Best. — On Maori Magic. 95 



the spells of old therewith. The old lady did not know what 

 the rest of the rite was. A shell was sometimes used by the 

 wizard in such rites as the rua-iti, in order to " scoop" the 

 spirits of the subject into the pit of death. The above people 

 left Matuahu just before Witty's expedition against that pa in 

 1869. 



There would appear to be a great similarity between 

 different races in regard to their superstitions and magic rites. 

 The finding of the mdtakai in Abyssinia is interesting, but 

 primitive races appear to evolve similar ideas all the world 

 over. In this connection an article on " Chinese Magic " 

 which lately appeared in the Nouvelle Revue is interesting. 



Do not imagine that makutu is a thing of the past. Not 

 so. It still obtains and is still dreaded. I heard but yester- 

 day of a case wherein a half-breed of the descendants of 

 Tionga is said to have been bewitched by Tuhoe, on account 

 of his claiming their lands at Te Whaiti. 



Tama-rae, of Ngati-awa, is said to have slain Tikitu by 

 means of magic. So Tikitu's son promptly shot the wizard, 

 and, being pursued by the Armed Constabulary, fled to Eua- 

 t ah una. 



I am informed that native magicians have tried to destroy 

 white men by means of magic, but somehow it does not 

 succeed. 



In the above pages are given but a portion of the number- 

 less ways in which people were slain or affected by means of 

 the black art. We will now give a few more items by means 

 of which the spells of magic are averted and life saved. You 

 are now aware of some of the innumerable dangers to which 

 human life is exposed. Be equally diligent in learning how 

 to save life. 



Matapuru. 



I had been getting some information regarding Maori 

 religious rites from an old man of Tuhoe. When the inter- 

 view was over he said, "I must matapuru, that the in- 

 formation I have given you may not return (recoil) and kill 

 me. 



In the days of yore and the mana Maori, when the dread 

 atua (demon) Tu-nui-a-te-ika (a meteor) was seen, the priests 

 would at once proceed to matapuru — i.e., to perform certain 

 rites and recite divers incantations or invocations in order to 

 ward off the aitua, or evil omen. The matapuru is an ex- 

 cellent plan by which to avert the effects of magic. Should 

 I hear that a wizard is in the vicinity I would at once proceed 

 to matapuru. I tie a number of pieces of green flax round 

 my body, arms, and legs — say, three or four on each. This is 

 termed a " ruruku," or binding-together of the body. I then 



