Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/304

246 These are all that can be properly called arms, but besides these the chiefs when they came to attack us carried in their hands a kind of ensign of distinction in the same manner as ours do spontoons: these were either the rib of a whale, as white as snow, carved very much, and ornamented with dogs' hair and feathers, or a stick about six feet long, carved and ornamented in the same manner, and generally inlaid with shell like mother-of-pearl. Of these chiefs there were in their war canoes one, two, or three, according to the size of the canoes. When within about a cable's length of the ship, they generally rose up, dressed themselves in a distinguishing dress (often of dog's skin), and holding in their hands either one of their spontoons or a weapon, directed the rest of the people how to proceed. They were always old, or at least past the middle age, and had upon them a larger quantity of amoca than usual. These canoes commonly paddled with great vigour till they came within about a stone's throw of the ship (having no idea that any missive could reach them farther), and then began to threaten us; this, indeed, the smaller canoes did, as soon as they were within hearing. Their words were almost universally the same, "Haromai haromai, harre uta a patoo-patoo oge," "Come to us, come to us, come but ashore with us, and we will kill you with our patoo-patoos."

In this manner they continued to threaten us, venturing by degrees nearer and nearer till they were close alongside: at intervals talking very civilly, and answering any questions we asked them, but quickly renewing their threats till they had by our non-resistance gained courage enough to begin their war-song and dance; after which they either became so insolent that we found it necessary to chastise them by firing small shot at them, or else threw three or four stones on board, and, as if content with having offered such an insult unavenged, left us.

The war-song and dance consists of various contortions of the limbs, during which the tongue was frequently thrust out incredibly far, and the orbits of their eyes enlarged so much that a circle of white was distinctly seen round the