Several years ago the whalers from England, and the United States, began to visit the coast of New Zealand, and, as in all the South Sea Islands, to barter muskets and powder with the natives for hogs and potatoes, the only kinds of provisions which they could supply. No sooner did the chiefs understand the virtue of muskets and gunpowder in war, than they resorted to every possible means of obtaining them. They would deprive themselves of the last article of comfort and necessity, and take the food from their own mouths to buy a musket. One chief has thus collected an armory of fifty firelocks, and when an invasion is expected among any of the tribes, it is no longer inquired how many men are brought into the field, but how many muskets are numbered in the invader's ranks. On one occasion a powerful tribe was thrown into great consternation at the approach of a force weak in numbers, but armed with twelve muskets. Tooi boasted with marked delight of what he considered an instance of generalship, in driving a party of the enemy into a narrow place from which they could not escape, and then deliberately shooting them one by one to the number of twenty two. And it is, moreover, worthy of remark, that, since the introduction of firearms, wars have been more constant and bloody, the rage for killing has burnt with the more fury, in proportion as the means of doing it with the greater facility have increased.

This evil had become so serious and alarming, that the missionaries were instructed by the Board at home not to trade with the natives on any occasion with muskets and powder; but to supply them with axes, adzes, spades, hoes, and such implements of agriculture, and the arts of life, as they most needed. The natives took umbrage at this restriction; they were insolent and troublesome; and the consequence was, that the missionaries were obliged to compromise, and pay dollars for what they wanted, with which the natives could purchase firearms of the whalers. It was thought for a time by the Missionary Society a desirable object, for the chiefs and principal men to visit England, and inducements were held out to them for this purpose, by offering to pay their passage, and promising them presents of such articles as should be useful on their return. Apparently allured by these promises, the great chief Shunghie concluded to make the

voyage, and accordingly he arrived in London accompanied by Whykato, another chief, on the 8th of August, 1820. Here he remained four months, during which time he received marked attentions; he was introduced to the king, caressed by the great, and every effort was made to impress him favorably with what he saw and experienced. Rich with the presents he had received, he left his benefactors in England elated at the prospect of the benefits, which they doubted not his visit would be the means of bringing to his degraded countrymen. Little did they penetrate the deep and dark purposes of Shunghie. As soon as he landed at Port Jackson, he exchanged his whole property, king George's present with the rest, for firearms and powder. With these trophies of his enterprise, he returned to his own country, and is now the greatest, the bloodiest, and most successful warrior in the northern regions of New Zealand.

The kinds of offence, which are deemed adequate causes of war, are so numerous and varied, that it seems impossible for a state of things ever to occur, in which a settled peace can continue for any length of time. The slaying of a chief in battle, or an insult offered to a tribe at any period within the remotest verge of tradition, are considered just grounds of retaliation; and as every war multiplies these offences, they are not likely to have an end.

The following account, respecting the practices of the natives in war, and the manner in which they dispose of the heads of the chiefs slain in battle, is given in the words of Mr Marsden.

In time of war, great honor is paid to the head of a warrior when killed in battle, if he is properly tattooed. His head is taken to the conqueror, and preserved, as the spoils of war, with respect, -as a standard, when taken from a regiment is respected by the victor.

It is gratifying to the vanquished to know, that the heads of their chiefs are preserved by the enemy; for when the conqueror wishes to make peace, he takes the heads of the chiefs along with him and exhibits them to their tribe. If the tribe are desirous of putting an end to the contest, they cry aloud at the sight of the heads of their chiefs, and all hostilities terminate; this is a signal that the conqueror will grant them any terms they may require. But if the tribe are determined to renew the contest, and risk the issue of another battle, they do not cry. Thus the head of a chief

may be considered as the standard of the tribe to which he belongs, and a signal of peace or war.

'If the conqueror never intends to make peace, he will dispose of the heads of those chiefs, whom he kills in battle, to ships, or to any persons who will buy them. Sometimes they are purchased by the friends of the vanquished, and returned to their surviving relations, who hold them in the highest veneration, and indulge their natural feelings by reviewing, and weeping over them.

'When a chief is killed in regular battle, the victors cry aloud as soon as he falls, "Throw us the man," if he falls within the line of his own party. If the party, whose chief is dead, are intimidated, they immediately comply with the command. As soon as the victim is received, his head is immediately cut off, and a proclamation issued for all the chiefs to attend, who belong to the victorious party, to assist in performing the accustomed religious ceremony, in order to ascertain by augury, whether their god will prosper them in the present battle. If the priest, after performing the ceremony, says that their god is propitious, they are inspired with fresh courage to attack the enemy; but if the priest returns an answer, that their god will not be propitious, they quit the field of battle in sullen silence. The head, already in possession, is preserved for the chief on whose account the war was undertaken, as a satisfaction for the injury, which he, or some one of his tribe, had received from the enemy. When the war is over, and the head properly prepared, it is sent round to all the chief's friends, as a gratification to them, and to show them that justice had been obtained from the offending party." Proceedings of the Church Missionary Society, 1820-1821. p. 301.

Many heads are bought back from all Shunghie's wars, and seen by the missionaries stuck on poles, and exhibited in other situations, so that in this respect Kiddeekiddee might not be disparaged by a comparison with the grand seignior's good city of Constantinople. The chiefs' heads only are preserved, or embalmed, and the mode of effecting this operation is peculiar to the New Zealanders. It is done, according to Captain Cruise, wholly by desiccation; a hole is dug in the ground, and lined with stones, which are made hot; into this the head is placed rolled up in leaves, where it remains till all the moisture, which gradually exudes, has escaped; it is then taken out and set in a current of air till it becomes thoroughly dry. When thus prepared, it resists the action of the atmosphere, and the skin and muscular parts New Series, No. 18.

44

are nearly as imperishable as the bone itself. Several of these heads have latterly been purchased by the whalers, and brought to Europe and the United States. One was recently exhibited with the Egyptian Mummy in Boston, the features of which were full and regular, and the hair and teeth as perfect as in life. The mode of preserving, or embalming the human body by desiccation, is said to have been practised in Sicily, but although the flesh was made perfectly dry and hard, yet the features were hideously distorted, and nothing remained to call to mind the image of the living per* son. This practice seems to be essential to the customs of war in New Zealand, since, on the declaration of peace between two parties, an exchange of the heads of all the chiefs killed on both sides takes place, although several years may have elapsed from the commencement of hostilities. How the modern habit of selling the heads to foreigners will affect these negociations, or what compromise is to be made, remains for the New Zealand statesmen in their wisdom to determine.

The war dance is common to all the tribes before they engage in battle. It is performed almost at the moment of going into action, and is represented as a most frightful exhibition; the performers come together without regularity; they jump from the ground with violent gestures, rending the air with savage yells, distorting their countenances, and working themselves up to a wild and furious frenzy. In this state of frantic excitement they rush upon the enemy, inspired, as they imagine, with new courage, and armed with greater strength.

They also have orators to quicken their sense of injury, and rouse them to avenge an insult. Mr Marsden heard two of these speak on one occasion, when they wished to stir up the people immediately to seize their arms, and repel an encroachment just made on their borders by a neighboring tribe. The first orator rose with a dignified and commanding aspect, and held a weapon of war in his hand, which he brandished as he spoke; his gestures were strong and expressive, but his language was calm and discreet; he exhorted the chief, Matanghee, to proceed with courage and firmness in vindicating the rights of his tribe, but still he was willing to come to a reconciliation with the offenders, if they

would make suitable reparation. When this harangue was ended, another orator sprang forward, grasped a long spear in his hand, and began to declaim with vehemence against the audacity of the enemy in the outrage committed; he recounted from the beginning the differences between the two tribes, pointed out the injustice and insolence of the opposite party, and chided the cautious wisdom of the speaker who went before him; his countenance glowed with the fire of indignation, he stamped with his foot, brandished his spear in a threatening manner, and closed his long address by affirming, that no other method remained of retrieving the insulted dignity of the tribe, but to take up arms and fight. To both speakers the people listened with profound stillness and attention; but when the debate was closed, they flew to arms, and Matanghee went out with a party of his men to examine the movements of the enemy. They returned at night highly indignant at what they had witnessed, for it seems the slaves of Moodeewhy, a chief in the vicinity, had been killing Matanghee's pigs; and this was a subject to call forth the eloquence of orators, kindle the wrath of chiefs, and stir up the fury of the populace. It was resolved to take exemplary vengeance on the morrow, and preparations were made for the coming conflict.

Meantime the fire of resentment was not suffered to cool. The following is Mr Marsden's account of the venerable Warreemaddoo's speech on the occasion.

'In the evening, old Warreemaddoo threw of his mat, took his spear, and began to address his tribe and the chiefs. He made strong appeals to them against the injustice and ingratitude of Moodeewhy's conduct; recited many injuries, which he and his tribe had suffered from Moodeewhy for a long period; mentioned instances of his bad conduct, at the time his father's bones were removed from the Ahoodu Pah to their family vault; stated acts of kindness which he had shown to Moodeewhy at different times; and said that he had twice saved his tribe from total ruin. In the present instance, Moodeewhy had killed three of his hogs; one of them was very large and fat, being two years old. Every time he mentioned the large hog, the recollection of his loss seemed to nerve afresh his aged sinews. He shook his hoary head, stamped with indignant rage, and poised his quivering spear. He exhorted his tribe to be bold and courageous, and declared that he would head them in the morning against the enemy, and, rather than he would