a piece of cloth over their
Shoulders as the Men do; this is generally of the Thrum kind. I hardly
ever saw a Woman wear a piece of fine cloth. One day at Talago I saw a
strong proof that the Women never appear naked, at least before
strangers. Some of us hapned to land upon a small Island where several of
them were Naked in the Water, gathering of Lobsters and shell fish; as
soon as they saw us some of them hid themselves among the Rocks, and the
rest remain'd in the Sea until they had made themselves Aprons of the Sea
Weed; and even then, when they came out to us, they shew'd Manifest signs
of Shame, and those who had no method of hiding their nakedness would by
no means appear before us.

The Women have all very soft Voices, and may by that alone be known from
the Men. The Making of cloth and all other Domestick work is, I believe,
wholy done by them, and the more Labourious work, such as building Boats,
Houses, Tilling the ground, etc., by the Men. Both men and women wear
ornaments at their Ears and about their Necks; these are made of stone,
bone, Shells, etc., and are variously shaped; and some I have seen wear
human Teeth and finger Nails, and I think we were told that they did
belong to their deceased friends. The Men, when they are dressed,
generally wear 2 or 3 long white feathers stuck upright in their Hair,
and at Queen Charlotte's sound many, both men and women, wore Round Caps
made of black feathers.

[War Practices of New Zealanders.]

The old men are much respected by the younger, who seem to be govern'd
and directed by them on most Occasions. We at first thought that they
were united under one head or Chief, whose Name is Teeratu; we first
heard of him in Poverty Bay, and he was own'd as Chief by every one we
met with from Cape Kidnappers to the Northward and Westward as far as the
Bay of Plenty, which is a great extent of territories for an Indian
Prince. When we were upon the East Coast they always pointed inland to
the Westward for the place of his residence, which I believe to be in the
Bay of Plenty, and that those Hippas or fortified Towns are Barrier Towns
either for or against him; but most likely the former, and if so, may be
the utmost Extent of his Dominions to the Westwards, for at Mercury bay
they did not own him as their Prince, nor no where else either to the
Westward or Southward, or any other single person; for at whatever place
we put in at, or whatever people we spoke with upon the