Chant sung during the Process of Tattooing. 1 13 



confined to one or two vertical or horizontal lines upon the 

 lip and chin. This tattooing occasionally, however,' takes 

 place twice, in order to bring out a black colour, as the New 

 Zealanders consider a black lip as the very ideal of beauty. 

 It also figures as such in the songs chanted by the Tohunga 

 on such occasions, of which the following stanzas may be 

 presented as a specimen : — 



Be ready, my daughter, to have thyself marked, 



To tattoo thy chin ! 



That, when thou crossest the threshold of a strange house, 



They may not say, " Whence cometh this ugly woman?" 



Be ready, my daughter, to have thyself marked, 



To tattoo thy chin ! 



That thou mayst have a comely aspect, 



That when thou art bidden to a feast. 



They may not ask, "Whence cometh this red-lipped woman?" 



To make thyself beautiful 



Come and be tattooed! 



That when thou dost enter the circle of dancers, 



They may not ask, "Whence cometh this woman with the ugly lips?" 



The Tohunga is usually well remunerated, and frequently 

 in the course of his chant makes allusion to the amount of 

 reward he expects, and indeed sometimes stimulates the 

 generosity of his patient by singing amongst other ditties, 

 something like 



" The man who is paid well 

 Tattoos beautifully ! 

 The man who receives nothing 

 Does not tattoo well!" 

 VOL. HI. I 



