Manchester Memoirs, Vol. xlvi. (1902), No. 13. 23 



posture may be regarded as sufficient proof of Moriori 

 origin, for the Maoris appear to have buried in a 

 horizontal position. At one locality close to the chief 

 centre of population, when out riding on the shore, I came 

 upon a place where the sand cliff was crumbling away 

 and Maori coffins were tumbling out in fragments and 

 discharging their contents in ghastly medley — in one the 

 remains of a man, with an old tooth brush, numerous 

 buttons and clay pipes close by ; in another the remains 

 of a child with the leg bones sticking out of the little 

 boots, for they appeared to have been buried in their 

 clothes and with their personal effects. 



Although human remains are left to be kicked about 

 on the beach by the hoofs of the horses in the most 

 careless manner, yet the Maoris and half-castes have the 

 strongest objection to anyone interfering with them. 

 One of them tried to persuade me that any such inter- 

 ference was punishable, by fine, though I believe there is 

 no power on the island authorised to inflict such a 

 penalty. The Maoris, however, are very powerful ; being 

 the owners of much of the land they can make things un- 

 comfortable in many ways if they choose to do so, so that 

 it is necessary for the sake of peace and quiet to be careful, 

 and observe their prejudices as much as possible — though 

 it certainly seems a little strange that while but a short time 

 ago their ancestors had no objection to eating the flesh, 

 they should at the present day so strongly object to the 

 removal of the bones. Possibly there is some superstitious 

 feeling about it, or perhaps they fear that the remains of 

 their own people might likewise be disturbed. I had the 

 pleasure of being hospitably entertained by one half-caste 

 who felt so strongly on the subject that he had fenced 

 in an old Moriori burying place on his own property to 

 keep the stock away from it, with the unexpected and 



