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not proof against the fascinations of iron。 Captain Cook says that
one of them； after resisting all other temptations； 〃was at length
ensnared by the charms of basket of nails。〃 Another lurked about for
several days； watching the opportunity to steal a coal…rake。
The navigators found they could pay their way from island to island
merely with scraps of iron； which were as useful for the purpose as
gold coins would have been in Europe。 The drain； however； being
continuous； Captain Cook became alarmed at finding his currency
almost exhausted； and he relates his joy on recovering an old anchor
which the French Captain Bougainville had lost at Bolabola； on which
he felt as an English banker would do after a severe run upon him for
gold； when suddenly placed in possession of a fresh store of bullion。
The avidity for iron displayed by these poor islanders will not be
wondered at when we consider that whoever among them was so fortunate
as to obtain possession of an old nail； immediately became a man of
greater power than his fellows； and assumed the rank of a capitalist。
〃An Otaheitan chief；〃 says Cook； 〃who had got two nails in his
possession； received no small emolument by letting out the use of
them to his neighbours for the purpose of boring holes when their own
methods failed； or were thought too tedious。〃
The native methods referred to by Cook were of a very clumsy sort；
the principal tools of the Otaheitans being of wood； stone； and
flint。 Their adzes and axes were of stone。 The gouge most commonly
used by them was made out of the bone of the human forearm。 Their
substitute for a knife was a shell； or a bit of flint or jasper。
A shark's tooth； fixed to a piece of wood； served for an auger；
a piece of coral for a file； and the skin of a sting…ray for a
polisher。 Their saw was made of jagged fishes' teeth fixed on the
convex edge of a piece of hard wood。 Their weapons were of a
similarly rude description； their clubs and axes were headed with
stone； and their lances and arrows were tipped with flint。 Fire was
another agency employed by them； usually in boat…building。 Thus； the
New Zealanders； whose tools were also of stone； wood； or bone； made
their boats of the trunks of trees hollowed out by fire。
The stone implements were fashioned； Captain Cook says； by rubbing
one stone upon another until brought to the required shape； but；
after all； they were found very inefficient for their purpose。 They
soon became blunted and useless； and the laborious process of making
new tools had to be begun again。 The delight of the islanders at
being put in possession of a material which was capable of taking a
comparatively sharp edge and keeping it； may therefore readily be
imagined； and hence the remarkable incidents to which we have
referred in the experience of the early voyagers。 In the minds of the
natives； iron became the representative of power； efficiency； and
wealth； and they were ready almost to fall down and worship their new
tools； esteeming the axe as a deity； offering sacrifices to the saw；
and holding the knife in especial veneration。
In the infancy of all nations the same difficulties must have been
experienced for want of tools； before the arts of smelting and
working in metals had become known； and it is not improbable that the
Phoenician navigators who first frequented our coasts found the same
avidity for bronze and iron existing among the poor woad…stained
Britons who flocked down to the shore to see their ships and exchange
food and skins with them； that Captain Cook discovered more than two
thousand years later among the natives of Otaheite and New Zealand。
For； the tools and weapons found in ancient burying…places in all
parts of Britain clearly show that these islands also have passed
through the epoch of stone and flint。
There was recently exhibited at the Crystal Palace a collection of
ancient European weapons and implements placed alongside a similar
collection of articles brought from the South Seas； and they were in
most respects so much alike that it was difficult to believe that
they did not belong to the same race and period； instead of being the
implements of races sundered by half the globe； and living at periods
more than two thousand years apart。 Nearly every weapon in the one
collection had its counterpart in the other；the mauls or celts of
stone； the spearheads of flint or jasper； the arrowheads of flint or
bone； and the saws of jagged stone； showing how human ingenuity；
under like circumstances； had resorted to like expedients。 It would
also appear that the ancient tribes in these islands； like the New
Zealanders； used fire to hollow out their larger boats； several
specimens of this kind of vessel having recently been dug up in the
valleys of the Witham and the Clyde； some of the latter from under
the very streets of modern Glasgow。*
＇footnote。。。
〃Mr。John Buchanan； a zealous antiquary； writing in 1855； informs us
that in the course of the eight years preceding that date； no less
than seventeen canoes had been dug out of this estuarine silt ＇of the
valley of the Clyde＇； and that he had personally inspected a large
number of them before they were exhumed。 Five of them lay buried in
silt under the streets of Glasgow； one in a vertical position with
the prow uppermost； as if it had sunk in a storm。。。。 Almost every one
of these ancient boats was formed out of a single oak…stem； hollowed
out by blunt tools； probably stone axes； aided by the action of fire；
a few were cut beautifully smooth； evidently with metallic tools。
Hence a gradation could be traced from a pattern of extreme rudeness
to one showing great mechanical ingenuity。。。。 In one of the canoes a
beautifully polished celt or axe of greenstone was found； in the
bottom of another a plug of cork； which； as Mr。 Geikie remarks；
'could only have come from the latitudes of Spain； Southern France；
or Italy。'〃 Sir C。 LYELL； Antiquity of Man； 48…9。
。。。＇
Their smaller boats； or coracles； were made of osiers interwoven；
covered with hides； and rigged with leathern sails and thong tackle。
It will readily be imagined that anything like civilization； as at
present understood； must have been next to impossible under such
circumstances。 〃Miserable indeed；〃 says Carlyle； 〃was the condition
of the aboriginal savage； glaring fiercely from under his fleece of
hair； which with the beard reached down to his loins； and hung round
them like a matted cloak； the rest of his body sheeted in its thick
natural fell。 He loitered in the sunny glades of the forest； living
on wild fruits； or； as the ancient Caledonians； squatted himself in
morasses； lurking for his bestial or human prey； without implements；
without arms； save the ball of heavy flint； to which； that his sole
possession and defence might not be lost； he had attached a long cord
of plaited thongs； thereby recovering as well as hurling it with
deadly； unerring sk