SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY 

VOLUME 2, Number 2 

New Zealand Artifacts from the 

United States 

"Transit of Venus Expedition" 

1874-1875 

Ian W. Keyes 

SMITHSONIAN PRESS 

Washington : 1967 
A Publication of the 

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 

United States National Museum 

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CARD 65-62172 

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1967 

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office 

Washington, D.C. 20402 Price 20 cents 
Contents 

Page 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv 

INTRODUCTION 21 

COLLECTIONS 22 

Lake Wakatipu 22 

Riverton, Southland 24 

Chatham Island 25 

LITERATURE CITED 27 

Illustrations 

PLATES 

5. Lake Wakatipu artifacts. 

6. Lake Wakatipu artifacts. 

7. Riverton, Southland, artifacts. 

8. Chatham Island artifacts. 

I ll 
Acknowledgments 

Appreciation is expressed to Dr. S. H. Riesenberg, Division of Ethnology, for the opportunity 

to study the "Transit of Venus" collections and for the assistance and many courtesies he kindly 

provided. Dr. I. G. Speden of the New Zealand Geological Survey and D. Simmons of the Otago 

Museum provided useful comments on the geographic localities from which the specimens were 

obtained. This study was conducted at the Smithsonian Institution during 1963-64 while associated 

with research supported by a grant (GB-353) from the National Science Foundation to Dr. D. F. 

Squires, Division of Marine Invertebrates. 

IWK 

New Zealand Geological Survey 

Lower Hutt 

New Zealand 

August 17, 1964 

IV 
New Zealand Artifacts from the United States 

"Transit of Venus Expedition," 

1874-1875 

By Ian W. Keyes 

Introduction 

On Monday, June 8, 1874, just over 90 years ago, 

the U.S. steamer Swatara, under Comdr. Ralph 

Chandler, U.S. Navy, sailed from New York Harbor— 

her destination, the remote sub-Antarctic Crozet and 

Kerguelen Islands, Tasmania, New Zealand, and the 

Chatham Islands. 

Three years previously, in 1871, a committee that 

had been established under the authorization of the 

U.S. Congress (U.S. Navy, 1875, p. 16; Newcomb, 

1880, p. 9) had completed earlier plans whereby a 

series of astronomical observatories would be established in various parts of the world during 1874, to 

conduct scientific observations on the "transit of 

Venus" scheduled to take place during December 9th 

of that year. Other countries also had formulated 

plans to send expeditions to suitable localities where 

that celestial event could most effectively be followed, 

particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. In addition 

to the five scientific parties which the U.S. Government planned to send into southern waters, three 

stations were scheduled for the Northern Hemisphere; 

at Nagasaki, Peking, and Vladivostok (Newcomb, 

1880, p. 12-13). The Swatara, with its complement 

of 26 astronomers and photographers, comprising the 

Southern Hemisphere contingent of the "Transit of 

Venus Expedition" along with stores, instruments, 

and equipment for establishing five observatories, set 

sail from New York for the 46° south latitude. 

The first call was at "Bahia" (Salvador, Brazil) on 

Friday, July 10 (Chandler, MS. a) from which the 

vessel proceeded to Cape Town where she arrived at 

Table Bay on Wednesday, August 5th. From here, 

on August 17th, she rounded the Cape of Good Hope 

heading east-southeastwards for the Crozet Islands 

where the first observation party was to be landed. 

221-353—67—^2 

However, the high winds and heavy seas that were 

encountered on August 31st when the islands were 

reached, precluded a landing, so the Swatara continued 

on her easterly course towards the Kerguelen group, 

the site selected for the next observatory. Three 

Island Harbor was reached on Monday, September 

7th. A camp was established at the northern end of 

Royal Sound and the scientific party landed, equipped 

for a long stay both to carry out the astronomical observations and to conduct additional biotic studies of 

the island (Kidder, 1875, 1876). On September 13th, 

the Swatara departed and headed for Hobart, Tasmania, where the next observatory was due to be sited. 

At Hobart, on October 3d, equipment and stores were 

unloaded for establishing this station and the instruments and personnel of the Crozet party were landed 

so that an additional observatory might be established 

at Gampbelltown (Newcomb, 1880, p. 18). 

Bluff Harbor, Southland, New Zealand, was reached 

on Friday, October 16th, and the New Zealand party 

under Prof. C. H. F. Peters was met by Lieut. E. H. 

Bass (assistant astronomer to the New Zealand party), 

who had spent 2 weeks in the country selecting the 

most suitable site for the Transit observatory. The 

Swatara saUed from Bluff Harbor on Saturday, October 

17th, and after a brief stop off the Tairua Heads at the 

entrance to Port Chalmers, headed for the Chatham 

Islands. Chatham Island was reached on Monday, 

October 19th, and the final party of nine under Edwin 

Smith, the chief astronomer, disembarked at Port Hutt 

(northwest shore of Petre Bay), where a station was 

established on rising ground to the west of Whangaroa 

Bay. The Swatara sailed from Petre Bay on Monday, 

October 26th, for New Zealand, then to Hobart, where 

she remained until after the Transit. 

21 
22 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY VOLUME 2 

Collections 

The "Transit of Venus Expedition" comprised one 

of the largest governmental scientific undertakings at 

that time to be organized for astronomical research, 

and yet played an important secondary role in the 

field of natural history. The overall published scientific astronomical results of the expedition are contained in Newcomb, 1880, and the complete additional 

natural history observations and descriptions of 

materials collected by the Kerguelen party and by 

Dr. E. Kershner, surgeon on the Swatara during the 

course of the year-long voyage, are to be found in 

Kidder (1875, 1876). 

The purpose of this paper is to describe unpublished 

ethnological and archeological specimens collected by 

the expedition from Chatham Island and New Zealand 

(pis. 5-8), which are retained in the ethnological 

collections of the Smithsonian Institution, U.S. 

National Museum, Washington, D.C. This material 

is of particular interest (apart from its historical 

connection) because the lithic artifacts collected from 

Lake Wakatipu record an interesting range of adz 

types referable to New Zealand's early eastern Polynesian culture, from a rather remote inland portion 

of the South Island. Amongst the objects obtained 

at Riverton, Southland, several possess unique characteristics, while the artifacts from Chatham Island 

provide additional data on the material culture 

possessed by the inhabitants of this remote outpost of 

early eastern Polynesian culture. 

LAKE WAKATIPU 

The site selected by Lieutenant Bass for the New 

Zealand observatory was at Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu. The six-man party established their observatory 

on the terrace northeast of Queenstown along Melbourne Street, on section 10 and 11, block 32, and 

occupied the site for approximately 11 weeks. 

The collection of artifacts described below (pis. 5 

and 6), owes its existence to Israel Russell, first 

assistant photographer of the New Zealand party, who 

evidently explored the surrounding region collecting 

artifacts, native birds, bones of the extinct moa, plants, 

insects, Crustacea, and small vertebrates, destined for 

the Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian Institution, 

1876, pp. 49-50). The available information concerning the artifacts collected comes from Kidder 

(1876, p. 83): "There are a large number of fossil 

shells from Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand, and of 

recent forms from the same pit in which the Maori 

implements were found." Although the site for this 

cache of adzes cannot be determined with precision, 

it is possible to deduce within reasonable limits the 

likely locality concerned. 

Lake Wakatipu, situated in the Province of Otago, 

South Island, is the longest lake in the country—50 

miles in length. Filling a synclinal depression deeply 

gouged by Pleistocene glacial action out of the Otago 

chlorite schist, the lake occupies a generally steeply 

cliffed indentation. It is difficult to reconcile from 

the locality information the concomitant association 

of "fossil" and recent shells in a pit at Lake Wakatipu. 

The reference to "fossil shells" is considered misleading, for true fossils are very rare in this region of 

metamorphic rocks. There is a locality at Bobs Cove, 

of Landon Series (Oligocene) age limestone, downfaulted into the schist, which has yielded a few sparse 

fossils, but this is confined to a rather inaccessible 

location (particularly in 1874) about 9 miles west of 

Queenstown and is not worthy of consideration in 

the argument. Rather, it is more certain that the 

reference to "fossUs" is to a midden deposit of lake 

shells (or perhaps to subfossil land mollusca). Freshwater pelecypods are common in the shallow parts 

of Lake Wakatipu, particularly around the Frankton 

Arm, whereas the northern end of the lake, though 

shallow, is not suitable owing to influxes of cold meltwater accompanied by much silt. The Frankton Arm 

area is shallow and much warmer than most other 

areas of the lake, and is known to have been both a 

camping and eeling site of the later Maori. The 

information Kidder recorded indicates that the pit 

must have been situated along the shores of the 

Frankton Arm northeast of Queenstown, toward the 

outlet of the Kawarau River. The adzes were 

probably uncovered in a cache; perhaps when a pit 

was excavated in gravels which also revealed freshwater lake shells—either as part of a midden or mixed 

with the gravel. 

The rock types represented by the Wakatipu Lake 

adzes are considered to be locally derived. They are 

all essentially Paleozoic Maitai or Te Anau Series 

sedimentary rocks varying from coarse to fine grain 

size, of a dark green-gray to black color. However, 

they are specially selected types and have a hardness 

above that of normal indurated sediments of Paleozoic 

age. It is likely that they were associated with the 

ultramafic belt (Red Mountain Ultramafics and 

Livingstone Volcanics) which lies westward of the 

lake (between Te Anau and Wakatipu Lakes), where 

inclusions of contact-baked, silicified tuffaceous sandstones, mudstones, graywackes, and argillites are 

present, to which have been imparted an additional 

toughness and hardness necessary in a material from 
PLATE 5 

Lake Wakatipu artifacts 
\ \ huff'* - 'i.-.-^i,'^^ iSt^i 

^^i^A & 

A * 

g 

I I I 

2 3 

± _ j L 

INCHES 

PLATE 6 

Lake Wakatipu artifacts 
0 I 2 3 j 

I 1 I I I I I 

INCHES 

;•-. ' ^ 

0 i I 

1 ' I I I ' I • I 

INCH 

1 

N 

C 

H 

E 

S 

- 0 

- 1 

- 2 

^-3 

- 4 

- 5 

0 I 

I • I I I I I I 

INCHES 

PLATE 7 

Riverton, Southland, artifacts 
PLATE 8 

Chatham Island artifacts 
NUMBER 2 KEYES: NEW ZEALAND ARTIFACTS 23 

which adzes are to be made. Because their significance 

lies in the fact that they are altered sediments (like the 

famous soda-metasomatised argillite of conchoidal 

fracture tha t outcrops along the Nelson-Marlborough 

Mineral Belt, the northern extension of this ultramafic 

belt), they are termed herein as "metamorphosed" 

graywackes or mudstones. 

No. 21227 (pi. 5, a-c; anterior, lateral, and posterior 

views).—^Tanged quadrangular adz of green-gray, finegrained tuffaceous metamorphosed mudstone. Surfaces 

polished. Length, 10 in. (254 mm.); maximum width at 

cutting edge, 2^6 in. (62 mm.); width of butt, iVi in. (32 

mm.); thickness at butt shoulder, 1% in. (47 mm.); weight, 

2 lbs. 13K ozs. Anterior surface convex longitudinally 

from butt shoulder to cutting edge; posterior, f^at beneath 

tang, becoming concave towards bevel shoulder. Greater 

transverse convexity of anterior surface than posterior, as 

well as greater width. Even taper of lateral edges from 

cutting edge to butt. Lateral edges transversely flat, with 

angles sharp. Cutting edge chipped. Rounded blade 

bevel, 2iJ{( in. (68 mm.) long, terminates in a raised bevel 

shoulder. Bevel surface transversely hollowed. Marked 

deep reduction of anterior surface to form pronounced 

transversely rovmded tang, 2% in. (70 mm.) in length, 

downcurving towards butt. No reduction on posterior 

surface. Slightly upraised butt shoulder, prominent on 

lateral margins of anterior surface. Tang surface flaked 

and pecked; butt luiworked. 

No. 21228 (pi. 5, d; anterior view).—Quadrangular tanged 

adz of hard, fine-grained, greenish metamorphosed mudstone. Cutting edge broken; surfaces ground. Length of 

specimen (incomplete), 6K in. (165 mm.); maximum width, 

at blade break, 2% in. (60 mm.); maximum thickness, at 

butt shoulder, lYi in. (32 mm.); weight, 1 lb. Anterior 

surface longitudinally convex from butt shoulder towards 

cutting edge, and transversely curved. Posterior surface 

shows less convexity, and grades into blade bevel (damaged). 

Specimen tapers evenly in width from cutting edge to butt. 

Anterior width slightly greater than posterior and lateral 

angles prominent throughout specimen. A tang, marked 

by a slightly raised butt shoulder, 2K6 in. (52 mm.) from the 

butt, is formed by the rounding of the anterior lateral margins to produce a strong transverse curve. No lateral 

reduction on posterior surface. 

No. 21231 (pi. 5, e-g; anterior, posterior, and lateral 

views).—Large elongated, massive tanged quadrangular 

adz, of hard, coarse-grained, green-gray metamorphosed 

Paleozoic graywacke. Entire surface bruised to give even, 

regular, finely-pitted texture. Length, 19^ in. (488 mm.); 

maximum width, at midsection, ?>]/% in. (79 mm.); width of 

cutting edge, 2% in. (70 mm.); butt width, 1% in. (41 mm.); 

maximum thickness, taken at midsection, 2%. in. (66 mm.); 

weight, 10 lbs. The specimen, throughout its length, tapers 

evenly in width from midsection to cutting edge and butt 

extremities. Anterior surface follows a gradual curve 

throughout its length. Posterior flat with slight concavity 

beneath tang. Cross section forms a "rounded quadrangle" 

with the anterior and the two lateral surfaces showing equal 

transverse convexity. The posterior surface is transversely 

flat. Longitudinal angles distinct throughout length. 

Prominent butt shoulder 4}i in. (108 mm.) forward of the 

butt marks a distinct tang, formed by reduction of the 

anterior surface. From the butt shoulder, the tang descends 

in a moderate curve to the poll. Cutting edge slightly 

curved, with the flat blade bevel extending along the 

posterior surface for 5% in. (146 mm.) and terminating in 

a marked bevel shoulder in the form of a distinct transverse 

ridge. Although raised, this ridge is not abrupt. 

Of the entire range of adz types collected by the "Transit 

of Venus Expedition," this specimen ranks as one of the 

most important. It is characteristic of a certain specialised 

adz form which is restricted to the Southland district of the 

South Island of New Zealand (Skinner, 1943, p. 65; Duff", 

1950, p. 159-160, fig. 34, Type I, variety D; 1959, p. 130). 

This additional record extends the distributional range of 

other past recorded occurrences of this type both inland and 

northwards into the Otago Province. These adz forms are 

all characterized by their huge size and weight, the coarsegrained stone used, the carefully shaped and worked surfaces with restricted or no polishing, their rounded quadrangular cross section, the dominance of the opposed blade 

bevel and tang reduction over the length of the artifact, the 

raised transverse ridge at the bevel shoulder (also often 

present at the butt shoulder), and their restricted geographic 

occurrence (Best, 1912, p. 248-250, pis. 13, 13a). The 

specimen figured herein ranks as being the largest and 

heaviest of its type to be recorded. 

No. 21229 (pi. 6, a,b; anterior and lateral views).—Tanged 

quadrangular adz of dark, coarse-grained metamorphosed 

graywacke. Length, 9^ in. (241 mm.); width, 2}^ in. (57 

mm.); thickness, Ij^ in. (38 mm.); weight, 2 lbs. 1 oz. The 

specimen exhibits longitudinal convexity on both anterior 

and posterior surfaces as well as transverse convexity in 

section. Anterior surface wider than posterior with considerable rounding of the posterior lateral margins. Cutting 

edge in anterior and end view, convex in outline. Blade 

bevel forms continuous curve with posterior surface. A 

flattened tapering tang, 3 in. (76 mm.) in length is formed 

from shallow reduction of the anterior surface, steepening 

towards the poU, with rounding of the anterior lateral 

margins. A very slightly raised butt shoulder is present. 

Concavity in the posterior surface beneath the tang produces a marked thinning towards the poll, giving greater 

width than depth to the tang. Poll width, 1% in. (35 mm.); 

poU thickness, % in. (16 mm.). Anterior surface and blade 

bevel polished, remaining surfaces bruised and pecked. 

This specimen in a hafted condition was figured by Buck 

(1950, p. 185, fig. 2>lb), in a line sketch. 

No. 21232 (pi. 6, c-e; anterior, posterior, and lateral 

views).—Tanged quadrangular adz of dark, coarse-grained 

metamorphosed graywacke (or grit). Length, 8)^ in. (216 

mm.); width, 2% in. (61 mm.); thickness, 1^ in. (38 mm,); 

weight, 1 lb. XAYI ozs. The specimen tapers evenly from 

cutting edge to poll in anterior outline. Anterior and 

posterior surfaces longitudinally and transversely convex, 

with greater longitudinal curvature on posterior. Greater 

width of anterior over posterior surface with well defined 

longitudinal angles. Cutting edge straight, with steep 
24 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY VOLUME 2 

blade bevel. Secondary curve on the bevel follows smoothly 

into the posterior surface. At 2% in. (58 mm.) from the poll, 

a slight butt shoulder marks the reduction of the anterior 

surface to form a tang, with strong rounding of the anterior 

margins to give a semicircular section. Poll width, 1%6 in. 

(40 mm.); poll thickness, iKe in. (27 mm.). Specimen 

polished, except for tang which retains bruised condition. 

No. 21233 (pi. 6, / ; lateral view).—Large rounded triangular-sectioned adz of the "hogback" type, in greenishgray metamorphosed mudstone. Specimen in process of 

manufacture. Entire surface bruised to shape except for 

butt extremity and anterior, posterior, and lateral edges 

which form the cutting edge, these remaining in a roughly 

flaked condition. Length, lOji in. (257 mm.); maximum 

width, 2%6 in. (64 mm.); maximum thickness, SYn in. (81 

mm.); weight, 4:% lbs. Anterior and posterior surfaces 

longitudinally convex, with slight reduction of anterior 

surface, 3 in. (76 mm.) from butt, to form tang. Posterior 

and lateral surfaces transversly rounded. 

No. 21234 (pi. 6, g; left lateral view).—Triangularsectioned adz of the "hogback" variety, of hard green metamorphosed mudstone. Length, 9 in. (229 mm.); maximum 

width, lYu in. (31 mm.); width of cutting edge, %& in. (8 

mm.); maximum thickness, 2 in. (51 mm.); weight, 1 lb. 

1% ozs. The artifact, although completed, retains boldly 

flaked uneven surfaces with little bruising and with grinding 

restricted to the bevels forming the cutting edge and along 

the narrow anterior surface. Anterior surface is convex 

longitudinally, while posterior is flattened by bruising, and 

curves into the rounded, ground, blade bevel 2K in. (64 

mm.) in length. Cutting edge is narrow, semicircular and 

transversely arched. Reduction of anterior (primarily) and 

posterior surfaces, 2% in. (70 mm.) from butt, to form tang. 

No. 21236 (pi. 6, h; anterior view).—Unfinished, bruised, 

quadrangular adz blank, of dark blue-gray, medium 

grained metamorphosed graywacke. Length, 7% in. (189 

mm.); maximum width, at cutting edge, 2%$ in. (65 mm.); 

maximum thickness, IXe in. (33 mm.). Both anterior and 

posterior surfaces thoroughly bruised to give a rough pitted 

texture. The left lateral edge still retains a thin veneer of 

natural weathering along a smooth joint-plane surface. A 

sharp clean transverse break forms the abrupt butt. 

No. 21235 (pi. 6, i, j ; anterior and lateral views).— 

Strongly tapering, tanged, polished quadrangular adz of 

hard, medium gray, fine-grained, metamorphosed graywacke. Length, 8^6 in. (208 mm.); maximum width, at 

cutting edge, 2% in. (73 mm.); width at butt, % in. (16 mm.), 

maximum thickness, at midsection, 1% in. (29 mm.); 

weight, 1 lb. 3% ozs. This unusually tapering specimen is 

particularly distinctive through its great anterior and 

posterior longitudinal convexity. Anterior surface is more 

strongly arched and with greater transverse curvature than 

posterior. Transverse blade curvature decreases towards 

cutting edge; blade bevel, of steeply rounded slope, grades 

into posterior surface curvature. Anterior width slightly 

greater than posterior. Lateral angles prominent throughout length. A slight transverse butt shoulder ridge 2Y4 

in. (57 mm.) forward of the butt, marks the reduction of 

the two anterior lateral angles to form a round-sectioned 

tang which terminates in an almost conical poll. Less 

rounding of posterior laterals in forming tang. This adz 

by its unusual morphology is placed slightiy apart from the 

usual early New Zealand adz types, but its tang reduction 

positively maintains its inclusion within the early cultural 

adz forms. 

No. 21242 (not shown).—^A broken quadrangular adz 

blade of hard, fine-grained, greenish, metamorphosed mudstone. AU surfaces ground. Width at cutting edge, 2% 

in. (67 mm.); blade bevel, % in. (16 mm.), in the form of a 

smooth curve. Thickness of adz taken at midsection of 

break (2Ys in. from cutting edge), % in. (16 mm.). The adz 

type represented by this broken blade is included in the 

type "2A" category of Duff (1950, p. 162), and is characterised by its tangless, comparatively thin quadrangular 

form with anterior surface width greater than posterior. 

It is an abundant early adz type occurring prominently in 

all the famous moa hunting campsites of the South Island. 

No. 21238 (not shown).—Irregular flake, 4}{ in. long, of 

gray tuffaceous graywacke, struck from a stream boulder. 

A cutting edge has been ground on one edge. This specimen and the two below may represent surface finds, and 

probably do not form part of the adz cache. 

No. 21239 (not shown).—Flaked quadrangular adz 

blank, 5 in. long, of blue-green metamorphosed mudstone. 

No. 21243 (not shown).—A small narrow elongated 

chisel, 3Yi in. long, made from a stream pebble. The surface 

is covered with a hard chocolate-brown natural weathering 

patina and four bold flakes have produced a sharp cutting 

edge, exposing a blue-gray fine-grained metamorphosed 

mudstone matrix. 

RIVERTON , SOUTHLAN D 

Of the artifacts obtained from Riverton (pi. 7), only 

three items appea r to have actually been collected by 

Israel Russell. Th e remainder appea r to have been 

presented by private collectors; one whose name has 

been recorded was T. Daniels of Riverton. Although 

it cannot be confirmed, it is likely tha t all the donated 

specimens were originally collected locally. 

No. 21247 (pi. 7, a-c).—Decorative bone comb. This 

example of an ornamental bone comb is unique owing 

to its great length. This specimen was figured by Skinner 

(1930), but no measurements were included. It was 

obtained from the collection of T. Daniels of Riverton, on 

whose information it originally belonged to "Pokau" (or 

Pakau), and as Skinner suggests (p. 284) was probably 

buried with its owner and at a later period recovered and 

identified. Produced from a section of whalebone, it is 

UK in. (292 mm.) in length and 2)^ in. (57 mm.) in width 

at the head. Thickness, %5 in. (5 mm.). The comb tapers 

evenly in outline to the tooth points, and the teeth show 

even reduction throughout their length from %2 in. down to 

Ysz in. at their extremity. Three of the nine original teeth 

have been broken off. Skinner concludes that the comb 

was produced with a thin steel saw, as the tooth separation 

is extremely fine and even. The teeth margins are bevelled 
NUMBER 2 KEYES: NEW ZEALAND ARTIFACTS 25 

longitudinally and the tooth points are in the form of a 

truncated pyramid, a feature not typical in comb styles. 

At the head of the comb is a carefully carved inward-facing 

manaia. The eye of the manaia is recessed leaving a raised 

central boss which may have been designed for bearing a 

paua shell inlay. Of particular interest is the presence of 

seven serial notches transversely grooved across the head 

of the manaia. Although being of purely ornamental 

purpose, this may represent a link with a much earlier 

decorative art style, retained to a later date in this area 

than elsewhere, and traditionally older than the Ngai-Tahu 

introduced bone comb working, to which it was applied. 

No. 21248 (pi. 7, ^).—Wooden comb of 24 individually 

lashed teeth. Length, 2% in. (67 mm.); width, 1% in. 

(48 mm.); thickness at central binding, ]{ in. (7 mm.). 

The teeth are held in position between two thin medially 

placed splints of wood, which protrude beyond the end 

teeth. Crossed lashing between the teeth and diagonally 

around the splints, as well as looped binding around each 

tooth, holds them in position and provides even tooth 

spacing. With age, the thin binding has become limp. 

The teeth are an even length and taper toward the points 

(from %2 in. to /•^2 in.). The tooth points are formed by 

a double bevel on both faces, probably added after binding 

had been completed. This specimen is most unusual in 

that it does not conform to the conventional Polynesian 

style of separately toothed wooden combs, which are lashed 

at one end and always have greater length than width. 

For this reason then, the specimen cannot be classed amongst 

wooden ornamental combs but should be considered to be 

a comb of purely utilitarian purpose. 

No. 21246 (pi. 7, ^).—Flax purse. Length, IQYi in. (261 

mm.); height, 8% in. (210 mm.). Although obtained at 

Riverton, this specimen is said to have come from Stewart 

Island. In style it follows a modern European purse, both 

with carrying handle and triangular flap. The edge of the 

flap is bound with cloth stitched through the flax. Thin 

strands of flax K2 in. wide form the diagonal weave. An 

open square design of dyed flax, five strands wide, is interlaced with the diagonal weave. 

No. 21230 (pi. 7,/).—Hafted stone hammer. Length, 

18 in. (457 mm.); handle width, iK in. (28 mm.); weight, 

6 lbs. The handle is made from a branch bearing a natural 

fork, into which the striking stone is lashed. Considerable 

work has reduced the wooden handle from its natural state 

to a smooth symmetrical shape. The stone is a tough graygreen stream boulder of tremolite (or actinolite), showing 

patches of dark green nephrite, and obviously was originally 

collected from some West Coast streambed. It is held in 

the yoke by a net type lashing. The present lashing of 

double-strand twisted flax appears to have been a more 

modern addition. Further modern work is suggested by a 

hole bored through one prong of the fork to carry the present 

lashing, whereas the other prong has been scarfed for a 

lashing grip. All these features appear to be later modifications to the original artifact. Hafts for stone hammers are 

not common, as suitable hand held local boulders at a 

working site provided the usual tool. However, in view of 

the undoubtedly prized stone used, this artifact was a valued 

tool. Best (1912, p. 37, pi. 33), figures a similar hafted 

hammer from the North Island. 

Nos. 21228A, 21235A (pi. 7, g, A).—Wooden adz hafts. 

Three adz hafts were obtained by the expedition from 

Riverton. It is apparent, not only by their exellent state 

of preservation, but by the remains of an old label attached 

to one specimen that they were "presented" to the expedition, possibly from the T. Daniels private collection. They 

originally entered the Smithsonian collections associated 

with three adzes from Wakatipu Lake, but this association 

is entirely fortuitous. The hafts can be considered to be of 

late manufacture, for they exhibit definite working by metal 

tools. They are of light weight and were probably designed 

for hafting narrow flat iron blades. Because of the nearly 

identical similarity of all three specimens both in shape and 

actual dimensions, only one (No. 21228A) is described in 

detail. Total overall length, 20K in. (525 mm.); handle 

(kakau) diameter, % in. (22 mm.); foot (kauae) length, 5% in. 

(134 mm.); foot width, 1% in. (45 mm.); foot thickness at 

heel, lYi in. (32 mm.), at toe, 1 in. (25 mm.); toe flange 

length, ^Ke in. (20 mm.). All three specimens bear a transverse groove {tokari), between the toe and the shaft to facilitate recession of the lashing (taka). The handles are 

unworked and are curved towards the toe direction. 

Specimen No. 21229A (not shown) was sketched by Buck 

(1950, p. 185, fig, 37^) with an adz lashed in position. 

Five additional lithic specimens were obtained by the 

expedition from Riverton but are not figured. They all 

represent surface collections from a coastal area. 

No. 21237 (not shown).—Flaked quadrangular adz blank, 

bruised in some areas; 5% in, long, of green-gray metamorphosed mudstone. 

No. 21240 (not shown).—Flaked stone of green-gray metamorphosed mudstone. One surface with natural weathering 

patina. No true adz shape discernible. 

No. 36946 (not shown).—Partially flaked core of brown 

chert. These three specimens were presented to the 

expedition by T, Daniels of Riverton, 

No. 21244 (not shown).—Small completely flaked quadrangular stone, 3 in, long, of gray-green metamorphosed 

argillite. Possibly a portion of a broken adz blank. 

No. 21245 (not shown).—Small flaked, splay bladed 

chisel, 2% in. long, composed of similar material. These 

two specimens were collected by I. Russell. 

CHATHA M ISLAN D 

T h e artifacts collected from the Chatham Island 

(pi. 8), were obtained by Dr. E. Kershner, surgeon of 

the Swatara, during the two occasions when the vessel 

was anchored in Petre Bay. Thre e specimens (nos, 

17276-17278) bear the locality reference "Morgenni, " 

but this name should be considered to actually read 

"Maunganui " (personal communication, D. Simmons, 

Otago Museum), which is a locality on the northwest 

coast of the island. Th e remaining specimens give 

Chatham Island as their only locality, but could have 

been picked up from the large area of sand dunes 
26 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY VOLUME 2 

between T e Whanga Lagoon and the northwestern 

end of Petre Bay which has yielded much artifactual 

material in the past (Skinner, 1923, p, 10), Mr, 

Edwin Smith, leader of the observing team, also obtained three skulls (Kidder, 1876, p . 83), one of which 

is specifically stated to be surface collected (ibid., p. 

80) from an area in which huma n skeletal remains 

were exposed in the dunes through the agency of the 

weather. (Specimen No. 20256, a small adz, has not 

been relocated amongst the ethnological collections.) 

Prehistorically, the cultural affinities of the early 

Chatham Island "Moriori " culture lie very close to 

that of the earliest cultural group to occupy New 

Zealand, who originally stemmed from a marginal 

eastern Polynesian source. It appears tha t the earliest 

settlement of the Chatham Islands was by a group 

originating from the South Island of New Zealand 

(Skinner, 1923, p . 132; Duff, 1956, pp. 147-148) for 

it is here that the closest relationships lie. Early 

Chatham Island material culture did, however, diverge 

in some ways from its close New Zealand South Island 

relative through the development of certain characteristic artifact forms, due to the influence of the 

specialised local environment. At later times there 

does appear to have been a further minor influence 

from New Zealand, probably from the North Island, 

as certain artifact types (as described below), do not 

bear strict relationships to the earlier predominant 

eastern Polynesian forms. 

No. 17278 (pi, 8, a, b; anterior and lateral views).— 

Quadrangular tangless adz of medium gray basalt. All 

surfaces ground. Length, 7% in. (195 mm.); maximum 

width, at cutting edge, 2Yi in. (57 mm.); maximum thickness, ^Yif, in. (24 mm.); weight, 1 lb. 2% ozs. Anterior surface 

exhibits even longitudinal and transverse convexity. 

Posterior flat, with only slight transverse curvature. 

Anterior width slightly greater than posterior. The poll, 

although essentially rough, has been partially modified by 

lateral rounding. Blade bevel, in the form of a smooth 

flat curve, grades into posterior surface without visible 

bevel shoulder. Minor subsidiary bevelling on anterior 

surface at the cutting edge is present. 

This specimen can be regarded as typical of many 

quadrangular adzes found in the Chathams (Skinner, 1923, 

pi. 19). Duff (1950, p. 163), includes this adz form in 

his type 2A. The place of these rectangular-sectioned 

adzes in the culture of the Moriori is difficult to access, for 

their relationships lie both with early South Island adzes 

of similar type and with types found in the North Island 

of much later cultural origin. The frequency of occurrence 

of this type in the Chathams may well be the result of 

an increased selective emphasis on this early Moriori type 

through a later influence from the North Island. 

No. 17277 (pi. 8, c, d; anterior and lateral views).—Ovoidsectioned adz, produced from a partially worn natural 

cobble of hard black basalt. Length, 6 in. (153 mm.); 

width, 2% in. (66 mm.); maximum thickness \^Yu in. (46 

mm.); weight, 1 lb. 9)^ ozs. Specimen ovoid or elliptical in 

outline and cross section, and approaching axial symmetry 

in lateral aspect. Posterior surface can be distinguished, 

however, by slightly steeper curvature of the bevel. No 

bevel shoulders or lateral angles, as all surfaces grade into 

anterior and posterior. Cutting edge sharp and semicircular; butt rounded. Surfaces well polished. 

No. 20255 (pi. 8, e,f; anterior and lateral views).—Ovoidsectioned adz, of black basalt. Surfaces ground. Cutting 

edge broken and chipped on anterior surface. Length, 

5^Y\& in. (145 mm.); width, 2 ^ in. (63 mm,); thickness, at 

mid section, 1}^ in. (28 mm.); weight, 12% ozs. Specimen 

nearing axial symmetry in lateral view. Posterior surface 

exhibits greater longitudinal and transverse convexity than 

anterior, with slightly steeper curvature forming blade 

bevel. Blade bevel grades imperceptibly into smooth curve 

of posterior surface. No lateral edges or bevel shoulder. 

Specimens 17277 and 20255 can be considered to be 

important representatives of an adz type which did not 

diffuse to the Chatham Islands from the Moriori cultural 

homeland of the South Island. (Duff, 1950, pp, 163, 167.) 

Rather, the presence of this ovoid-sectioned adz type 

(Skinner, 1923, type 4, pi. 21, figs, a-d)—rare and intrusive 

in the South Island (Duflf, 1959, p. 133), is believed to be 

sufficient indication of a later element or influence from the 

North Island, as these adz forms essentially only find their 

counterparts from this region. 

No. 17276 (pi. 8, g).—Patu of gray muscovite schist. 

Length, 13% in. (350 mm.); blade width, 4% in. (111 mm.); 

handle width, 1% in, (41 mm.); handle thickness, 1 in. 

(26 mm.). This exceptionally fine specimen of a Moriori 

schist patu (pohatu taharua) was figured previously by Skinner 

and Baucke (1928, pi. 58, fig. A), although the actual 

given length was underestimated. This specimen was 

chosen by Skinner as the type of his Moriori patu group IV 

(ibid., p. 353) which is a specialised group of patu characterised by the presence of two carved opposed stylized 

human heads on the handle knob. In this case, additional 

surface ornamentation is present on the blade in the form 

of a pair of curved "brow ridges" in low relief, concave 

towards the distal end of the artifact. (This latter feature 

is characteristic of Skinner's/)«/« group III.) The faces on 

the handle are 1 % in. (32 mm.) in length, while the "brow" 

motif (occurring on both blade faces) is 3 in. (76 mm.) in 

length. 

No. 20254 (pi. 8, A).—Patu of gray-green muscovite 

schist. Surface roughly ground. Length, 11% in. (288 

mm.); width, 4}^ in. (115 mm.); handle width, 1% in, 

(48 mm.); thickness, 1% in. (32 mm.); weight, 3 lbs. 3 ozs. 

In outline, the specimen approaches the okewa (billhook or 

bird form type of patu), which is a particularly diagnostic 

artifact of the Chatham Islands' Moriori culture and not 

found elsewhere in the Pacific. On edge view, the specimen 

is fiat with no surface reduction except marginal rounding. 

In outline, the distal end of the patu and one longitudinal 

edge form an even curve thus giving the artifact its characteristic nonsymmetrical shape. The other longitudinal 
NUMBER 2 KEYES: NEW ZEALAND ARTIFACTS 27 

edge is slightly concave. Both edges taper concavely to Woven from thin strips %2 in, wide, in diagonal plait. The 

form the handle, producing marked shoulders at the points basket type suggests that two carrying handles were required 

of lateral reduction. The handle is longitudinally concave to be added. The basket, according to Dr, E. Kershner, 

with convex expansion at the end to form a knob. is said to have been made by "old Tenant's Maori wife," 

No. 17279 (pi. 8, 0-—Flax (Phormium tenax) basket or thus it is likely to be of traditional Maori work rather than 

"kit," Length, 16 in. (406 mm.); height, 9}^ in, (235 mm,). Moriori. 

Literature Cited 

BEST, E . 

1912. The stone implements of the Maori. Dominion Mus., Bull. No. 4. 410 pp., 51 pis. 

Wellington, N.Z. 

BUCK, P. H. 

1950. The coming of the Maori. Maori Purposes Fund Board. 551 pp., 24 pis. Wellington. 

CHANDLER, RALPH 

. Commander, U.S.S. Swatara—log books: vol. 1, May 11, 1874, to November 25, 1874. 

MS. a. National Archives, Naval Records Division. Washington. 

. Commander, U.S.S. Swatara—log books: vol. 2, November 26, 1874, to June 12, 1875. 

MS. b. National Archives, Naval Records Division. Washington. 

DUFF, ROGER 

1950. The moa-hunter period of Maori culture. Dept. Internal Aff'airs. 405 pp., 38 pis. 

Wellington. 

1956. The evolution of Polynesian culture in New Zealand. N.Z. Sci. Rev., vol. 14, no. 11, 

pp. 147-151. 

1959. Neolithic adzes of eastern Polynesia. In "Anthropology in the South Seas," edited by 

J. D. Freeman and W. R. Geddes, pp. 121-147, New Plymouth, N.Z. 

KIDDER, J. H. 

1875. Contributions to the natural history of Kerguelen Island, made in connection with the 

American Transit-of-Venus Expedition, 1874-75. U.S. Nat. Mus., Bull. No. 2. 

1876. Contributions to the natural history of Kerguelen Island, made in connection with the 

American Transit-of-Venus Expedition, 1874-75. U.S. Nat. Mus., Bull. No. 3. 

NEWCOMB, SIMON, EDITOR 

1880. Observations of the Transit of Venus, December 8-9, 1874. 46th Congr., 1st Sess., Senate 

Exec. Doc. no. 31. 157 pp. [This was the first of a four-part report. The other three 

parts were seemingly never published.] 

SKINNER, H . D . 

1923. The Morioris of Chatham Islands. Bernice P. Bishop Mus., Mem. vol. 9, no. 1. 140 

pp., 35 pis. Honolulu. 

1930. A Maori bone decorative comb from Riverton. Jour. Polynesian Soc, vol. 39, pp. 

284-285. 

1943. The classification of greywacke and nephrite adzes from Murihiku, New Zealand. 

Jour. Polynesian Soc, vol. 52, pp. 65-85 and 157-190. 

SKINNER, H . D. , and BAUCKE, W . 

1928. The Morioris. Bernice P. Bishop Mus., Mem. vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 343-384, pis. 51-58. 

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 

1876. Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution .. . for the year 

1875. 422 pp. Washington. 

UNITED STATES NAVY 

1875. Annual report of the Secretary of the Navy on the operations of the department with 

accompanyingdocumentsfor the year 1874. 225 pp. Washington.