Smith. — On the Tohunga-Maori. 267 



besides those that have been indicated, one of wiiich was no 

 doubt due to craft on the part of the tohunga. This was by 

 ventriloquism, which was frequently practised by the priests, 

 more particularly perhaps when communication was desired 

 with a deceased relative rather than a god. The voice came in 

 a kind of whistling supulchral tone, and this was supposed to be 

 the natural tone of voice of the dead. It will be remembered 

 that Judge Maning, in " Old New Zealand," gives a graphic 

 account of such a communication with a deceased relative. 

 In old times whistling was supposed to be offensive to the 

 gods. In my young days i have often been reproved for 

 whistling as likely to anger the gods. 



In the early part of this paper I ventured to say that the 

 Polynesians had retained some of the knowledge they brought 

 with them from India, and which they probably acquired from 

 some of the Aryan races. That they are acquainted with 

 some of the feats of the Indian fakirs is obvious from their 

 practice of the fire-walking ceremony, in which the priests 

 took the leading part, always prefacing the operation by 

 karakias. It is well known that the people of India can per- 

 form this feat, and that it is done at the present day. The 

 Tahitians engage in it frequently, and I am assured by learned 

 Maoris that their ancestors of a few generations ago could 

 also perform the feat. I will here refer to a description of the 

 uviu-ti, or fire-walking ceremony, as performed last year in 

 Earotonga, in which a gentleman well known to most of us 

 took part (see article by Colonel Gudgeon, Journ. Pol. Soc, 

 vol. viii., 1899, p. 58; also Dr. Hocken, in Trans. N.Z. Inst., 

 vol. xxxi., 1898, p. 667). 



We have all heard of the mango trick as practised by the 

 people of India, but I think it will be new to you that the 

 Polynesians are equally acquainted with it. Whilst in Tahiti 

 two years ago the following was told me by a middle-aged 

 woman, a native of Eaiatea, who was remarkably intelligent 

 and well versed in the history and customs of her race. Her 

 grandfather was one of the old tohuncjas of that sacred island 

 of Eaiatea, and my informant declared that she, as a child, 

 had seen him perform the following feat : The people were 

 gathered together on the occasion of some feast or ceremony, 

 when the lohunga, calling their attention, plucked from an 

 adjacent tree a green bread-fruit. This he proceeded to bury 

 in loose earth before their eyes. After repeating certain kara- 

 kias the people all saw the bread-fruit leaves sprouting from 

 the ground where the fruit had been planted. As they looked 

 they saw the tree grow until it reached to 8 ft. or 10 ft. high ; 

 then came the flowers, and finally the fruit. I cannot vouch 

 for the truth of this as I did not see it, but I have no reason 

 to doubt my informant — at any rate, tq, doubt her belief in 



