260 Transactions. — Miscellaneoiis . 



performed the rigorous ceremonies connected with the re- 

 moval of the taim. Certain parts of the body were reserved 

 for his special consumption, such as the heart, &c. He was 

 ever at hand to communicate the will of his particular atua, or 

 god, under whose protection, of course, the war-party was for 

 the time being. On the return home his services were again 

 in requisition to remove the tapit from the whole party, before 

 which none of them dare come near their relatives and 

 friends. 



From birth to death the priest was in constant requisition 

 to perform some ceremony connected with the every-day in- 

 cidents of life of the Maori. Soon after birth — the number 

 of days varied from tribe to tribe, but generally about the 

 eighth day — the child received its name. This naming was 

 called Uta or tohi, and here the priest officiated by the utter- 

 ance of appropriate karakias, and officially named the child. 

 In cases of sickness he was applied to to ascertain the cause. 

 In most cases this was set down to the infringement of some 

 of the innumerable laws of tajJu, or to makuki (witchcraft) by 

 an enemy. As wizards, either to inflict injury on another or 

 by appropriate means to avert the witchcraft of some other 

 person, the priest had immense powers. To this subject I 

 shall return later on. x-Vgain, at the marriages of people of 

 distinction the priest was present, and used many karakias. 

 It is generally said that there was no form of marriage 

 amongst the Maoris. This, however, is only true of common 

 people ; with chiefs there was much ceremony and many 

 karakias. When death came to take the warrior to his last 

 resting-place beyond the reinga the priest had very important 

 functions to perform. Probably we have more karakias 

 preserved connected with the death ceremonies than others. 

 They are evidently very ancient, and frequently couched in 

 language which is extremely difficult to understand. My 

 belief is they are so ancient that the meanings of the words 

 have completely changed since they were first embalmed in 

 these old karakias. The mere translation of them, therefore, 

 even when this can be done, probably does not give the 

 meaning intended originally, or oven those known to the 

 priests. The Maoris themselves are generally ignorant of the 

 meaning at the present day. 



Something must be said of the education of the priests. 

 Little will be found on this subject in the works of those who 

 have treated of Maori customs, therefore I must place before 

 you the little I have myself gathered. Here, again, we are 

 met with the difficulty that the esoteric meaning attaching to 

 the ceremonies is lost. There can be no doubt that each step 

 had a well-defined meaning at one time to which very great 

 importance was attached. 



