198 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
excellence of the play consists in the dexterity 
with which the pahe is thrown. On these occa¬ 
sions two darts are laid down at a certain distance, 
three or four inches apart, and he who, in a given 
number of times, throws his dart most frequently 
between these two, without striking either of them, 
wins the game. At other times it is a mere trial 
of strength; and those win, who, in a certain 
number of times, throw their darts farthest* 
A mark is made in the ground, to designate the 
spot from which they are to throw it. The players, 
balancing the pahe in their right hand, retreat a 
few yards from this spot, and then, springing for¬ 
ward to the mark, dart it along the ground with 
great velocity. The darts remain wherever they 
stop, till all are thrown, when the whole party run 
to the other end of the floor, to see whose have 
been the most successful throws. This lat er game, 
is very laborious; yet we have known the men of 
whole districts engage in it at once, and have seen 
them playing several hours together, under the 
scorching rays of a vertical sun. 
On the same tahua, or floor, they also play at 
another game, resembling the pahe, which they 
call maita or uru maita . Two sticks are stuck in 
the ground only a few inches apart, at a distance 
of thirty or forty yards, and between these, but 
without striking either, the parties at play strive 
to throw their stone; at other times, the only con¬ 
tention is, who can bowl it farthest along the tahua, 
or floor. The uru , which they use instead of a 
dart, is a circular stone, admirably adapted for 
rolling, being of compact lava, or a white alluvial 
rock, (found principally in the island of Oahu,) 
about three or four inches in diameter, an inch in 
thickness around the edge, but thicker in the 
