Such conduct, however, is, in some measure, to be expected where there appears to be but little subordination, and consequently few, if any, laws, to punish transgressions. For no man's authority seems to extend farther than his own family; and when, at any time, they join for mutual defence, or any other purpose, those amongst them who are eminent for courage or prudence, are directors. How their private quarrels are terminated is uncertain; but, in the few we saw, which were of little consequence, the parties concerned were clamorous and disorderly.
Their public contentions are frequent, or rather perpetual; for it appears, from their number of weapons, and dexterity in using them, that war is their principal profession. These weapons are spears, patoos and halberts, or sometimes stones. The first are made of hard wood pointed, of different lengths, from five, to twenty, or even thirty feet long. The short ones are used for throwing as darts. The patoo or emeete is of an elliptical shape, about eighteen inches long, with a handle made of wood, stone, the bone of some sea animal, or green jasper, and seems to be their principal dependence in battle. The halbert, or long club, is about five or six feet long, tapering at one end with a carved head, and at the other, broad or flat, with sharp edges.
Before they begin the onset, they join in a war-song, to which they all keep the exactest time, and soon raise their passion to a degree of frantic fury, attended with the most horrid distortion of their eyes, mouths, and tongues, to strike terror into their enemies; which, to those who have not been accustomed to such a practice, makes them appear more like demons than men, and would almost chill the boldest with fear. To this succeeds a circumstance, almost foretold in their fierce demeanour, horrid, cruel, and disgraceful to human nature; which is, cutting in pieces, even before being perfectly dead, the bodies of their enemies, and, after dressing them on a fire, devouring the flesh, not only without reluctance, but with peculiar satisfaction.
One might be apt to suppose, that people, capable of such excess of cruelty, must be destitute of every human feeling, even amongst their own party; and yet we find them lamenting the loss of their friends, with a violence of expression which argues the most tender remembrance of them. For both men and women, upon the death of those connected with them, whether in battle or otherwise, bewail them with the most doleful cries; at the same time cutting their foreheads and cheeks, with shells or pieces of flint, in large gashes, until the blood flows plentifully and mixes with their tears. They also carve pieces of their green stone, rudely shaped, as human figures, which they ornament with bright eyes of pearl-shell, and hang them about their necks, as memorials of those whom they held most dear; and their affections of this kind are so strong, that they even perform the ceremony of cutting, and lamenting for joy, at the return of any of their friends, who have been absent but for a short time.
The children are initiated, at a very early age, into all the practices, good or bad, of their fathers; so that you find a boy or girl, nine or ten years old, able to perform all the motions, and to imitate the frightful gestures, by which the more aged use to inspire their enemies with terror, keeping the strictest time in their song. They likewise sing, with some degree of melody, the traditions of their forefathers, their actions in war, and other indifferent subjects; of all which they are immoderately fond, and spend much of their time, in these amusements, and in playing on a sort of flute.
Their language is far from being harsh or disagreeable, though the pronunciation is frequently guttural; and whatever qualities are requisite in any other language to make it musical, certainly obtain to a considerable degree here, if we may judge from the melody of some sorts of their songs. It is also sufficiently comprehensive, though, in many respects, deficient, if compared with our European languages, which owe their perfection to long improvement. But a small specimen is here subjoined, from which some judgment may be formed. I collected a great many of their words, both now and in the course of our former voyage; and being equally attentive, in my enquiries, about the languages of the other islands throughout the South Sea, I have the amplest proof of their wonderful agreement, or rather identity. This general observation has, indeed, been already made in the accounts of the former voyages. I shall be enabled, however, to confirm and strengthen it, by a fresh list of words, selected from a large vocabulary in my possession; and by placing, in the opposite column, the corresponding words as used at Otaheite, the curious reader will, at one view, be furnished with sufficient materials for judging by what subordinate changes the difference of dialect has been effected.
English New Zealand. Otahaita.
Water, Ewy, Evy.
A tail of a dog, Wyeroo, Ero.
Death, dead, Kaoo, matte, matte, roa.
To fly, Ererre, Eraire.
A house, Ewharre, Ewharre.
To sleep, Moea, Moe.
A fish-hook, Makoee, Matou.
Shut, Opanee, Opanee.
A bed, Moenga Moera.
A butterfly, Epaipe, Pepe.
To chew, or eat, Hekaee, Ey.
Cold, Makkareede, Mareede.
To-day, Agooanai, Aooanai.
The hand, Reenga, Ereema.
Large, Keeerahoi, Erahoi.
Red, Whairo, Oora, oora.
We, Taooa, Taooa.
Where is it? Kahaia, Tehaia.
A stone, Powhy, Owhy.
A man, Tangata, Taata.
Black, Purra, purra, Ere, ere.
White, Ema, Ooama.
To reside, or dwell, Nohoanna, Nohonoa,
Out, not within, Woho, Woho.
Male kind (of any animal), Toa, Etoa.
Female, Eoowha, Eooha.
A shark, Mango, Mao.
To understand, Geetaia, Eetea.
Forgot, Warre, Ooaro.
Yesterday, Taeninnahoi, Ninnahoi.
One, Tahaee, Atahay.
Two, Rooa, Erooa.
Three, Toroo, Toroo.
Four, Faa, Ahaa.
Five, Reema, Ereema.
Six, Ono, Aono.
Seven, Heetoo, Aheitoo.
Eight, Waroo, Awaroo.
Nine, Eeva, Aeeva.
Ten, Angahoora, Ahooroo.
The New Zealanders to these numerals prefix Ma; as,
English. New Zealand.
Eleven, Matahee.
Twelve, etc.etc. Marooa, etc. etc.
Twenty, Maogahoora.
[CHAPTER II.]
FROM LEAVING NEW ZEALAND TO OUR ARRIVAL AT OTAHEITE, OR THE SOCIETY ISLANDS.