coolly with him on the subject, for, as we could not prevent what had
taken place, we were resolved to learn, if possible, the whole
particulars. Atoi at first tried to make us believe he knew nothing about
it, and that it was only a meal for his slaves; but we had ascertained it
was for himself and his favourite companions. After various endeavours to
conceal the fact, Atoi frankly owned that he was only waiting till the
cooking was completed to partake of it. He added that, knowing the horror
we Europeans held these feasts in, the natives were always most anxious
to conceal them from us, and he was very angry that it had come to our
knowledge; but, as he had acknowledged the fact, he had no objection to
talk about it. He told us that human flesh required a greater number of
hours to cook than any other; that if not done enough it was very tough,
but when sufficiently cooked it was as tender as paper. He held in his
hand a piece of paper, which he tore in illustration of his remark. He
said the flesh then preparing would not be ready till next morning; but
one of his sisters whispered in my ear that her brother was deceiving us,
as they intended feasting at sunset.

We inquired why and how he had murdered the poor girl. He replied that
running away from him to her own relations was her only crime. He then
took us outside his village, and showed us the post to which she had been
tied, and laughed to think how he had cheated her: "For," said he, "I
told her I only intended to give her a flogging; but I fired, and shot
her through the heart!" My blood ran cold at this relation, and I looked
with feelings of horror at the savage while he related it. Shall I be
credited when I again affirm that he was not only a handsome young man,
but mild and genteel in his demeanour? He was a man we had admitted to
our table, and was a general favourite with us all; and the poor victim
to his bloody cruelty was a pretty girl of about sixteen years of age!

While listening to this frightful detail, we felt sick almost to
fainting. We left Atoi, and again strolled towards the spot where this
disgusting mess was cooking. Not a native was now near it: a hot, fetid
steam kept occasionally bursting from the smothered mass; and the same
dog we had seen with the head now crept from beneath the bushes, and
sneaked towards the village. To add to the gloominess of the whole, a
large hawk rose heavily from the very spot where the poor victim had been
cut in pieces. My friend and I sat gazing on this melancholy place; it
was a lowering, gusty day, and the moaning of the wind through the
bushes, as it swept round the hill on which we were, seemed in unison
with our feelings.

After some time spent in contemplating the miserable scene before us,
during which we gave full vent to the most passionate exclamations of
disgust, we determined to spoil this intended feast. This resolution
formed, we rose to execute it. I ran off to our beach, leaving Duke on
guard, and, collecting all the white men I could, I informed them of what
had happened, and asked them if they would assist in destroying the oven
and burying the remains of the girl. They consented, and each having
provided himself with a shovel or a pickaxe, we repaired in a body to
the spot. Atoi and his friends had by some means been informed of our
intention, and they came out to prevent it. He used various threats to
deter us, and seemed highly indignant; but as none of his followers
appeared willing to come to blows, and seemed ashamed that such a
transaction should have been discovered by us, we were permitted by them
to do as we chose. We accordingly dug a tolerably deep grave; then we
resolutely attacked the oven. On removing the earth and leaves, the
shocking spectacle was presented to our view--the four quarters of a
human body half roasted. During our work clouds of steam enveloped us,
and the disgust created by our task was almost overpowering. We collected
all the parts we could recognise; the heart was placed separately, we
supposed, as a savoury morsel for the chief himself. We placed the whole
in the grave, which we filled up as well as we could, and then broke and
scattered the oven.

By this time the natives from both villages had assembled, and a scene
similar to this was never before witnessed in New Zealand. Six unarmed
men, quite unprotected (for there was not a single vessel in the harbour,
nor had there been for a month), had attacked and destroyed all the
preparations of the natives for what they consider a national feast; and
this was done in the presence of a great body of armed chiefs, who had
assembled to partake of it. After having finished this exploit, and our
passion and disgust had somewhat subsided, I could not help feeling that
we had acted very imprudently in thus tempting the fury of these savages,
and interfering in an affair that certainly was no concern of ours; but
as no harm accrued to any of our party, it plainly shows the influence
"the white men" have already obtained over them; had the offence we
committed been done by any hostile tribe, hundreds of lives would have
been sacrificed.

The next day our old friend King George paid us a long visit, and we
talked over the affair very calmly. He highly disapproved of our conduct.
"In the first place," said he, "you did a foolish thing, which might have
cost you your lives; and yet did not accomplish your purpose after all,
as you merely succeeded in burying the flesh near the spot on which you
found it. After you went away it was again taken up, and every bit was
eaten"--a fact I afterwards ascertained by examining the grave and
finding it empty. King George further said: "It was an old custom, which
their fathers practised before them; and you had no right to interfere
with their ceremonies. I myself," added he, "have left off eating human
flesh, out of compliment to you white men; but you have no reason to
expect the same compliance from all the other chiefs. What punishment
have you in England for thieves and runaways?" We answered, "After trial,
flogging or hanging." "Then," he replied, "the only difference in our
laws is, you flog and hang, but we shoot and eat."

After thus reproving us, he became very communicative on the subject of
cannibalism. He said, he recollected the time prior to pigs and potatoes
being introduced into the island (an epoch of great importance to the New
Zealanders), and stated that he was born and reared in an inland
district, and the only food they then had consisted of fern roots and
kumara; fish they never saw, and the only flesh he then partook of was
human. But I will no longer dwell on this humiliating subject. Most
white men who have visited the island have been sceptical on this point;
I myself was before I had "ocular proof." Consequently I availed myself
of the first opportunity to convince myself of the fact. I have reflected
upon the subject, and am thoroughly satisfied that nothing will cure the
natives of this dreadful propensity but the introduction of many
varieties of animals, both wild and tame, and all would be sure to thrive
in so mild and fine a climate.




CHAPTER XXIX.

SLAVERY AMONG THE MAORIS.


The scene I have just described brings into consideration the subject of
slavery, as it now exists in New Zealand. That slavery should be the
custom of savage nations and cannibals, is not a cause of wonder: they
are the only class of human beings it ought to remain with. Here slavery
assumes its most hideous shape! Every one they can effect a seizure of in
an enemy's country becomes the slave of the captors. Chiefs are never
made prisoners; they either fight to the last, or are killed on the spot,
and their heads are preserved (by a peculiar method) as trophies.
Children are greatly prized: these they bring to their dwellings, and
they remain slaves for life. Upon the number of slaves a chief can muster
he takes his rank as a man of wealth and consequence in society; and the
only chance these wretched beings have of being released from their
miseries, is their master getting into a rage, and murdering them without
further ceremony.

On entering a village, a stranger instantly discovers which portion of
its inhabitants are the slaves, though both the complexion and the
dresses of all are alike. The free Zealander is a joyous, good-humoured
looking man, full of laughter and vivacity, and is chattering
incessantly; but the slaves have invariably a squalid, dejected look;
they are never seen to smile, and appear literally half starved. The
beauties characteristic of a New Zealander are his teeth and hair; the
latter, in particular, is his pride and study; but the slaves have their
heads half shorn. The male slave is not allowed to marry; and any
intercourse with a female, if discovered, is generally punished by death.
Never was there a body of men so completely cut off from all society as
these poor slaves; they never can count, with certainty, on a single
moment of life, as the savage caprice of their master may instantly
deprive them of it. If, by chance, a slave should belong to a kind and
good master, an accident happening to him, or any of his family, will
probably prove equally fatal to the slave, as some are generally
sacrificed on the death of a chief.

Thus these poor slaves are deprived of every hope and stimulus by which
all other classes and individuals are animated; no good conduct of theirs
towards their master, no attachment to his person or family, no fidelity
or long service can ensure kind treatment. If the slave effect his escape
to his own part of the country, he is there treated with contempt; and
when he dies (if a natural death), his body is dragged to the outside of
the village, there to be made sport of by the children, or to furnish
food for the dogs! but more frequently his fate is to receive a fatal
blow in a fit of passion, and then be devoured by his brutal master! Even
the female slaves who, if pretty, are frequently taken as wives by their
conquerors, have not a much greater chance of happiness, all being
dependent upon the caprice of their owners.

When I can relate anything favourable to the missionaries, I invariably
intend to do so, which will account for the introduction of the
following: A few days since, I paid a visit to one of their settlements,
and noticed a remarkably fine native woman attending as a servant. She
was respectably dressed, and in every respect (except complexion) she was
similar to a European. She spoke English fluently. Upon expressing my
admiration of her, I was informed that this woman had been a slave of
Hongi's, and that about a year previous he had lost one of his sons, and
had determined to sacrifice this poor girl as an atonement. She was
actually bound for the purpose, and nothing but the strong interference
of the whole of the missionary society here could have saved her life.
They exerted themselves greatly, and preserved her; and she had proved a
faithful and valuable servant.




CHAPTER XXX.

PIRATICAL SEIZURE OF A VESSEL.


Before finally quitting the subject of slavery, I must give an account of
some white men I saw in this state of degradation, and who belonged to a
chief who visited us some weeks since. In the beginning of 1827, the
Government of New South Wales hired the brig Wellington to convey a
number of prisoners to Norfolk Island, most of whom were felons of the
worst description: the greater part were under sentence of banishment for
life. These desperadoes amounted to seventy-four; by far too many for the
size of the brig, as those whose duty is was to guard them, and the crew
of the vessel, were too few to keep them under subjection. When within a
few days' sail of their destination, they rose on the guard, and, after a
desperate struggle, made themselves masters of the vessel, which was a
very fine one, and was well provided with arms and stores of every kind,
amounting to a sufficiency to carry them to any part of the world they
chose. But the machinations of the wicked rarely prosper, and this was
another proof of the truth of the observation; for, after a stormy and
violent debate among themselves, they at length determined to run for the
Bay of Islands, and if any vessel more eligible was there, they were to
take possession of her, and leave the Wellington behind, she having no
register. It is but justice to them to state that they behaved with
humanity to their captives, and no lives were lost: they appointed
officers amongst themselves, and, with the assistance of the deposed
captain, made this port. On their arrival here, they found two English
whalers, the Sisters, Captain Duke, and the Harriet. The commanders, as
is usual on these occasions, went immediately on board the newcomer.
Captain Duke well knew the vessel, having seen her at Sydney; but, of
course, had no idea of what had happened. The pirates received them with
great civility, and deceived them with a false description of their
voyage--of being bound to a southern port with prisoners; and the two
captains, not having the slightest suspicion of who their hosts really
were, passed a very merry evening with these marauders.

Soon, however, their bad management of the vessel, their want of
discipline, and the general confusion on board, roused a vague suspicion
in the minds of the two captains that all was not "quite right" on board
the Wellington. The real captain, too, had succeeded in conveying a note
to Duke, informing him of his situation, and claiming his assistance to
recapture the brig, and entreating him to release them all from
captivity.

This communication produced universal alarm, as both the whalers were
quite unprovided for attack or defence, and all the missionary
settlements lay quite at the mercy of this band of pirates. Had the
latter acted with promptness and spirit, they might easily have made
themselves masters of the whole; but while they were arguing and
hesitating where they would make their first attack, the whalers were
actively employed in getting their great guns out of the hold, and in
preparing their vessels for defence; so that, by the time the pirates
came to the resolution to attack them, the whalers were in a good
posture for resistance, and finally became the assailants. Aided by the
prompt assistance of the natives, the whole of these outlaws were taken
into custody, with the exception of six. The extreme interest the savages
took in capturing these deluded men was truly astonishing. When they were
made to understand that these were King George's (of England) slaves, who
had broken loose, they knew, from their own laws, that they ought to be
taken, and they displayed a great deal of courage and address in
approaching and securing them.

The pirates (having many passengers and others in their power) stipulated
that they should be landed at Kororarika, unmolested by any of the
English. This was granted; but no sooner were they left by themselves
than a party of natives came forward, seized and bound them, stripped off
their clothes, and, after dressing themselves up in them, conducted their
prisoners on board the whalers; but notwithstanding the anxiety of the
whalers to secure the whole, and the activity of the natives, six of them
found means to elude the search, and here they now are.

The day on which our houses were burned, these six landed in the train of
one of the chiefs; and I have since entertained a suspicion that it was
their desire of revenge that occasioned the destruction of our property
at the time the calamity happened. I chanced to be in the house alone,
and was amazed by seeing an Englishman enter the hut with his face
tattooed all over. Not being aware he was one of the runaways from the
Wellington, I spoke to him. He slunk into our cooking-house on pretence
of lighting his pipe, and before ten minutes had elapsed, the house was
in flames.




CHAPTER XXXI.

THE CLIMATE AND PRODUCTIONS.


The summer was now far advanced, and never, during its progress, had we
been incommoded by any very hot weather. Our house was generally crowded
with visitors: for, as it was the workmanship of King George and his
people, they were prodigiously proud of it, and each seemed to think he
had an undoubted right to sit in it as much as he liked. This, at times,
we felt as a great annoyance; but we were obliged to be very cautious not
to say or do anything that should give offence to them, as all were
exceedingly irritable, and we felt it to be most essential to our comfort
to continue on friendly terms with them.

Although we were situated in the same latitude as Sydney, we found the
climate of New Zealand infinitely superior. Moderate heats and
beautifully clear skies succeeded each other every day. We were quite
free from those oppressive, feverish heats which invariably prevail in
the middle of the day at Sydney, and from those hot pestilential winds
which are the terror of the inhabitants of New South Wales; nor were we
subject to those long droughts, which are often the ruin of the
Australian farmer. The temperature here was neither too hot nor too cold,
neither too wet nor too dry. Reflecting on this country--its situation,
inhabitants, and climate--I felt convinced that, if it were the object of
our Government to form a new colony, they could not select a more
desirable spot than New Zealand. When we left Sydney, a disease was
raging there of a most disagreeable nature, namely, catarrh. As usual, it
affected strongly the eyes and nose, and generally proved fatal to the
very old and to children. We found the poor natives here subject to the
same complaint, which they called the "Murray," or "Murraybad"; and they
declared they caught it from us Europeans.

I could scarcely refrain from laughing while witnessing the strange
methods they adopted to effect a cure. Sometimes they would envelope
their heads entirely in green leaves, at other times they would almost
roast themselves in a heated hut; but their universal remedy, and the one
they generally found successful, was starvation, which is, in fact, the
doctor who cures them of all the diseases the Europeans have imported
amongst them: and, I confess, I have often been amazed at their rapid
recovery from maladies which I should have thought incurable. The other
day I asked the opinion of a clever medical man, who came here with one
of the whalers, and he informed me the only cases he had met with amongst
the natives, which terminated fatally, were a few instances of
consumption.

After the novelty of our savage life began to wear away, I rambled much
about the country, in order to form some judgment of its capability of
improvement. I never possessed any practical knowledge of farming, and
therefore cannot give a scientific opinion or description of the
different soils. In whatever direction I travelled, and at this time I
had crossed the country in various directions several times, the soil
appeared to me to be fat and rich, and also well watered. From every
part of it which the natives have cultivated, the produce has been
immense. Here, where the finest samples of the human race are to be
found, the largest and finest timber grows, and every vegetable (yet
planted) thrives, the introduction of European grasses, fruits, etc.,
etc., would be a great desideratum. Were this done, in a very short time
farms would be more eagerly sought after here than they now are in New
South Wales. All the fruits and plants hitherto introduced by the
missionary establishments have succeeded wonderfully. Peaches and water
melons now were in full season; the natives brought baskets full of them
to our door every day, which they exchanged with us for the merest
trifles, such as a fish-hook, or a button.

Indian corn was likewise very abundant, but as the natives did not
possess any means or knowledge of grinding it, they were not aware of its
full value. Their only method of cooking it was one very disgusting to
Europeans. They soaked the ear in water till it was quite soft and sour,
the smell from which was exceedingly offensive; they then placed it in
their earth ovens to bake, and when they partook of it they seemed to
enjoy it very much.

In one of my journeys across the island I was accompanied by my Scotch
friend, Mr. Shand, who prided himself very much upon his general
knowledge of agricultural pursuits; and when I indulged in some sudden
bursts of admiration at the beauty of the surrounding prospect, he would
invariably check my enthusiasm, by observing that no animals could
possibly live in a country so overgrown with fern, and where no grass was
indigenous. These observations, often repeated, obliged me to qualify my
admiration of this picturesque and beautiful land; but my surprise, and I
may say my triumph, were complete when, on approaching the missionary
village of Kirikiri, we fell in with a herd of at least a hundred fat
cattle, browsing on the sides of the hill, and having nothing else but
this very fern to eat; and, on inquiry, we found they gave as good milk,
and were in as healthy a condition, as when they grazed on the rich
grasses of Lincolnshire.

My friend, Captain Duke, made great preparations for the return of his
ships, and purchased many pigs to be salted. The self-denial of the
natives is wonderful: though very fond of animal food, they sell the
whole to us Europeans for the means of war; thus conquering the appetite
for the purpose of possessing arms to make them terrible in the sight of
their enemies. This feeling, properly directed, may lead to their
becoming a great nation. In the course of our saltings and picklings of
pork, owing to the warmth of the weather, a considerable quantity was
spoiled. I recommended its being immediately thrown into the sea, but
Duke, who knew the propensities of the people better than I did, and
wished to ingratiate himself among them, sent for some of his favourites,
and presented them with the damaged meat, with which they marched off
highly delighted, and made a public feast of it in the evening.

[Illustration: New Zealand Method of Tattooing. (From a sketch by
A. Earle.)]




CHAPTER XXXII.

THE ART OF TATTOOING.


The art of tattooing has been brought to such perfection here, that
whenever we have seen a New Zealander whose skin is thus ornamented, we
have admired him. It is looked upon as answering the same purposes as
clothes. When a chief throws off his mats, he seems as proud of
displaying the beautiful ornaments figured on his skin as a first-rate
exquisite is in exhibiting himself in his last fashionable attire. It is
an essential part of war-like preparations. The whole of this district of
Kororarika was preparing for the approaching war. Their canoes, muskets,
powder and balls, increased daily; and a very ingenious artist, called
Aranghie, arrived to carry on this important branch of his art, which was
soon placed in requisition, for all the mighty men in the neighbourhood
were one by one under his operating hands.

As this "professor" was a near neighbour of mine, I frequently paid him a
visit in his "studio," and he returned the compliment whenever he had
time to spare. He was considered by his countrymen a perfect master in
the art of tattooing, and men of the highest rank and importance were in
the habit of travelling long journeys in order to put their skins under
his skilful hands. Indeed, so highly were his works esteemed, that I have
seen many of his drawings exhibited even after death. A neighbour of mine
very lately killed a chief who had been tattooed by Aranghie, and,
appreciating the artist's work so highly, he skinned the chieftain's
thighs, and covered his cartouch box with it.

I was astonished to see with what boldness and precision Aranghie drew
his designs upon the skin, and what beautiful ornaments he produced; no
rule and compasses could be more exact than the lines and circles he
formed. So unrivalled is he in his profession, that a highly-finished
face of a chief from the hands of this artist is as greatly prized in New
Zealand as a head from the hands of Sir Thomas Lawrence is amongst us. It
was most gratifying to behold the respect these savages pay to the fine
arts. This "professor" was merely a _kooky_ or slave, but by skill and
industry he raised himself to an equality with the greatest men of his
country; and as every chief who employed him always made him some
handsome present, he soon became a man of wealth, and was constantly
surrounded by such important personages as Pungho Pungho, Ruky Ruky, Kivy
Kivy, Aranghy Tooker, etc., etc. My friend Shulitea (King George) sent
him every day the choicest things from his own table. Though thus basking
in the full sunshine of court favour, Aranghie, like a true genius, was
not puffed up with pride by his success, for he condescended to come and
take tea with me almost every evening. He was delighted with my drawings,
particularly with a portrait I made of him. He copied so well, and seemed
to enter with such interest into the few lessons of painting I gave him,
that if I were returning from here direct to England, I would certainly
bring him with me, as I look upon him as a great natural genius.

[Illustration: Specimens of Tattooed Faces and Thigh. (From "Expedition
de l'Astrolabe.")]

One of the important personages who came to the village to employ the
talent of our artist was a _Mr_. Rooky Rooky (and he was always very
particular in remembering the _Mister_); he brought four of his wives
with him, leaving six more at home (polygamy in New Zealand being allowed
to any extent). One of this man's wives was a little girl not more than
ten years of age, and she excited a great deal of interest amongst us,
which, when he discovered, he became very anxious to dispose of her to
any of us. He importuned us incessantly on the subject, saying she was
his slave, and offered her in exchange for a musket.




CHAPTER XXXIII.

TRIBAL GOVERNMENT AND RELIGION.


Though from my increased knowledge of the language, I was enabled to hold
longer conversations, I could not discover that the New Zealanders had
any universal form of government: there appeared to me to be no public
bodies, or any functionaries employed by the people. Each chief seemed to
possess absolute power over his own slaves, and there his authority
terminated. Wealth made him feared by his foes, but gave him no influence
over his friends. All offence offered to any one of a tribe (or clan) is
instantly followed by some act of retaliation by the aggrieved party; and
if one tribe is too weak to contend against the one from whom they have
received the injury, they call in the aid of another. But should the
offence be of a very aggravated nature, and several families be injured
by it, a meeting of the chiefs is called. They assemble in one of their
forts, and, after a discussion, decide either for an amicable adjustment,
or for an exterminating war. Thus these misguided beings are continually
destroying each other for some imaginary insult.

I became acquainted with a few venerable men of truly noble and
praiseworthy characters, such as would do honour to any age, country, or
religion. They had passed their whole lives in travelling from one
chieftain's residence to another, for the purpose of endeavouring to
explain away insults, to offer apologies, and to strive by every means
in their power to establish peace between those about to plunge their
country into the horrors of war. I have several times met these
benevolent men journeying through the country on these pacific missions;
and twice during my residence here they have been the happy means of
preventing bloodshed. Although the New Zealander is so fond of war, and
possesses such war-like manners, yet are these peacemakers held in the
highest respect, although they do not hold any sacred function--indeed,
no order of priesthood exists amongst the natives. I have never
discovered any symptoms of religion in these people, except it consists
in a great variety of absurd and superstitious ceremonies. Before I
visited this island I used to imagine, from seeing so great a variety of
carved figures which had been brought from this country, that they were
idols, to whom they paid their devotions; but in this I was deceived.
They were merely the grotesque carvings of rude artists, possessing a
lively fancy, and were a proof of their industry as well as genius. Every
chief's house is adorned with an abundance of these carved monsters. One
of their favourite subjects is a lizard taking hold of the top of a man's
head; their tradition being that that was the origin of man. The lizard
is sacred, and never injured by them. Several of their chiefs assured me
they believed in the existence of a great and invisible spirit, called
Atna, who keeps a constant charge and watch over them; and that they are
constantly looking out for tokens of his approbation or displeasure.
There is not a wind that blows but they imagine it bears some message
from him. And there are not wanting crafty men who pretend to a much more
intimate knowledge of his sentiments than the generality, and they easily
work on the minds of the credulous and the ignorant. These imposters
obtain great consideration, and their counsel and advice is most
anxiously sought after by those about to undertake any important
business; but, like ancient astrologers and modern gypsies, they speak
only in ambiguous terms; so that whatever may be the result, their
prediction may still correspond with it.

Like all rude and ignorant people, the New Zealanders seem more to fear
the wrath of their God than to love his attributes; and constant
sacrifices (too often human ones) are offered up to appease his anger.
They imagine that the just and glorious Deity is ever ready to destroy,
and that His hand is always stretched forth to execute vengeance.

These sacred, or, more correctly speaking, these "cunning" men and women,
who pretend to see into futurity, and to hold an intercourse with the
Great Spirit, are here (in one way, at least) turned to a good and useful
account. As they themselves are held sacred, everything they wish to have
taken particular care of, they can render sacred also. All the chiefs
find these people of the greatest use in protecting their property, for
they possess the power of tabooing, and when once this ceremony is
performed over any person or thing, no one dares to touch either; and for
a sufficiently good bribe they will impart their sacred power to any
chief, who, by means of this device, thus can protect a field of potatoes
or grain, at fifty miles distance from his settlement, more securely and
effectually than by any fences, or number of persons he might place to
guard it.

This ceremony of taboo, which is common to the whole of the South Sea
Islands, seems the principal part of their religion, and it is really
difficult to walk without trespassing or infringing on some spot under
this influence. All those who touch a corpse are immediately taboo'd, and
must be fed like an infant, as their own hands must not touch anything
that is put into their mouths. In fact, as we strolled through the
village at the time of their evening repast, it appeared as though some
dreadful disease had suddenly struck the greater part of the inhabitants,
and deprived them of the use of their limbs, most of them being either
fed by their slaves, or lying flat down on the ground, and with their
mouths eating out of their platters or baskets. The canoe that carries a
corpse to the place of its interment is, from that time, taboo'd and laid
up; and if any one by chance touches it, he does so at his peril.

All those chiefs who were under the operating hands of Aranghie, the
tatooer, were under this law, and all those who worked upon their war
canoes were similarly situated. Unfortunately for me, I one day took away
a handful of chips from their dockyard to make our fire burn clearly. I
was informed they were taboo'd, and upon my pleading ignorance, and
sorrow for the misdemeanour, together with a promise not to renew the
offence, I was pardoned. A poor hen of ours did not escape so well; she,
poor thing, ventured to form a nest, and actually hatched a fine family
of chickens amongst these sacred shavings! Loud was the outcry, and great
the horror she occasioned when she marched forth cackling, with her merry
brood around her. She and "all her little ones" were sacrificed
instantly. What became of their bodies we could never learn; probably the
workmen were not too fastidious to eat them.

I have observed, since my residence here, one circumstance which proves a
kind feeling in the natives, and shows they are not averse to the
preaching of the missionaries, or the doctrines they inculcate.

It was the custom of all the Europeans settled here, on the beach at
Kororarika, to refrain from all kinds of work on the Sabbath; to shave,
and dress themselves in their best habiliments; and if any of the
missionaries came over, they went forth to meet them, and hear divine
service. Several of the natives generally assembled and witnessed the
ceremony; and as they observed it came every seventh day, they called it
"the white taboo'd day, when the pakeha (or white men) put on clean
clothes, and leave off work;" and, strange to say, the natives also
abstained from working on that day. Nothing could induce them to the
contrary; not that we wished to persuade them to work, but merely
endeavoured so to do to ascertain the strength of their politeness. Not a
bit of work would they do upon a Sunday, although it was a critical time
with them; for all the chiefs were unprepared with their war canoes for
the approaching expedition. At length we discovered that their cunning
was as conspicuous as their politeness. They had observed we generally
lay longer in bed on a Sunday morning than any other; they accordingly
were up by break of day, and had completed many hours' work before we
made our appearance; but the moment one of us did appear the work was
instantly left off. This degree of outward respect, though craftily
managed, was infinitely more than could be reasonably expected from a
rude and turbulent savage. It is mere respect than we Europeans pay to
any religious ceremony we do not understand. Even their taboo'd grounds
would not be so respected by us, if we were not quite certain they
possessed the power instantly to revenge any affront offered to their
sacred places.

Of all animals introduced by the Europeans, the most unserviceable, and
indeed injurious, have been the dogs. They have increased rapidly; every
spot was crowded with poor half-starved curs, that were all night long
committing depredations on the poultry, pigs, and goats; and if some
effectual means of diminishing this pernicious breed is not soon resorted
to, the island will be cleared of every other quadruped. Goats were
beginning to increase, and the craggy heights round the bays formed a
favourite retreat for these interesting wanderers. Captain Duke put
himself to great expense and trouble, and effected the importation of
some sheep from Van Diemen's Land; but the dogs soon destroyed them all.


THE MASSACRE OF THE FRENCH NAVIGATOR MARION AND PARTY.

Our friend George generally paid us a visit after the business of the day
was over, and took a cup of tea; wine or grog he detested: so, while he
sipped his beverage, we lit our pipes, and managed, with our slight
knowledge of his language, together with his imperfect English, to keep
up a sort of conversation. Sometimes this was rather wearisome; but
occasionally it became interesting in the extreme. He told us that, when
Captain Cook touched here, he was a little child; but that his mother
(old Turero, who was then with him) remembered his coming well. The
French navigator, Marion, he recollected perfectly, and made one of the
party that murdered him and his people. His observation was, "They were
all brave men; but they were killed and eaten."

He assured us that the catastrophe was quite unpremeditated. Marion's
entire ignorance of the customs of the New Zealanders occasioned that
distressing event: as I have before observed, that strangers, not
acquainted with their religious prejudices, are likely to commit some
fatal error; and no action is more likely to lead a party into danger
than an incautious use of the seine, for most of the beaches (best suited
for that purpose) are taboo'd. This led to the dreadful fate of Marion
and his party. I understood from George, that when Marion's men assembled
to trail their net on the sacred beach, the natives used every kind of
entreaty and remonstrance to induce them to forbear, but, either from
ignorance or obstinacy, they persisted in their intentions, and drew
their net to land.

The natives, greatly incensed by this act of impiety, vowed revenge; and
the suspicions of the French not being roused, an opportunity soon
presented itself of taking ample retaliation. The seine being very heavy,
the French required the assistance of the natives in drawing it on shore.
These wily fellows instantly consented to the task, and placed themselves
alternately between each Frenchman, apparently, to equalise the work.
Consequently, in the act of pulling, each native had a white man before
him; and, on an appointed signal, the brains of each European were
knocked out by a tremendous blow of the stone hatchet.

Captain Marion, who, from his ship, was an eye-witness of these horrid
murders, instantly hastened on shore with the remainder of his crew to
avenge the slaughter of his countrymen. Led on more by ardour than
prudence, he suffered himself to be surrounded; was overpowered by
numbers, defeated, and every one was put to death!

This account of George's does not, I acknowledge, exactly agree with the
published narrative of that unfortunate event, nor does his age agree
with the dates. Only a few years elapsed between the time of Cook and
Marion, yet he declares himself to have been a child at the death of the
navigator, and a man at the murder of the latter; but as it was voluntary
on his part to give me the above detail, and even if he were not present
himself, he most probably had the facts from one who was, I thought it
worth inserting, as tending to throw light on one of the most melancholy
events which ever took place on these coasts.

George also related to me the dreadful tragedy of the ship Boyd, and,
horrible as these relations were, I felt a particular interest, almost
amounting to pleasure, in hearing them related by an eye-witness; one who
had been an actor in those bloody scenes which I had before read of:
narratives which from my very childhood had always possessed particular
charms for me; and at this time I was not only looking on the very spot
the hero of my imagination, Cook, had trod, but was hearing the tale from
one who had actually seen him; and was listening to every particular
concerning the transactions of Marion and his men, as though they had
just taken place.

Even in the dreadful destruction of the Boyd, George laid the blame
entirely on the English, and spoke with great bitterness of the
ill-treatment of Philip, the native chief, who came as passenger in the
ship. He described and mimicked his cleaning shoes and knives; his being
flogged when he refused to do this degrading work; and, finally, his
speech to his countrymen when he came on shore, soliciting their
assistance in capturing the vessel, and revenging his ill-treatment. Over
and over again our friend George, having worked up his passion by a full
recollection of the subject, went through the whole tragedy. The scene
thus portrayed was interesting although horrible. No actor, trained in
the strictest rules of his art, could compete with George's vehemence of
action. The flexibility of his features enabled him to vary the
expression of each passion; and he represented hatred, anger, horror, and
the imploring of mercy so ably that, in short, one would have imagined he
had spent his whole life in practising the art of imitation.




CHAPTER XXXIV.

THE MAORI VIEW OF CHRISTIANITY.


I frequently conversed with George upon the subject of religion, and from
what he told me I found that the natives had not formed the slightest
idea of there being a state of future punishment. They refuse to believe
that the good Spirit intends to make them miserable after their decease.
They imagine all the actions of this life are punished here, and that
every one when dead, good or bad, bondsman or free, is assembled on an
island situated near the North Cape, where both the necessaries and
comforts of life will be found in the greatest abundance, and all will
enjoy a state of uninterrupted happiness. A people of their simple
habits, and possessing so little property, have but few temptations to
excesses of any kind, excepting the cruelties practised by them in war,
in which they fancy themselves perfectly justified, and the tyranny
exercised by them over their slaves, whom they look upon as mere
machines. There is, in fact, but little crime among them, for which
reason they cannot imagine any man wicked enough to deserve eternal
punishment. This opinion of theirs we saw an illustration of one Sunday,
when one of the missionaries paid us a visit.

The ceremony of all assembling to public worship astonished the natives
greatly, though they always behaved with the utmost decorum when admitted
into the house where the ceremony takes place. On the day in question
the minister endeavoured to explain the sacred mysteries of our religion
to a number of the chiefs who were present. They listened attentively to
all he said, and expressed no doubts as to its truth, only remarking that
"as all these wonderful circumstances happened only in the country of the
white men, the great Spirit expected the white men only to believe them."
The missionary then began to expatiate on the torments of hell, at which
some of them seemed horrified, but others said "they were quite sure such
a place could only be made for the white faces, for they had no men half
wicked enough in New Zealand to be sent there;" but when the reverend
gentleman added with vehemence that "all men" would be condemned, the
savages all burst into a loud laugh, declaring "they would have nothing
to do with a God who delighted in such cruelties; and then (as a matter
of right) hoped the missionary would give them each a blanket for having
taken the trouble of listening to him so patiently."

I cannot forbear censuring the missionaries, inasmuch as they prevent the
natives, by every means in their power, from acquiring the English