ESTIMATION OF WARRIORS. 
295 
CHAP. XII. 
Estimation in which fighting men were held—Weapons— 
Dress—Ornaments—Various kinds of helmet and ar¬ 
mour—Ancient arms, &c. superseded by the introduction 
of fire-arms—Former ideas respecting the musket, &c. 
—Divination or augury—Savage and merciless conduct 
of the victors—Existence of wild men in the mountains 
Account of one at Bunaauia who had fled from the field 
of battle—Treatment of the captives and the slain—Di¬ 
vision of the spoil, and appropriation of the country— 
Maritime warfare—Encampments—Fortifications—In¬ 
stance of patriotism—Methods of concluding peace— 
Religious ceremonies and festivities that followed— 
Present sentiments of the people in reference to war— 
Triumph of the principles of peace—Incident at Rurutu. 
Provision for war was attended to when every 
other consideration was disregarded. In the per¬ 
petration of the unnatural crime of infanticide, 
boys were more frequently spared than female 
children, solely with a view to their becoming 
warriors. In all our schools, we were surprised at 
the disproportion between the boys and the girls 
that attended, and at the small number of women 
in the adult population; and on inquiring the 
cause, were invariably told that more girls than 
boys were destroyed, because they w T ould, if spared, 
be comparatively useless in war. War therefore, 
being esteemed by the majority as the most im¬ 
portant end of life, every kind of training for its 
successful pursuit was held in the highest repute. 
