1 62 Voyage of the Nov ar a. 



or croucliing upon their hams. Around, in sympathetic glee 

 and full security, sprawled a squad of pigs and children, 

 some naked, others half-clothed. Most of the adults stretched 

 out their hands in the most friendly manner. Here we had 

 again occasion to remark the extraordinary diversity of 

 physical appearance in various individuals, no two of these 

 Maories being like each other in complexion, hair, or figure. 

 In front of one of the huts a native oven was standing un- 

 covered, the mid-day meal being just over ; after the earth 

 and other matters had been removed there appeared, each 

 lying on a cool-looking cabbage leaf, some splendid potatoes 

 and eels from the river. The Hangi-Maori, or Maori oven, 

 is nothing but a hole some three feet long by one and a half 

 deep excavated in the earth. In this a strong fire is made of 

 dried timber, and when fully alight stones are placed over 

 the flames, and kept there] till they are in a state of incan- 

 descence. As soon as the wood has been consumed the ashes 

 are carefully removed, and a little wet flax thrown upon the 

 hot stoneS; above which again is placed a layer of fresh cab- 

 bage leaves. These form as it were a bed for the food to 

 be cooked, be it meat, vegetables, fish, or fruit. The viands 

 are then covered with another course of leaves, two mats of 

 rushes being placed on the top, after which the earth ex- 

 cavated is heaped over the pile and pressed firmly down, so 

 as to prevent the escape of the steam thus generated. If 

 there are no cabbage leaves handy, a substitute is made of 

 the leaves of the Tuakura [DicJcsonia Squamosa)^ a species of 



