us
perfumes of their own, derived from plants and possessing a
pleasant, powerful, and lasting odor; the choicest and rarest was
the gum of the _taramea_ (_Aciphylla Colensoi_), which was
gathered by virgins after the use of prayers and charms. Sir
Joseph Banks noted that Maori chiefs wore little bundles of
perfumes around their necks, and Cook made the same observation
concerning the young women. References to the four chief Maori
perfumes are contained in a stanza which is still often hummed to
express satisfaction, and sung by a mother to her child:--

"My little neck-satchel of sweet-scented moss,
My little neck-satchel of fragrant fern,
My little neck-satchel of odoriferous gum,
My sweet-smelling neck-locket of sharp-pointed _taramea_."

In the summer season the sleeping houses of Maori chiefs were
often strewed with a large, sweet-scented, flowering grass of
powerful odor. (W. Colenso, _Transactions of the New Zealand
Institute_, vol. xxiv, reprinted in _Nature_, November 10, 1892.)

Javanese women rub themselves with a mixture of chalk and strong
essence which, when rubbed off, leaves a distinct perfume on the
body. (Stratz, _Die Frauenkleidung_, p. 84.)

The Samoans, Friedlaender states (_Zeitschrift fuer Ethnologie_,
1899, p. 52), are very fond of fragrant and aromatic odors. He
gives a list of some twenty odorous plants which they use, more
especially as garlands for the head and neck, including
ylang-ylang and gardenia; he remarks that of one of these plants
(cordyline) he could not himself detect the odor.

The Nicobarese, Man remarks (_Journal of the Anthropological
Institute_, 1889, p. 377), like the natives of New Zealand,
particularly dislike the smell of carbolic acid. Both young men
and women are very partial to scents; the former say they find
their use a certain passport to the favor of their wives, and
they bring home from the jungle the scented leaves of a certain
creeper to their sweethearts and wives.

Swahili women devote much attention to perfuming themselves. When
a woman wishes to make herself desirable she anoints herself all
over with fragrant ointments, sprinkles herself with rose-water,
puts perfume into her clothes, strews jasmine flowers on her bed
as well as binding them round her neck and waist, and smokes