124 NATURE OF FORTIFICATIONS 
in order to assail the inner harrier, he would pre- 
sent his forehead to the fire from within, and would 
ensure his own destruction. He would, moreover, 
find a number of the besieged lying in ambush, 
and ready to receive him in the ditch which sepa- 
rates the two fences one from the other, and 
which has been dug for the purpose of squatting 
down in, to fire from, without being exposed to 
the balls directed at the Pa. So long as the people 
of the Pa agree amongst themselves, are vigilant 
and are not cowed, which frequently is the case 
by the name of some great conqueror (such as 
Hongi, for instance, whose name carried terror 
wherever it was sounded in unfriendly terms), 
they may consider themselves secure ; and, should 
their supplies hold out, they would be able, for any 
length of time, to resist, or keep at bay, a force 
much superior to their own. This is especially 
the case when the ground on which the city stands 
is elevated — a situation always chosen, if circum- 
stances admit. Some Pas, that is, those which are 
naturally strong and have excellent means of de- 
fence within themselves, have only one enclosure, 
and that of a very slight character ; but, slender 
as it is, it appears abundantly sufficient to answer 
every purpose of keeping oS an enemy, on ac- 
count of the disadvantageous post which they, 
being on so much lower or on such slanting or 
precipitous ground, or in the water, must neces- 
sarily occupy. I have seen one Pa, that of Mawe, 
which of itself is almost impregnable. It is a 
