis, I.e. vol. ii., p. 184. "Wilson, I.e. p. 363. 



f Ellis, I.e. vol. ii., p. 49. || Wallis' Voyage Round the World; 



J Wilson, Lc. p. 368. Hawk es worth's Voyages, vol. i., p. 482. 



