j/G POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
which, when preserved with a varnish of gum, retains 
its brightness till the garment is worn out. The 
yellow is prepared from the inner bark of the root of the 
nono, morinda citrifolia, and though far more fugitive 
than the scarlet of the mati, is an exceedingly bright 
colour. The yellow dye is prepared by infusing the bark 
of the root in water, in which the cloth is allowed to 
remain till completely saturated, when it is dried in the 
sun. The mati, or scarlet dye, is moistened with water, 
and laid on the dry cloth. Their patterns are fixed 
with the scarlet dye on a yellow ground, and were 
formerly altogether devoid of uniformity or regularity, 
yet still exhibiting considerable taste. They now fix a 
border round the ahufara, and arrange the patterns in 
different parts. Nature, and not art, supplies the pattern. 
They select some of the most delicate and beautiful ferns, 
or the hibiscus flowers : when the dye is prepared, they 
lay the leaf, or the flower, carefully on the dye; as soon 
as the surface is covered with the colouring matter, they 
fix the stained leaf or flower, with its leaflets or petals 
correctly adjusted on the cloth, and press it gradually 
and regularly down. When it is removed, the impres¬ 
sion is often beautiful and clear. 
The scarf or shawl, and the tiputa, are the only 
dresses prepared in this way, and it is difficult to con¬ 
ceive of the dazzling and imposing appearance of such a 
dress, loosely folded round the person of a handsome 
chieftain of the South Sea Islands, who perfectly under¬ 
stands how to exhibit it to the best advantage. This 
kind of cloth is made better by the Tahitians than any 
other inhabitants of the Pacific. It is not, however, 
equal to the wairiirii of the Sandwich Islanders. Much 
of this cloth, beautifully painted, is now employed in 
