Forts of the Marquesas Group

In Porter's account of the Marquesas, visited by him in 1813, occurs the following:—"Gattanewa, I was informed at the time of my landing, was at a fortified village, which was pointed out to me, on the top of one of the highest mountains. They have two of these strong places, one on the top of the aforesaid mountain, the other lower down the valley, and guarding one of the principal passes. The manner of fortifying those places is to plant closely on end the bodies of large trees, of 40 ft. in length, securing them together by pieces of timber strongly lashed across, presenting on the brow of a hill, difficult of access, a breastwork of considerable extent, which would require European artillery to destroy. At the back of this a scaffold is raised, on which is placed a platform for the warriors, who ascend by means of ladders, and thence shower down on their assailants spears and stones. The one at which Gattanewa now was, is situated near a remarkable gap, cut through the mountain by the natives, to serve as a ditch or fosse, and must have required much labour in the execution."

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The same writer, in describing a fight he had with the warriors of Typee [Taipi], on the same island, states that:—"In their rear was a fortified village, secured by strong stone walls." In another place he describes one of these forts as follows—"I never had supposed these islanders capable of contriving and erecting a work like this, so well calculated for strength and defence. It formed the segment of a circle, and was about fifty yards in extent, built of large stones, 6 ft. thick at the bottom, and gradually narrowing at the top to give it strength and durability. On the left was a narrow entrance merely sufficient to admit of one person's entering, and serving as a sally port. But to enter this from the outside, it was necessary to pass directly under the wall for one half its length, as an impenetrable thicket prevented the approach to it in any other direction. The wings and rear were equally guarded, and the right was flanked by another fortification of greater magnitude and equal strength and ingenuity. … This fortification appeared of ancient date, and time alone can destroy it." The Taipi clan seem to have had a number of such redoubts at that time.

Of a Marquesan stronghold seen from a distance, Forster wrote in 1774:—"Several vallies … lead up from two beaches to the very summit of the mountain, which appears excessively steep. Along its uppermost edge we saw a row of stakes or pallisadoes, closely con¬nected together, like a fortification, within which, by the help of our glasses, we discerned something like huts. These places we supposed to be what the Spaniards have called intrenchments; but they bore a great resemblance to the hippas [pa] of the New Zealanders, which are commonly situated on high ridges, and surrounded with palisades."

In his account of the Marquesas, Captain Cook writes:—"They seemed to have dwellings or strongholds on the summits of the high¬est hills. These we only saw by the help of our glasses, for I did not permit any of our people to go there, as we were not sufficiently acquainted with the disposition of the natives, which, I believe, is humane and pacific."

In these Marquesan strongholds we recognise the fighting stages and narrow protected entrance of the pa of New Zealand, also the heavy stockade, but, apparently, the Marquesans did not employ earthwork defences as did the Maori.