DRESS AND WEAPONS. 301 
as to render retreat impracticable, and, in the event 
of the defeat of his companions, was invariably 
captured or slain. In general, the dress of the 
Tahitian warriors must have been exceedingly 
troublesome. To make an imposing appearance, 
and defend their persons, seem to have been the 
only ends at which they aimed ; differing greatly 
in this respect from the Hawaiians, who seldom 
thought of guarding themselves, but adopted a 
dress that would least impede their movements. 
The Tahitians went to battle in their best 
clothes, sometimes perfumed with fragrant oil, 
and adorned with flowers ; and whether they wore 
only the light tiputa, or the cumbrous ruuruu , 
which left only the arms at liberty, the whole was 
bound round the waist with a finely braided sash 
or girdle. On the breast they wore a handsome 
military gorget, ingeniously wrought with mother- 
of-pearl shells, white and coloured feathers, and 
dog’s hair. 
Their ancient dresses and weapons have, 
since their intercourse with Europeans, been super¬ 
seded in a great degree by the introduction of 
fire-arms, the bayonet, and the sword. Pupuhi 
is the general name for gun. Puhi signifies to 
blow with the mouth, pupuhi to blow repeatedly, 
and this name has been given to a musket, from 
the circumstance of the foreigners, whom the 
natives first saw firing, bending down the head on 
one side to take aim, and bringing the mouth 
nearly in contact with the piece, into or through 
the barrel of which they supposed the person blew, 
and thus produced the explosion; hence it is called 
the blower. 
They imagined that the first ships they saw were 
islands ; their inhabitants supernatural, vindictive, 
