POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
29 
the shore^ were busied round their respective fires^ 
preparing their masters’ food. Near his side^ each war¬ 
rior’s spear was fixed in the ground^ while his patupatu, 
a stone weapon^ the tomahawk of the New Zealander, 
was hanging on his arm. Several chiefs had a large iron 
hatchet or bill-hook, much resembling those used by 
woodmen or others, in mending hedges in England. 
These, which in their hands were rather terrifying wea¬ 
pons, appeared to be highly prized 5 they were kept 
clean and polished, and generally fastened round the 
wrist by a braided cord of native flax. The patupatu 
was sometimes placed in the girdle, in the same manner 
as a Malay would wear his knife or dagger, or a Turk 
his pistol. They were generally tall and well-formed 
men, altogether such as it might be expected the warriors 
of a savage nation would be. Several of these fighting- 
men were not less than six feet high; their limbs were 
muscular and firm, and their bodies stout, but not cor¬ 
pulent. The dress of the chiefs and warriors consisted, 
in general, of a girdle round the loins, and a short cloak 
or mantle, worn over the shoulders, and tied with cords 
of braided flax in front. The rank of the chief appeared 
to be sometimes indicated by the number of his cloaks 
fastened one upon the other ^ that which was smallest, 
but generally most valuable, being worn on the outside: 
the whole resembled in this respect the capes of a 
travelling-coat. 
Their physiognomy, indicating any thing but weak¬ 
ness or cowardice, often exhibited great determination. 
They wore no helmet, or other covering for the head. 
Their black and shining hair sometimes hung in ring¬ 
lets on their shoulders, but was frequently tied up on the 
crown of their heads, and usually ornamented by a tuft 
