A Native Fete and War Dance. i o i 



lias become a positive passion with both sexes, and even 

 among the children of the poorer classes it is no unusual 

 thino; to see the infant carried in tlie arms coollv take the 

 pipe out of its mother's mouth and begin to smoke it ! The 

 earthen pipe, broken off so short that there is barely suffi- 

 cient to enable the teeth to take hold, — in one word, sum- 

 ming up everything to English ears — the "cuttie" — is most 

 in favour. 



Scarcely was it rumoured that the Commander of the Aust- 

 rian frigate with his staff were at hand, ere the whole crowd, 

 which up to that moment had been abandoning itself to en- 

 joyment, suddenly dispersed pele-mele in wildest confusion. 

 The gay flags were removed from the tent-peaks, and made 

 to veil the scene of uproar ; a quick but monotonous song, 

 alternating with measured stamping with the feet, was droned 

 out, the chiefs brandishing aloft and swinging with wild 

 gesticulations their costly clubs {ineri-meri^ literally '' Fire of 

 the Grods "), made of primitive rock. Each Maori who had a 

 club beside him swung it with wild gesticulation, while the 

 rest tossed in the air the ends of their woollen garments. In 

 order to give us a more complete idea of their ancient customs, 

 a war-dance succeeded to this, in which men, women, and 

 children took a part. Although this is nothing but a confused 

 advance and retreat of two bodies of people arranged opposite 

 each other in regular order, who suddenly rush towards each 

 other with impetuous vehemence and loud discordant cries, 

 yet the wild shrieks, the rapid motions of those who took part 



