NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 
719 
visit being of that type. In the other forms, probably of modern make only, the upper 
turns of twine are arranged in diagonals, separating the areas of different ornamental 
colours, and the actual wood of the socket-pieces is carved and coloured (see PI. G.). 
The gum employed is the same as that used by the islanders for caulking their canoe 
seams, and is obtained by pounding the brown ovoid fruit of Parinarium laurinum, 
which is about the size of a goose’s egg. The efficiency of the fixation of the stone head 
of the lance evidently depends mainly on this gum, which is excessively hard and firm 
when set, and is in use for similar purposes in various parts of Polynesia. The wood of 
which the socket-pieces are made is hard when dry and old, but probably much softer 
when cut in the fresh condition. Some of the lance heads, owing to the method of 
manufacture, are extraordinarily long, some curved, and others of various forms. They 
are most formidable weapons, especially to a naked skin. The shaft is merely an- 
instrument for throwing point first a very heavy, excessively sharp-pointed, stone, 
which cuts its way through almost anything. The socket-pieces of the lance heads are 
elaborately decorated. Some lances have a lozenge-shaped perforation in the socket-piece 
beneath the head (PL G. fig. 1) ; others have small tufts of Cuscus hair fastened on to 
them in the same position. Two obtained had these tufts wet with some oily substance, 
but apparently not poison. The heads of the lances are kept covered with a conical 
sheath of dried banana leaf made to fit (PI. I. fig. 3). The natives possess an enormous 
store of these weapons, and they have piles of them lying on the outriggers of the canoes. 
On shore the men commonly carried two or three in their hands. In a dispute alongside 
the ship one of the lances was instantly snatched up and made ready. They are used 
for hunting wild pigs as well as for fighting. The natives pointed to the mountains of 
the mainland as the source of the obsidian. They parted with the lances readily, so that 
the material must be abundant. They are thrown in the usual manner, grasped by the 
naked hand, being first poised and made to quiver by a shaking motion of the hand 
for some seconds. Some of the shafts are made of a light but rigid reed ; others have 
large carefully-cut sharp-pointed heads of hard wood, which is painted of the same 
colour as the obsidian, and at a short distance looks exactly like it. Some of the 
wooden heads are longer and larger than any of the stone ones, and these were 
several times bought under the impression formed at a distance that they were very 
fine obsidian weapons. 
Besides the larger lances, small darts are used, having pliant, very light stems about 
a yard long, and heads of small sharp chips of obsidian, often of a very irregular form, 
apparently the refuse chips from the larger weapons. These darts are carried about 
done up in bundles of a dozen or so. A guide engaged on Wild Island carried such a 
bundle on his shoulder all the way. 
Another kind of dart has the stem made of reed and the head of hard wood of a 
somewhat conical form, with a knot at the base of the cone. These darts are of the 
(narr. chall. exp. — vol. i. — 1885.) 91 
