ARCHERY. 
219 
within my garden at Huahine. It was a stone 
pile, about three or four feet high, of a triangular 
form, one side of the angle being convex. 
When the preparations were completed, the 
archer ascended this platform, and, kneeling on 
one knee, drew the string of the bow with the 
right hand, till the head of the arrow touched the 
centre of the bow, when it was discharged with 
great force. It was an effort of much strength in 
this position to draw the bowstring so far. The 
line often broke, and the bow fell from the archer’s 
hand when the arrow was discharged. The dis¬ 
tance to which it was shot, though various, was 
frequently three hundred yards. A number of 
men, from three to twelve, with small white flags 
in their hands, were stationed, to watch the arrows 
in their fall. When those of one party went far¬ 
ther than those of the other, they waved the flags 
as a signal to the party below. When they fell 
short, they held down their flags, but lifted up their 
foot, exclaiming uau pau , beaten. 
This was a sport in the highest esteem, the king 
and chiefs usually attending to witness the exer¬ 
cise. As soon as the game was finished, the bow, 
with the quiver of arrows, was delivered to the 
charge of a proper person : the archers repaired to 
the marae, and were obliged to exchange their 
dress, and bathe their persons, before they could 
take refreshment, or enter their dwellings. It is 
astonishing to notice how intimately their system 
of religion was interwoven with every pursuit of 
their lives. Their wars, their labours, and their 
amusements, were all under the control of their 
gods. Paruatetavae was the god of archers. 
The arrows they employed were sometimes beau¬ 
tifully stained and variegated. The bows were 
