Best. — Maori Eschatology. 189 



Understand that Maoris think much of their dead, as becomes 

 a people who have practised necrolatry for untold centuries. 

 In like manner they think much of the places where their dead 

 lie. Observe the evidence given in Native Land Courts, where 

 two important points in support of a claim to land are that the 

 claimant's ancestors died or were buried on the land. Note the 

 pathetic laments composed and sung by tribes who were forced 

 to migrate from lands where their dead lay. Think of the 

 numberless cases where a captive has asked permission to sing 

 a farewell to his tribal lands and his dead ere he be slain by his 

 captors. 



It has been stated by some writers, anent the discovery in 

 several places in New Zealand of skeletons buried in a sitting 

 position, that this mode of burial was not practised by the Maori, 

 hence a " prior race " theory is set up. But the Maori did bury 

 bodies in a sitting position, though not invariably so. When one 

 considers the way in which the bodies of the dead were frequently 

 " trussed " for burial, then the sitting position in burial appears 

 to be quite feasible and also natural. Years ago I heard of skele- 

 tons being found in such a position in the sandhills on the coast 

 at Ohau, near Otaki. The Tuhoe Tribe sometimes buried their 

 dead in a sitting position, which they term " tapulce whaJca- 

 noho." (For other evidence concerning sitting-burial, see " Trans- 

 actions of the New Zealand Institute," vol. vii, pp. 67, 68, 88 ; 

 vol. xxxiv, p. 126 (Moriori), 129 ; vol. xviii, p. 24 : vol. i, p. 20, 

 of Colenso's second essay. Also, at p. 20 of vol. i of these Trans- 

 actions is a reference which reads thus : " In a circular pit in 

 the Waikato a number of human skeletons were found in an erect 

 position, each with a block of wood on its head.") 



The graves used by Natives are by no means deep — about 

 3 ft. or 4 ft. in depth, as a rule. As the bones are to be taken up 

 in a few years it is perhaps better not to bury deeply, inasmuch 

 as decomposition would be delayed thereby. 



Tree Burial. 



Tree burial has always been much practised by the Tuhoe 

 Tribe, certainly since the time of one Tama-tuhi-rae, alias Tama- 

 a-mutu, who nourished some thirteen generations ago, and to 

 whom the Tuhoe Tribe attribute the originating of the custom. 

 Tama-a-mutu instituted the custom of tree burial, it is said, 

 because he considered it wrong to bury the dead in the earth, 

 as the earth is for producing food. Even so, when Tama drew 

 near Ins end he told his son that he did not wish his body buried 

 in the earth, but wanted it placed in a tree. Hence, after his 

 death his son constructed a wooden box, in which he placed 

 the body of his sire. This box or coffin was placed up in a tree 



