THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
*39 
count of Ills hair being cut; though every method was I777 , 
tried to induce him to break his refolution; and he was , Febrtmry ' 
tempted with the offer of fuch victuals as he was known to 
eiteem the mold. He faid, if he eat any thing that day, the 
Eatooa would kill him. However, toward evening, the 
cravings of nature got the better of the precepts of his 
religion, and he eat, though but fparingly. I had often 
conjectured, before this, that they had fome fuperftitious 
notions about their hair, having frequently obferved quan¬ 
tities of it tied to the branches of trees near fome of their 
habitations; but what thefe notions are, I never could 
learn. 
Notwithstanding the divided and hoftile ftate in which 
the New Zealanders live, travelling Itrangers, who come 
with no ill defign, are w ell received and entertained during 
their ftay; which, however, it is expeCted, will be no 
longer than is requifite to tranfaCt the bufinefs they come 
upon. Thus it is that a trade for poenammoo , or green 
talc, is carried on throughout the whole northern ifland. 
For they tell us, that there is none of this ftone to be 
found, but at a place w'hich bears its name, fomewhere about 
the head of Queen Charlotte’s Sound, and not above one 
or two days journey, at molt, from the Station of our fhips. 
I regretted much that I could not fpare time fufficient for 
paying a vifit to the place; as we were told a hundred fa¬ 
bulous lfories about this Stone, not one of which carried 
with it 1 the leaSt probability of truth, though Some of 
their molt feniible men would have us believe them. One 
of thefe Stories is, that this Stone is originally a fiSh, which 
they Strike with a gig in the w r ater, tie a rope to it, and 
drag it to the Shore, to which they faSten it, and it after¬ 
ward becomes Stone. As they all agree, that it is fiihed 
T 2 out 
flijllWillJK" 
