S86 The American Naturalist. [October. 
Weapons were clubs and spears ; it is presumed that the bow 
and arrow were not in use. Mr. Thomson says that hemp nets 
were used in fighting. 
Conjuring wands were used by the natives. One, a broad 
paddle of bone of the whale, 30 inches long (Fig. 8), is supposed 
to possess power to work a charm on an enemy. The shaman 
working the spell performs a convulsive dance, making mys- 
terious movements with the wand, and muttering incantations. 
Such charms are believed to bring speedy death upon their victim. 
A special potato paddle, called raha, was stuck in the ground to 
protect the potato crop from drought, insects, and evil spirits 
(Fig. 9). These paddles are of wood, painted red, and with a 
blade on each end. Ceremonial paddles of the same shape as 
the latter, but larger, with one blade grotesquely painted, were 
used, as were long clubs with a double head carved on one end, 
by chiefs when addressing assemblies. 
Rude, unshapen stones were distinguished by the natives as 
gods of three varieties. These are the fish god in general, called 
Mea Ika; the bonito's god, called Mea Kahi ; and the fowl god, 
called Mea Moa. The gods were never common, and were pos- 
sessed by clans or communities, and never by individuals. They 
were moved about from place to place as they were needed. An 
especial god being set apart for the bonitos is attributed to the fact 
that that fish has always been abundant and highly prized as food. 
Who were the people whose remains have been noticed ? 
This question is asked because there are several theories 
that rule out the ancestors of the present occupants of the 
island as authors of the works. It has been argued that they 
1st. Because the Polynesian, as we know him, is averse to sus- 
tained labor. This argument would perhaps apply at present, 
but it is evident from all accounts that all groups of the island 
race were energetic in building houses, canoes, in seafaring, and 
in many places (a list is given in Waltz's Anthropologic, Vol. V.) 
made stone edifices and sculptures of great extent. There is a 
pyramid in Tahiti 260 feet long, 90 broad and 40 high, made of 
