AND
SC IEN C E S
-1 'I'lie chief warriors who flght on tire flages o f theit war-canoes',
have likewife a dréfs peculiar tó themfelves, whofe:.fcbric ^requires
fomc labour and ingenuity. T h e awbou is a helmet o f more than
five or fix feét high, formed o f wicker wérk into the fhape o f a
Tóng cylinder ; ' t o this-they add afrcmtlet, which -is between three
and four feet ill length, it covers the front o f the helmet or the
half o f the cylinder ; towards the top however i t does not lie
cM e to the cylindrlc Bafket, but prejedts fomewhat forward in a
hollow fhape; all this frontlet is covered with green glofly pigeons-
feathers; fdmetimes they form o f white feathers one or more borders
round the whole frontlet, and to its outer edge they- fix a. great
number o f tail-feathers o f the tropic-bird in a,diverging -manner,
which gives the warrior a very grand appearance. Thefe machines
can by no means be worn, becaufe they are fo unwieldy, and at the
fame time fo light, that the lead: breath o f wind mull almolt over-
fet the man, who fhould prefume to wear one o f them ; fo that I
am o f opinion thefe helmets are more for fhew than real ufe, in defending
the head againft ftoner, or blows of clubs, and lances ; it
may poffibly forye -as a ftandard, to rally the troops about their
-leaders, which is not quite improbable, as we faw only Angle helmets
in one or two war canoes, in a fleet o f 1.69.*, Th e warriors on
. the
: * la Sydney JRarkinfon’s Journal^ o f a Yayagc to the South-Seas,- plate xi. page 71 ; hnd
in Capt. Cook’s Voyage, voL i. plate No. 61, p. 342 : reprefentations of ihijs helmet may
fee feen 4 that in Parkinfon gives fey far the beft idea of it,
H U ,M A N S P E C I E S.-
the fightiag-ftage wear almoft univerfally the gorget or breaft-plate, a r t s
anjj
called ta-omee, like wife made o f wicker-work, covered with femi- sc ienc e *.
circular lifts o f coco-nut fibres,, which again are bedecked, with
Alining glofly pigeons feathers, fe t off with two or three femi-cireular
rows o f fharks-teethy. -h which are-bored aod’faftened to the
breaft-plate by firings; the whole gorget is- fringed.- with long
white dogs hair, imported from the Low-ifles to O-Taheitee, and.
the Society-rifles ;: on the top there.are likewife mother o f pearl
fhells,. fringed with pigeons, feathers r This breaft-plate is hung
on the neck by-a firing, and. defends the breaft againft the thruft of:
one o f their lances, headed with fpines of the firing-ray,* Themaking.
thefe war-dreftes requires very curious- and dextrous werkman
(hip, and likewife a good deal o f time and patience.
T h e manufadturing various- bafkets,. ftools, cloth-beaters, and.
other utenfils,. tools,, and inftruments,. in ufe among thefe nations,,
is fo multifarious, that: a minute defoription o f them would require
too much time; we muft not therefore enter upon the detail; but
will confine ourfelves to a brief defoription o f the third great:
branch.-of mechanical, arts, exercjfed by thefe people, and relating.
to.
•» A good and faithful reprdcntation of one-of-ithcfcbreaft-platcsjnay befjtenih HawM-
ttrorth’s ‘Compilation, vol. ii. p. 184,. plate No. 8, drawn., and. engraved by Mr. Jamesf
Eobevts,