248 GENERAL ACCOUNT OF NEW ZEALAND cuap. x 
one I bought, but much against the inclination of its owner, 
for though he liked the price I offered, he hesitated much to 
send it up; yet, having taken the price, I insisted either on 
having that returned or the head given, but could not 
prevail until I enforced my threats by showing him a 
musket, on which he chose to part with the head rather 
than the price he had, which was a pair of old drawers of 
my white linen. The head appeared to have belonged to a 
person of about fourteen or fifteen years of age, and evidently 
showed, by the contusions on one side, that it had received 
many violent blows which had chipped off a part of the 
skull near the eye. From this, and many other circum- 
stances, I am inclined to believe that these Indians give no 
quarter, or even take prisoners to eat upon a future 
occasion, as is said to have been practised by the Floridan 
Indians; for had they done so, this young creature, who 
could not make much resistance, would have been a very 
proper subject. 
The state of war in which they live, constantly in danger 
of being surprised when least upon their guard, has taught 
them, not only to live together in towns, but to fortify 
those towns, which they do by a broad ditch, and a 
palisade within it of no despicable construction. 
For these towns or forts, which they call Heppahs, they 
choose situations naturally strong, commonly islands or 
peninsulas, where the sea or steep cliffs defend the greater 
part of their works; and if there is any part weaker than 
the rest, a stage is erected over it of considerable height— 
eighteen or twenty feet—on the top of which the defenders 
range themselves, and fight with a great advantage, as 
they can throw down their darts and stones with much 
greater force than the assailants can throw them up. 
Within these forts the greater part of the tribe to whom 
they belong reside, and have large stocks of provisions: 
fern roots and dried fish, but no water; for that article, in 
all that I have seen, was only to be had from some distance 
without the lines. From this we concluded that sieges are 
not usual among them. Some, however, are generally out 
