204 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
the knowledge of the leading events of former 
times. 
Freed in a great degree, so far as the means 
of subsistence were concerned, from anxiety and 
labour, the islanders were greatly devoted to 
amusement, for which hezva was the general 
name, though voyagers have restricted that term 
to their dances. By the natives, hezva was applied 
to most of their amusements, hence they spoke of 
the hezva-maona, wrestling, hezva-moto, boxing, 
heiva-vivo, flute-playing, hezva-ude, singing, heiva- 
haapee uo, kite-flying, and hezva-tea, archery: 
war, pagan-worship, and pleasure, appear to have 
engaged their attention, and occupied the prin- 
cipal portion of their time. Their games were 
numerous and diversified, and were often affairs 
of national importance. They do not appear ever 
to have been gamblers, or to have accompanied 
any of their sports with betting, or staking pro- 
perty upon success, as the Sandwich Islanders 
have done from the earliest periods of their 
history, but seem to have followed their games 
simply for amusement. 
The Taupiti, or Oroa, was generally a season of 
public festivity, when thousands of both sexes, 
arrayed in splendid garments, assembled to witness 
the games. These festivals were usually connected 
with some religious ceremony, or cause of national 
rejoicing. The return of the king from a tour, or 
the arrival of a distinguished visitor, were among 
the most ordinary occasions of these games. 
Wrestling was the favourite, and perhaps most 
frequent sport; hence the taupiti, or assembly, 
was often called the taupiti maona, assembly for 
wrestling. A large quantity of food was always 
prepared, and generally served out to the different 
