POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
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The ordinary mats are not more than six feet wide, 
and nine or twelve feet long, but some are twelve feet 
wide, and sixty or eighty, or even a hundred yards long. 
Mats of this size, however, are only made for high chiefs, 
and in the preparation, perhaps, the females of several 
districts have been employed. They are kept rolled up, 
and suspended in some part of the chief's dwelling, 
more for the purpose of displaying his wealth, and the 
number of his dependents, than for actual use. 
The kinds of leaf least liable to crack, are selected, 
and, for the purpose of sleeping upon, or even spreading 
on a floor, the use to which we generally applied them, 
the mats look neat, and last a considerable time. Several 
kinds of fine matting, ornamented with bright stained 
rushes interwoven with the others, were formerly made 
as articles of dress for the kings, or presents to the gods) 
but in this department of labour they were always in¬ 
ferior to the Sandwich Islanders, whose variegated mats 
are superior to any I have seen in the Pacific. Weaving 
of mats, with beating and staining of cloth, was the chief 
occupation of the females. A large portion of the pro¬ 
perty of the people consisted in mats and cloth, which 
also constituted part of their household furniture. 
A variety of other articles were, however, necessary 
to the furnishing of their houses, but these were manu¬ 
factured by the men. Next to a sleeping mat, a pillow 
was considered essential. This was of hard wood, and 
often exceedingly rude, though sometimes ingeniously 
wrought, resembling a short low stool, nine inches or 
a foot in length, and four or five inches high. The 
upper side was curved, to admit the head ; the whole 
pillow, which they call tuaurua, is cut out of a single 
piece. Upon the bare wood they reclined their heads 
