Horrid Custom of the New Zealanders. 37 
which our boys fometimes make with a cow’s horn : the ether 
is a fmall wooden pipe, refembling a child’s nine-pin, only 
much fmaller, and in this there is no more nuific than in a 
pea-whiftle. They feem fenfible indeed that thefe infiruments 
arc not mulical ; for we never heard an attempt to fing to them, 
.or to produce with them any meafured tones that bore the leail 
refemblance to a tune. 
To what has been already faid of the practice of eating hu- 
man Hefh, I lhall only add, that in almoft every cove where 
we landed, we found flelh bones of men near the places where 
iires had been made ; and that among the heads that were 
brought. on board by the old man, fame fecmed to have falfe 
eves, and ornaments in their e;irs as if alive. That which Mr. 
Banks bought was fold with great reluctance by tire po fie ft or ; 
fhe-head was manifeftly that of a young perfon about fot:rteen 
or fifteen years of age, and by the contufions on one tide ap- 
peared to have received many violent blows, and indeed a part 
of the bone near the eye was wanting. Thefe appearances 
confirmed us in the opinion that the natives of this country 
- give no quarter, nor take any priforters to be killed and eaten 
at a future time, as is faid to have been £ practice among tire 
.Indians of Florida : for if prisoners had been taken, this poor 
young creature, who cannot be fuppofed capable of making 
much refiitance, would probably have been one, and we knew 
.that he was killed with the reft, for the fray had happened but 
a few days before. 
The towns or Hippahs of thefe people, which are all forti- 
fied, have been Sufficiently deferibed already, and from the 
Bay of Plenty to Queen Charlotte’s Sound they feem to be the 
conftant refidence of the people : hut about Poverty Bay, 
Hawk’s Bay, Tegadoo, and Tolaga, we faw no Hippahs, but 
fingle houfes Scattered at a distance from each other ; yet upon 
the files of the hills there were Stages of great length, fnr- 
. rallied with Hones and darts, probably as retreats for the 
people kit the laft extremity, as ^pon*thefe ilages a fight map 
•be carried on with much advantage againft thofe below, who 
.may be reached, with great efFedt, by darts and ftor.es, which 
it is impoftible for' them to throw up with equal force'. .And 
indeed the forts themfelves feem to be no farther Serviceable 
than by enabling the polleficrs to repress a Sudden attack ; for 
as there is no fupply of water within the lines, it would he im- 
poffiblc to fuftain a fiege. A considerable ftock of fern-root 
and dry filh is indeed laid up in them ; but they may be re- 
served againft feufens of fc..r ity, and tiiat fuch fe Tons there 
.are, our observations left us no ro>...r» to uoubt ; bellies, while 
.an enemy Should be prowling m t : neighbourhood, it would 
be eaJy to /natch a fupply or water From thfe fide of tne hill, 
Xbccgli it would be impofiiole to dig up fern root, or catch fiflu 
VOL. II. id la 
