254 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES, 
length of time. They are always rolled up like a 
sheet of parchment, and have a remarkably rustic 
appearance, being usually fastened with a piece of 
bark, tied round the roll, the length of which being 
formed by the breadth of the leaf, is about twelve 
or fifteen inches. 1 have often seen the chief’s 
messenger hastening along the road with two or 
three plantain-leaf rolls under his arm, or in his 
hand, containing the despatches of which he was 
the bearer. 
Some of the chiefs learned to write on a slate, 
but these have always been articles too scarce 
and valuable for common use; they were very 
highly prized, and preserved with care. The 
greatest favour a chief could shew his son, 
has sometimes been to allow him to practise 
on his slate. We have often regretted that the 
supply was not more abundant, and though several 
hundreds of the thick slates, without frames, such 
as are used in the national schools, have been sent 
out by the Society, and others by the liberality of 
friends, they have not been sufficient to supply the 
different schools; so that many of the natives, 
who desire to possess them as their own, are still 
destitute. Framed slates are sometimes taken by 
traders, as articles of barter; but they are so liable 
to break, that the people greatly prefer the kind 
above alluded to. 
A copy-book has never been used for the pur¬ 
pose of learning to write ; paper has always been 
too scarce and valuable amongst them, to admit 
of such an appropriation. And a copy-book, 
although highly prized, is used rather as a jour¬ 
nal, common-place book, or depository of some¬ 
thing more valuable than mere copies. Writing 
paper is still a very valuable article, and proves 
