1851 - Brown, William. New Zealand and its Aborigines [2nd ed.] - PART I. DESCRIPTION OF THE ABORIGINES... - CHAPTER I. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS

       
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  1851 - Brown, William. New Zealand and its Aborigines [2nd ed.] - PART I. DESCRIPTION OF THE ABORIGINES... - CHAPTER I. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS
 
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PART I. CHAPTER I.

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PART I.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ABORIGINES OF NEW ZEALAND, AND THE MEANS OF ADVANCING THEM IN CIVILIZATION.

CHAPTER I.

Manners and Customs--Tapu, with Illustrations of its Application-- Robbing, as a Punishment for Offences--Claim of Property in Shipwrecks--Laws of Descent of Property on Death--Mode of Salutation--Crying for Joy--Physical Appearance.

THE New Zealanders are a highly interesting and singular people; nor has their disposition anything of that repulsive character which their well-known cannibal propensities would naturally lead one to expect. At first sight one is struck with their intelligent, manly, and sedate appearance; and further acquaintance with them serves to confirm these impressions. They frequently display, as might be expected, a childish curiosity to inspect the various new objects which their European visitors may possess; and strangers, on this account, may, at first, be inclined to think them children in

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SYSTEM OF TAPU.

point of intellect: their acute remarks, however, on subjects with which they are familiar, their keen perception of their own interest, and the readiness with which they appreciate any new thing of real practical usefulness to them, soon prove that their intellect merely requires a little cultivation to place them on a footing with their civilized brethren. Their curiosity is not childish wonder, but the result of a quick, inquiring mind.

From what I had read in the very meagre accounts already published, I expected to find them restless, active, and irascible; but the contrary of this is the fact. They are perhaps the most patient, equable, forgiving, people in the world. These qualities, with their extreme superstition, it will be shown, are the most strongly marked features in their character.

I shall now endeavour to give as minute a description of the manners, customs, and intellectual peculiarities of this interesting people, as I have been able to obtain, from personal observation, and from the accounts of others who have had longer, more intimate, and more extensive intercourse with them. While thus minute, however, I shall carefully abstain, as far as possible, from an enumeration of individual peculiarities, confining my remarks to what appear to be national characteristics.

Before proceeding to give an account of their intellectual peculiarities, I shall notice some of their manners and customs, and among these the system of tapu, or rendering sacred, deserves to be first

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SYSTEM OF TAPU.

mentioned, from the overwhelming influence which it exerts over them. It is difficult, however, to give a satisfactory account of this, as no information can be obtained beyond the isolated applications of the system; and these seem frequently so arbitrary, if not positively contradictory, that it becomes doubtful how much is really a fixed law or custom, and how much is liable to be changed according to the circumstances of each particular case. For instance, a chief can tapu anything he chooses, so that no one of inferior rank will afterwards touch it. But the chief can, at his pleasure, remove the tapu, with all its consequences, and so the matter ends. Some things again are, in their own nature, sacred; such, as a dead body,--and a person, by merely touching it, becomes for a time thereby tapued, and during the continuance of the tapu is prohibited the use of his own hands. He is fed by others, or eats his food out of a basket placed before him, without touching it with his hands. When the sacred period has elapsed, however, there is this difference between this case and the former,--that, here, the person who takes off the tapu must take all the duties, or rather encumbrances of it upon himself. This is generally done by an old woman, who is constantly sacred or tapued, and such are generally chosen to handle dead bodies, so that as few persons as possible may be put in this helpless condition. Again, as to some things, the tapu goes off after a certain period has elapsed, as a matter of course, without the intervention of any one, or the transfer of its obligations. Kumaras (sweet

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SYSTEM OF TAPU.

potatoes) are an example of this. This vegetable is very highly esteemed, and is called the food of Rangatiras (chiefs). With, the view, apparently, of its better preservation, the use and cultivation of it has been invested with a certain amount of solemnity: those planting or gathering it, while performing these operations, and for three days afterwards, are not allowed to leave the ground, nor can they touch with their hands the food they eat. Were these ceremonies not attended to, it is supposed the kumaras would not grow.

The chiefs, as might be expected, are fully aware of the advantages of the tapu, finding that it confers on them, to a certain extent, the power of making laws and the superstition on which the tapu is founded will ensure the observance of them. Were they to transgress the tapu, they believe that the attua (God) would kill them, and so universal is this belief that it is, or perhaps rather was, a very rare occurrence to find any one daring enough to commit the sacrilege. To have preserved this influence so completely among a people naturally so shrewd and intelligent, great care must, no doubt, have been taken not to apply it unless in the usual and recognised manner. To have done otherwise would have led to its being frequently transgressed; and consequently to the loss of its influence. Before the natives came into contact with the Europeans the tapu seems to have acted with the most complete success; as the belief was general, that any disregard of it would infallibly subject the offender to the

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SYSTEM OF TAPU.

anger of the attua, and death would be the consequence. Independently, however, of the support which the tapu derives from the superstitious fears of these people, it has, like most other laws, an appeal to physical force in case of necessity. A delinquent, if discovered, would be stripped of everything he possessed; and if a slave, would in all probability be put to death--many instances of which have actually occurred.

So powerful is this superstitious feeling, that slaves will not venture to eat of the same food as their master; or even to cook at the same fire; believing that the attua would kill them if they did so. Everything about, or belonging to, a chief is accounted sacred by the slaves. Fond as they are of tobacco, it would be perfectly secure though left exposed on the roof of a chief's house; no one would venture to touch it. To try them, a friend of mine gave a fig of tobacco to a slave; who, after having used it, was informed that it had been on the roof of the chief's house. The poor fellow, in the greatest consternation, went immediately to the chief telling him what had happened, and beseeching him to take off the tapu from the tobacco to prevent the evil consequences.

The ceremony of taking off the tapu is performed by cooking some food,--generally kumaras. This is presented to the chief who eats a little of it, and throws the remainder away, which, it is believed, is eaten by the attua, or, at all events, that it, in some manner, appeases him.

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SYSTEM OF TAPU.

The New Zealanders never eat their meals in a house lest any great chief may have been under its roof. It is contrary to the mysteries of the tapu to touch anything that has been over the head of a chief, that portion of his body being deemed sacred. For this reason, no slave would venture on the roof of a house to repair it, and the chief would be compelled to perform the operation himself. I witnessed a practical illustration of this among the tribe with whom I resided. The chief having much against his inclination, refrained, for upwards of three weeks, from entering the house, as the roof was not finished; as he knew that if he once entered it, the workmen would not afterwards complete the job; when he, or another chief of equal rank, would have to perform the work. Some of the settlers take advantage of this peculiarity by getting the chief, under whose protection they reside, to tapu their house so as to prevent the slaves from entering it, an object of great importance, inasmuch as the proprietor is protected from intruders, who could not otherwise be got rid of except at the risk of giving offence, which it is always desirable to avoid. The tapu, however, even in such cases, is not without its disadvantages, as everything in the house, as well as the house itself, is tapued, nor could any goods be sold out of it. In general, the settler is therefore satisfied to get his tobacco pipe tapued, to prevent the natives from borrowing; as they are in the habit of doing among themselves. In no case, however, is the power of the tapu seen

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SYSTEM OF TAPU.

so distinctly as when applied to and connected with their dead. Not only is the spot where a dead body is deposited sacred, but even the ground over which it has been carried; and no one (for many years at least) would go near it. Nay, the very sea, if the body has passed over it, is also tapued. That the smallest amount of inconvenience, however, may be sustained in such cases, the canoes are paddled as near the shore as possible. The canoe, however valuable, becomes sacred, from having conveyed the body, indeed it is generally placed over the grave with a pole driven through its bottom. Along the coast are to be seen many such tapued tracts which, to Europeans, prove a very serious annoyance, as no natives will accompany them to such places; nor could they venture to go by themselves, except at the risk of being robbed for their temerity; that is, if the natives supposed them aware of the tapu. Europeans are thus frequently obliged to go out of their way many miles. At one place I have seen a tapued creek where vast numbers of wild ducks resort, and nearly as tame as if domesticated, the natives allowing no one to molest them.

During my stay at the place, a chief died who had been for some time in the last stage of consumption. A detail of the various ceremonies which took place on the occasion may be interesting. This chief had not been abandoned in his sickness, according to their barbarous superstitions, but had slaves to watch over him; and, on life becoming extinct, which was late in the evening, the

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CEREMONIES ON THE

intelligence was immediately communicated in the usual way by firing off a musket. The natives who were in the house of the European settler with whom I resided, on hearing the report, seemed at once to be aware of the death, and commenced the tangi--a sort of whining howl,--the nearest possible resemblance to genuine grief. We hastened to the spot where the dead chief lay, and found his legs had been drawn up to his breast, and his blanket wrapt round him. These the settler cut away, in order to get the body stretched out, knowing that the head chief of the tribe would wish a coffin made for it, in imitation of the custom of the white people. This death created a great sensation in the little community, and the news was speedily and widely circulated by the firing of muskets, which might be heard for many miles up and down the Frith. (Thames.) As these signals are the approved method of testifying respect on such occasions, and being aware that our chief would appreciate the compliment, we also got our guns and joined in the salute--thus giving him an occasion for boasting to the other tribes of the attentions of "his white men," as he called us. Nothing was now to be heard but firing of muskets and mournful wailings, which lasted till midnight; but their principal store of powder and tears was reserved for the grand exhibition on the following day, in presence of the whole tribe, and the great number of strangers who come to condole with them on such occasions. Next morning the firing had commenced before we

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DEATH OF A CHIEF.

were out of bed, but had not continued long when we were aroused by one tremendous explosion, which convinced us that some accident must have happened. We had only time to get to the door when we were met by the natives in sad consternation, and bearing two chiefs dreadfully burned with gunpowder, and crying piteously. They came to seek the professional assistance of a medical gentleman who was residing with me. As there was not a moment to be lost, he ordered them to plunge into the stream running past the door, which they immediately did, and found a temporary relief from the intense burning of the wounds; but it being the winter season, it was too cold to admit of their remaining long enough to derive much benefit.

We found the accident had arisen from an explosion, caused by one of the chiefs snapping his piece over an open cask, from which a boy was serving out the powder. The poor boy was blown to pieces; but being a slave his loss was unnoticed amidst the grief now manifested for the two chiefs, the one named Pirate and the other Te Rite, the principal men of the tribe, and inferior only to the head chief Kanini. This accident caused a temporary interruption to the obsequies of the dead, as the sympathy of the natives was now exclusively bestowed on the living sufferers. This, however, did not continue long, as my friend soon had them placed under his tent, where, with judicious treatment, they were soon able to endure the pain without much complaining. The other natives we quieted, though

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CEREMONIES ON THE

with some difficulty, by assuring them that the chiefs would soon recover. Pirate, however, though not nearly so much injured as the other, was much frightened, and declared that he also should soon be a tupapaku (corpse). Nor were his fears much to be wondered at, as the intense and loudly vented grief of his friends was sufficient to unhinge a stronger mind than his.

As soon, however, as we had succeeded in convincing the natives that the wounded chiefs would recover, the regular business of the day was resumed; a few slaves alone remaining in attendance on the sufferers. While the discharge of muskets continued, many of the slaves were occupied in cooking kumaras for breakfast, to which ample justice was done, when a semicircle was formed before the corpse, and a grand chorus of weeping and howling commenced. At intervals the chiefs in turn made a speech--a sort of eulogy on the deceased-- in which they enumerated all his good qualities, viz., that he was a brave man, not easily frightened, not an angry man, quiet and easy, kind-hearted, good to his wife, &c. &c. This was uttered in a sort of chaunt, with an accompaniment of sobbing and crying, the multitude, or mob, as they are called, taking up the chorus in the same key as the speaker.

The effect of this on a European stranger is at once painful and ludicrous, as there is a sufficiency of real grief to enlist the sympathies of the beholder, while he cannot but revolt from the ludicrous attempt

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DEATH OF A CHIEF.

to modulate the force of the emotion, and the flow of tears, to a musical cadence.

However improbable this may appear, it is nevertheless literally true; and I have actually seen a song which was sent from one chief to another to be sung, or rather cried, upon a similar occasion. It is quite a common remark, that such and such a person is a good or bad cryer. To confirm the reality of their grief, they make incisions in their cheeks, arms, and legs, with broken glass; and to such an extent, that the quantity of blood renders them no longer recognisable. Some even go to the length of cutting off a joint of the finger, but this is now rarely done. After crying, and lacerating themselves, for perhaps an hour or so, they got fatigued, and rested for a short interval, during which some of them might be seen carelessly laughing, and talking with each other as if they had already forgotten their sorrow.

In the mean time another canoe will arrive with some stranger natives, to pay their tribute to the dead, for they come from all quarters on such occasions,--even enemies forgetting for the time their animosities, will unite in assisting at the ceremony. The same scene of speechmaking, crying, and cutting, is acted over again. Their lugubrious exertions, however, do not make them unmindful of their stomachs, and the slaves are kept busily occupied in preparing vast quantities of kumaras, the strangers being not only feasted while they remain, but are presented with a large portion of food to take away with them.

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DUTY OF PRINCIPAL MOURNER.

The feast is served up in small baskets, made of the flax leaves, which, being always fresh and clean, are a very excellent substitute, in the bush, for Wedgewood ware. After eating their meal, the mourners resume their funereal rites, which are kept up till midnight.

For two more days did the scene continue,--the interest being kept alive by the successive arrivals of new comers during that period. The members of the tribe belonging to the deceased were too much exhausted to persevere; but this was of little consequence, as the stranger chiefs were well supported by their own attendants, and had always the assistance of the principal mourner, Kanini, who, however much fatigued he might be, had to join, and take his part with, every new accession of strangers. One of the oldest and most influential of these chiefs, to the other manifestations of his grief, added the rather singular one of striking Kanini a blow on the head "for allowing the chief to die." Although the deceased left a brother, the latter did not assume the duty of chief mourner, as might have been expected: this post was undertaken, as stated, by the head chief of the tribe, Kanini; and a most disagreeable and onerous duty it was, for he had not only to conduct and lead the ceremonies, receive the various strange parties, and join with them in each new crying match which then takes place, but had also to sit in the open air by the corpse all night, with only a mat over his shoulders to protect him from the cold. A grave in the European fashion was dug, and at the

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DEATH OF PIRATE.

end of the third day the body was deposited in it. On the top of the grave were placed all the blankets, wearing apparel, trunks, guns, &c. &c, belonging to the deceased, and superstition guards them from sacrilege more effectually than twenty sentinels could do.

The accident which occurred to the chiefs, Pirate and Te Rite, having been mentioned, it may be interesting to the reader if I relate the result of the case. After the first day, through the attention of my medical friend, they were both much better, but on the second day Pirate requested to be carried from the tent to his own Pa (village), about a mile distant, saying that Te Rite's attua was killing him. For the two next days nothing particular occurred; but on the following morning a messenger was sent to acquaint my friend that the attua had informed Pirate during the night that he was going to die. On our visiting him, his wounds were found to be much better, though his tongue was a little furred, indicating a slight derangement of the stomach, and some medicine was accordingly prescribed, but he could not be prevailed upon to take it. Early next morning, the report of a gun announced to us that he was dead. We could scarcely credit it, but such was the fact, affording a striking example of the power of imagination, which certainly killed him. His wounds were slight, compared with those of the other chief, Te Rite, and were rapidly healing. Indeed, the natives themselves said it was not the accident, but the dead chiefs attua, that had de-

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SYSTEM OF TAPU.

stroyed him, for the sake of his company in the other world.

The lamentations for the former chief had but just subsided when this second death plunged the tribe into a fresh scene of sorrow, and the same ceremonies which have just been described were enacted afresh. The old chief Kanini had again to assume the duty of chief mourner; but his labours in this instance did not terminate with the burying of the body, but continued for five weeks, in order to propitiate the attua, and avert further misfortunes to the tribe. The other sufferer, Te Rite, was soon restored to health through the attentions of my friend, who, for his kindness, had presented to him a large pig and twelve baskets of taro, a very fine and highly-esteemed vegetable. Besides this present the chief, a short time afterwards, mustered his tribe, and, gratuitously, got them to drag out of the bush, for upwards of a mile, a large canoe which my friend and I had been obliged to manufacture to supply the place of a boat, which was not then to be procured on any terms. Without the chief's assistance we should have had great difficulty in getting out the canoe, as the natives were at the time engaged with their crops, a duty which is held paramount to every other. I am the more particular in mentioning these circumstances, as this instance is one of the very few of real gratitude which I have witnessed amongst the natives.

In further illustration of the tapu system, I may

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ROBBING AS A PUNISHMENT.

just add that my friend's tent, in which Te Rite remained until his recovery, was effectually tapued; no native would venture under it, and even after it had been taken down many were afraid to enter the house in which it was deposited. My friend himself was held to be tapued, so that any food which he might touch would become so also. An amusing illustration of this was one day afforded, by his inadvertently helping himself to a portion offish which some natives had just cooked for their own dinner; and he felt rather surprised when they asked him to take it all, as by touching it he had rendered it sacred, and therefore unfit for them to eat.

Not only is a sick man's food sacred, but the fire also at which it is cooked, as well as the persons using it. In consequence of the settler having touched the dead body, as already mentioned, he also became sacred for a time, as well as the food cooked for him; and I was not a little surprised to find that even his native wife would not partake of it. Living, as she had done, for a considerable period with a European, it might have been expected that she had learned to disregard her native superstitions.

Next to the tapu, deserves to be noticed their singular custom of robbing (the singularity rather consists in the occasion), and the sang froid with which the parties submit to be plundered. It is in fact the usual method of punishing all offences real or imaginary. There is certainly nothing new or ex-

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ROBBING AS A PUNISHMENT.

traordinary in depriving an individual or a tribe of their property, on the violation of any law or custom; but civilized people would certainly not voluntarily submit to such a loss; far less would they refrain from using every exertion to secrete as much of their property as the circumstances would admit of their doing. Not so with the New Zealanders, however; they will calmly and unconcernedly sit by and see themselves plundered of everything. Nay, it is even customary to give the individual warning; but even then he will not put away his property, as this would be termed an act of cowardice. I knew a case where a party of natives went to rob a chief of the name of Koinaki, in consequence of his wife having committed adultery. On that occasion they took from him a fine double-barrelled gun (an article at that time in great estimation, and very expensive, worth from 10l. to 12l.), all his blankets, a trunk containing clothes, and other articles, he looking on calmly all the while; indeed, he was on the best of terms with them, and after the affair was over entertained them in his house for three days, the weather not permitting them sooner to depart.

Robbing is a punishment for all description of offences; indeed, unless under peculiarly aggravated circumstances, a payment will compound for almost any offence, whether the culprit be a native or pakeha (as the white people are termed). In these robbing excursions they do not always confine themselves to the property of the offender, but con-

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ROBBING AS A PUNISHMENT.

structively implicate the whole of his tribe, and indiscriminately carry off all they can find. I witnessed a practical illustration of this in the case of a tribe living a few miles off from the place where I resided. A young chief having taken undue liberties with the wife of another chief of the same tribe, the old chief Kanini assembled a few of his followers, and not only stripped the youthful delinquent but many others of his tribe, not omitting the injured husband himself. They carried off all the provisions that could be found, as well as three canoes. It is a common practice to rob a new-married couple immediately after their nuptials, and not unfrequently to give them a good beating into the bargain. It was at one time customary to rob a person on the occasion of any accident, such as his being burned, the bursting of his gun, &c. &c.

Towards Europeans they adopt the same method of punishment; but they have not been able to get our countrymen to submit with a like good grace; they, of course, resisting whenever they can, and ill-feelings are consequently engendered on the part of the English by the loss sustained, and the very natural supposition that the natives have some ill-will towards them. But such may not be the case. The natives think nothing of being robbed themselves, and do not appear to entertain the least anger towards each other on such occasions; and this should, therefore, be kept in view by the Europeans in judging of the conduct of the natives. Of course it can never be expected that Europeans will be

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PROPERTY IN SHIPWRECKS CLAIMED.

reconciled to such a perversion of the natural laws of meum and tuum; but it is at least so far gratifying to think that, in such cases, the natives may only be acting in strict accordance with their own customs, rude although they be, rather than from ill feeling towards the sufferers.

However absurd they may at first appear, it will be found that most of the laws and customs of the New Zealanders are well suited to their mental peculiarities, and to their present social condition.

Anything found on the sea-coast the natives consider to be theirs, even should the owner appear and claim the property; it being, as they suppose, sent to them by their sea-god Taniwa. For this reason they claim all wrecks, which would account for much of their bad conduct on some occasions of shipwreck, and shows that in such cases they do not act so much from bad principle as from errors of judgment and education; they are therefore much less blameable than our own "wreckers," who cannot justify themselves on any plea of ignorance as to what is right.

I have been informed that when a father dies, his personal property descends to the youngest child, male or female; failing whom, next to the eldest; then youngest again; youngest and eldest alternately; but landed property is shared equally amongst all the children, male or female. When a brother dies, if he have a younger brother, the latter must take the wives of the deceased, unless both

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CRYING FOR JOY.

parties decline, which they may do; but if either insists, the obligation is imperative.

In their salutations, in place of our practice of shaking hands, they embrace and rub noses with each other; on which account they prefer good broad ones. Their behaviour on such occasions strikes a stranger with astonishment; for, instead of friends appearing glad to meet each other (as they really are), after the ceremony of rubbing noses, they squat down, resting on their hams, with their mat or blanket pulled over their heads, and moan and cry most piteously for half an hour perhaps, the tears flowing as fast as if caused by the deepest sorrow. Tears seem completely under their control, so that they can, at will, shed them to any extent; and certainly amongst the New Zealanders, tears are no evidence whatever of real grief. I was particularly struck with this singular custom of crying for joy, and used every endeavour to get some explanation of the cause of it, but without success. They merely pointed to the heart, and said it was to give relief to what they felt there. In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, however, all this crying is mere ceremony; and, notwithstanding their tears and howling, the tones of their voice unequivocally demonstrate that they have no feeling of real sorrow. It appears to me, that this custom has its origin in discovering that joy, when excessive, has the same effect as grief in producing tears. From this they have established a general principle of crying on all occasions, however slight the feeling

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PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OF

of joy may be. It is easily seen that they are only acting a part; and it is frequently ludicrous to observe the difficulty that some of them find in forcing out these crocodile tears. A proof of this is seen in the immediate change which takes place in their appearance as soon as the "tangi" is over, when they at once begin to laugh and talk with the greatest animation, thus precluding the supposition that they can have felt even the slightest emotions of grief. Show and ceremony appear to be a main feature in the native character; so much so that even grief is universally simulated. The only wonder is that vanity should lead them to the affectation of such a noble and refined feeling as sympathy; and it affords the most unequivocal evidence of the superiority of the New Zealanders, and their susceptibility of the highest improvement. They think the white people cold hearted; and say, that when they meet they show no more regard for each other than so many dogs.

In stature, the New Zealanders are rather above the middle size, and some are very tall--six feet to six and a half. They are very muscular and well formed. Very many have mild, pleasant, and highly intelligent countenances, and their predominant feelings are easily distinguished. This is owing, in some measure, to their being less accustomed to conceal their feelings than people more civilized; but, doubtless, in a still greater degree, to the natural conformation of their minds.

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THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

The slaves have a very different appearance. They seem formed of far inferior materials; the very texture of their skin is coarser. Neither are they so tall and well proportioned, though they are more muscular. Their countenances are much less expressive, clearly denoting that they are much more beasts of burden, and less accustomed to mental exertion. Of course, this is no more than the circumstances would lead a person to expect. Slavery produces its natural results in New Zealand, as well as in other places. The poor slave labours that his master may live in idleness, and give him leisure to expand his mind, and enable him, by his superior knowledge, to bind the fetters of his slave the faster. It is due to the New Zealanders, however, to state, that they behave, in general, with great kindness and consideration towards their slaves, who enjoy the utmost freedom, frequently possessing land as well as their master. Indeed, he freely distributes his land amongst them, well knowing that his interest and power lies in conciliating their good will. It should be remarked that this description of the degraded appearance of the slave class only applies to a certain portion, for many of them having been taken in war, and from being chiefs themselves reduced to a state of slavery, are in every respect equal to their present masters.

It appears hopeless to attempt to investigate the origin of slavery amongst the New Zealanders. It may have arisen from an inferior class having: been at some period or other introduced into the country,

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TATOOING AMONGST

but it is much more likely to be the result of accidental inferiority of mind or physical power, of which others more favourably constituted have taken advantage. If any of them show superior talents for war, they are duly appreciated, and many slaves by this means raise themselves to the chieftainship of the tribe; for while the chieftainship is nominally and legally, as it were, hereditary, a certain degree of personal power and influence is necessarily requisite in such a stage of civilization. If the legal chief possess not such qualities, he will soon be passed over, as he ought to be, in favour of the more highly gifted.

In colour, the New Zealanders in general are not darker than the Italians. Some tribes, however, are much darker, and in particular the tribe Ngatipowa {Anglice, smoked people). Very few of the men wear beards, as they pluck out the hairs with a pair of mussel shells or pincers, as soon as they appear.

Tatooing, once almost universal, is now fast retreating under the influence of civilization. The process is generally commenced at the age of sixteen or eighteen, depending chiefly, however, on the ability of the individual to pay the expense, and the healing of the wounds; for the operation is a very painful process, and only a very little can be borne at a time. On a full tatooed person, the lines cover the face and thighs. Some of these lines are rather pleasing, though it must be owned that they are, on the whole, very stiff, exhibiting a great sameness,

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THE ABORIGINES.

notwithstanding that they are positively different in each individual, being varied to suit the peculiar formation of his countenance. Tatooing appears almost reduced to a system, as each tribe possesses some peculiarity in the form of the tatoo; so much so, that, by its means, members of one tribe at once recognise that to which a stranger belongs. Tatooing is less agreeable on the face than on other parts of the body, where it has very much the appearance of clothing, and the surface being larger, there is greater scope for making the lines more picturesque.

Slaves are tatooed as well as the chiefs, but there are various forms which the former are not permitted to use.

The women have merely the under lip tatooed, with three short lines proceeding from it, creating the unpleasant idea of something running out of the mouth. The women, with few exceptions, are greatly inferior to the men, physically as well as mentally. The chief women have frequently small and well formed hands and feet, which is almost the only good feature they possess. This, however, is referable to the fact, that they very rarely exercise these organs to an extent likely to add much to their natural size.


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