ZEALAND, NEW. 



165 



tliis would go to prove that the cannibalism of the 

 New Zealander had, on its first introduction, been 

 intimately associated with certain feelings or notions 

 which seemed to demand the act as a duty, and 

 not at all with any circumstances of distress or 

 famine which compelled a resort to it as a dire ne- 

 cessity. There is too much reason for apprehend- 

 ing, however, that the unnatural repast, having 

 ceased in this way to be regarded with that disgust 

 with which it is turned from by every unpolluted 

 appetite, has now become an enjoyment in which 

 they not unfrequently indulge without any refer- 

 ence to the considerations which originally tempted 

 them to partake of it. Indeed, such a result, instead 

 of being incredible or improbable, would appear to 

 be almost an inevitable consequence of the general 

 and systematic perpetration, under any pretext, of 

 so daring an outrage upon nature, as that of which 

 these savages are, on all hands, allowed to be guilty. 

 Unacquainted as the New Zealanders are with 

 anything deserving of the name of science, and insig- 



tenance could not be imagined to belong to so savage a monster 

 a? lie had proved himself to be. I shudderedat beholding the un- 

 usual quantity of potatoes his slaves were preparing to eat with 

 the infernal banquet. We talked coolly with him on the sub- 

 ject ; for as we could not prevent what had taken place, v e 

 were resolved to learn, if possible, the whole particulars. Atoi 

 at first tried to make us believe he knew notliing about it, and 

 that it was only a meal for his slaves ; but we had ascertained 

 it was for himself and his favourite companions. After various 

 endeavours to conceal the fact, Atoi frankly owned that he was 

 only waiting till the cooking was completed to partake of it. 

 He added, that knowing the horror we Europeans held these 

 feasts in, the natives were always most anxious to conceal them 

 from us, and he was very angry that it had come to our know- 

 ledov : but, as he had acknowledged the fact, he had no objec- 

 tions to talk about it. He told us that human flesh required a 

 greater number of hours to cook than any other ; that if not 

 done enough, it was very tough, but when sufficiently cooked, 

 it wits as tender as paper. He held in Ids hand a piece of paper 

 which he tore in illustration ot his remark. He said the flesh 

 then preparing would not be ready till next morning ; but one 

 of liis sisters whispered in my ear that her brother was deceiv- 

 ing us, as they intended feasting at sunset. We inquired why 

 and how he had murdered the poor girl. He replied, that run- 

 ning away from him to her own relations was her only crime. 

 He then took us outside the village, and showed us the post to 

 which she had been tied, and laughed to think how he had 

 cheated her : ' For,* said he, ' I told her I only intended to give 

 her a flogging ; but I fired, and shot her through the heart !' 

 My blood ran cold at this relation, and I looked with feelings of 

 horror at the savage while he related it. Shall I be credited 

 when 1 again affirm, that he was not only a handsome young 

 man, but mild and genteel in his demeanour ? He was a man 

 we had admitted to our table, and was a general favourite with 



and again strolled towards the spot where this disgusting mess 

 was cooking. Not a native was now near it ; a hot fetid steam 

 occasionally bursting from the smothered mass; and the same dog 

 we had seen with the head now crept from beneath the bushes, 

 and sneaked toward the village ; to add to the gloominess of the 

 whole, a large hawk rose heavily from the very spot where the 

 poor victim nad been cut in pieces. My friend" and 1 sat gazing 

 on this melancholy place ; it was a lowering gusty day, and the 

 mi mining of the wind through the bushes, as it swept round the 

 till! on which we were, seemed in unison with our feelings. 

 After some time spent in contemplating the miserable scene 

 before us, during which we gave full vent to the most passionate 

 exclamations of disgust, we determined to spoil this intended 

 feast ; this resolution formed, we rose to execute it. I ran off 

 to our beach, leaving Duke on guard, and, collecting all the 

 white men 1 could, I informed them of what had happened, 

 and asked them if they would assist in destroying the oven, and 

 burying the remains of the girl : they consented, and each 

 having provided himself with a shovel or a pick-axe, we 

 repaired in a body to the spot. Atoi and his friends had 

 by some means been informed of our intention, and they 

 came out to prevent it. He used various threats to deter us. 

 and seemed highly indignant; but as none of his followers 

 appeared willing to come to blows, and seemed ashamed that 

 such a transaction should have been discovered by us, we were 

 permitted by them to do as we chose. We accordingly dug a 

 tolerably deep grave ; then we resolutely attacked the oven. 

 On removing the earth and leaves, the shocking spectacle was 

 presented to our view, the four quarters of the human body 

 half roasted. During our work clouds of steam enveloped us, 

 and the disgust created by our task was almost overpowering. 

 We collected all the parts we could recognize : the heart was 

 placed separately, we supposed, as a savoury morsel for the 

 chief himself. We placed the whole in the grave, which we filled 

 op as well as we could, and then broke and scattered the oven. 



nificant as is the progress they have made in tho 

 arts, their intellectual powers are evidently of a 

 superior order. Such of them as have come in con- 

 tact with European civilization have in general 

 manifested extraordinary quickness and tact in 

 catching its spirit, and adapting themselves to the 

 new opinions and manners to which they were in- 

 troduced. And all that we are told of them shows 

 acuteness, reflection, readiness, fertility of resources, 

 and the other faculties and habits of mind that go 

 to make up a commanding intellectual organization. 

 In the few arts which are known among them, they 

 display exceeding neat-handedness and ingenuity, 

 and even no contemptible portion of taste and ele- 

 gance. Nor are they without a genius for the higher 

 exercises of the imagination. Their music is spoken 

 of as superior to that of many of the other South 

 Sea Islands ; they possess a body of national poetry, 

 which is constantly receiving additions as new events 

 awaken the fancy of their bards ; and eloquence 

 in the council is as indispensible a qualification of 

 their chiefs and warriors as valour in the field. 

 Among all orders of the people much time is spent in 

 conversation, in which they discuss the general con- 

 cerns of the tribe, taking, as might be expected, 

 especial interest, in whatever relates to their chief 

 and his family. But other topics also obtain their 

 eager attention, whenever they enjoy the rare oppor- 

 tunity of acquiring any information respecting what 

 lies beyond the very bounded sphere of their own 

 experience and traditionary knowledge. Mr Mars- 

 den, who, during his several journeys through the 

 interior of the country, saw more of their domestic 

 habits than any one else who has attempted to give 

 us a picture of New Zealand society, found them 

 every where both ready and anxious to listen to him, 

 when he addressed them even on what may be called 

 scientific subjects, and most intelligent in the ques- 

 tions they asked him, and the remarks they made. Af- 

 ter the work of the day was over, they used to crowd 

 around him in the evenings, to hear him dispense to 

 them the wisdom of Europe ; and not only agricul- 

 ture and navigation, but the general principles of 

 geography and astronomy were often the matter ol 

 his discourse, which would sometimes run far into 

 the night before his auditors were weary, or thought 

 of repose. Nor was it found by any means impos- 

 sible or difficult to convince them of the folly of 

 some of their prejudices, when the reason of the 

 thing admitted of being plainly stated to them. 

 They are much less disposed, however, than most 

 other uncivilized tribes, and the fact is greatly to 

 the credit of their thinking powers, to receive any 

 opinion merely upon the assertion even of a white 

 man. Upon all subjects they question and cross- 

 question those who attempt to instruct them, 

 until they are satisfied with the explanation given. 

 Naturally suspicious, a consequence partly of the 

 inquisitive and penetrating character of their under- 

 standings, and much accustomed themselves to con- 

 ceal the object they actually have in view, and to 

 proceed to it by an indirect course, they generally 

 endeavour very anxiously, when they meet with a 

 stranger, to acertain the motives of any conduct 

 they see him pursue. 



Several of the most conspicuous deformities of 

 the New Zealand character originate in the abuse 

 and perversion of intellectual powers, which, pro- 

 perly trained, would carry them forward rapidly in 

 the career of social improvement and happiness. 

 They are not a people sunk in sloth, and abandoned 

 to an enervating luxury, as has been found to bo 



