Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 - No. 0391
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[Page 391
Oheteroa
August 1769
lute string silks in England are wove all the streight lines upon them drawn with such accuracy that we were almost in doubt whether or not they were stampd on with some kind of press. [See image for illustration.] The red cloth was painted in this manner with black the lead coulord with white. Of this cloth generaly the lead coulourd they had on a short jacket that reachd about their Knees made of one peice with a hole through which they put their heads the sides of which hole was contrary to any thing I have seen before stichd with long stitches This was confind to their bodies by a peice of Yellow cloth which pass'd behind their necks & came across their breasts in two broad stripes crossing each other it was then collected round their waists in the form of a belt under which was another of the red cloth so that the whole made a very gay & warlike apearance Some had on their heads caps as before describd made of the tails of tropick birds but they did not become them so well as a peice of white or lead colourd cloth which the most of them had wound on like a small turban
Their arms consisted of long lances made of the etoa or hard wood well polishd & sharpnd at one end of these there were some near 20 feet long & scarce so thick as three fingers they had also clubs or pikes of the same wood about 7 feet long well polishd & sharpned at one end into a broad point. [See image for illustration.] how expert they may be in the use of these weapons we cannot tell but the weapons themselves seem more intended for shew than use as the lance was not pointed with