POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
216 
The head was ornamented with tamau, a fine and 
beautiful braid of human hair, wound round the 
head in the form of a turban.* A triple wreath of 
scarlet, white, and yellow flowers, composed of the 
aute, the fragrant gardenia, or Cape jessamine, and 
the beslarialaurifolia, tastefully interwoven, adorned 
the curious head-dress. The tahema, a loose vest 
of spotted cloth, covered the lower part of the 
bosom. The tihi, of fine white stiffened cloth, fre¬ 
quently edged with a scarlet border, gathered like 
a large frill, passed under the arms, and reached 
below the waist; while the araitihi, a handsome fine 
cloth, fastened round the waist with a band or 
sash, covered the feet. The breasts were orna¬ 
mented with rainbow-coloured mother-of-pearl 
shells, or the pii, which was a covering of curiously 
wrought net-work and feathers. 
The music of the hura was the large and small 
drum, and occasionally the flute. Besides the 
musicians, the haapii, teacher or prompter, was an 
important personage. He was attired in three or 
four finely fringed mats, fastened round his waist* 
and stood or sat near the mat on which the dancers 
stood. His business was, by the expression of his 
countenance and the action of his hands, to direct 
the performers. Their dancing was not lively and 
nimble, and seldom could those engaged be said 
to trip 
On the light fantastic toe. 
Their movements were generally slow, but always 
easy and natural, and no exertion, on the part of the 
performers, was wanting, to render them graceful 
* Mr. Barff, to whom I am indebted for the principal 
part of this account, procured a head-dress of this kind* 
containing one hundred fathoms of the finest braided 
human hair. 
