180 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
the ends where they commenced, while the remaining 
part was rolled up like a riband. These they unrolled, 
and extended the slits as the weaving advanced, until 
the whole was complete. When first finished, they are 
of a beautifully white colour, and are worn only by 
the men, either bound round the loins as a pareu, or 
with an aperture in the centre as a tiputa or poncho, and 
sometimes as a mantle thrown loosely over the shoulder. 
Their appearance is light and elegant, and they are 
remarkably durable, though they become yellow from 
exposure to the weather. 
The inhabitants of the Palliser Islands, to the east¬ 
ward of Tahiti, exceed the Society Islanders in the 
quality of their mats, which are made of a tough white 
rush or grass, exceedingly fine and beautiful. They 
frequently manufacture a sort of girdle, called Tiheri, 
six inches in width, and sometimes twenty yards in 
length, but remarkably fine and even, being woven by 
the hand, but with a degree of regularity rivalling 
the productions of the loom. They are highly valued 
by the Tahitians, and are a principal article of com¬ 
merce between the inhabitants of the different islands. 
The sails for their canoes, and beds on which they 
sleep, are a coarser kind of matting made with the leaves 
of different varieties of palm, or pandanus, found in the 
islands. Some kinds grow spontaneously, others are 
cultivated for their leaves. The matting sails are much 
lighter than canvass, but far less durable. The size 
and quality of the sleeping mats is regulated by the 
skill of the manufacturer, or the rank of the proprietor. 
Those who excel in making them, use very fine ones 
themselves. They are all woven by the hand, yet finished 
with remarkable regularity and neatness. 
