312 NEW ZEALAND. [CHAP. xvni. 



service in the chapel of Pahia; part of the service being read in 

 English, and part in the native language. Whilst at New Zealand we 

 did not hear of any recent acts of cannibalism ; but Mr. Stokes found 

 burnt human bones strewed round a fireplace on a small island near 

 the anchorage ; but these remains of a comfortable banquet might 

 have been lying there for several years. It is probable that the moral 

 state of the people will rapidly improve. Mr. Bushby mentioned one 

 pleasing anecdote as a proof of the sincerity of some, at least, of those 

 who profess Christianity. One of his young men left him, who had 

 been accustomed to read prayers to the rest of the servants. Some 

 weeks afterwards, happening to pass late in the evening by an outhouse, 

 he saw and heard one of his men reading the Bible with difficulty by 

 the light of the fire, to the others. After this the party knelt and 

 prayed : in their prayers they mentioned Mr. Bushby and his family, 

 and the missionaries, each separately in his respective district. 



December 7.6th. Mr. Bushby offered to take Mr. Sulivan and myself 

 in his boat some miles up the river to Cawa-Cawa ; and proposed 

 afterwards to walk on to the village of Waiomio, where there are some 

 curious rocks. Following one of the arms of the bay, we enjoyed a 

 pleasant row, and passed through pretty scenery, until we came to a 

 village, beyond which the boat could not pass. From this place a chief 

 and a party of men volunteered to walk with us to Waiomio, a distance 

 of four miles. The chief was at this time rather notorious from having 

 lately hung one of his wives and a slave for adultery. When one of 

 the missionaries remonstrated with him he seemed surprised, and said 

 he thought he was exactly following the English method. Old Shongi, 

 who happened to be in England during the Queen's trial, expressed 

 great disapprobation at the whole proceeding: he said he had five 

 wives, and he would rather cut off all their heads than be so much 

 troubled about one. Leaving this village, we crossed over to another, 

 seated on a hillside at a little distance. The daughter of a chief, who 

 was still a heathen, had died there five days before. The hovel in 

 which she had expired had been burnt to the ground ; her body being 

 enclosed between two small canoes, was placed upright on the ground, 

 and protected by an enclosure bearing wooden images of their gods, 

 and the whole was painted bright red, so as to be conspicuous from 

 afar. Her gown was fastened to the coffin, and her hair being cut off 

 was cast at its foot. The relatives of the family had torn the flesh of 

 their arms, bodies, and faces, so that they were covered with clotted 

 blood; and the old women looked most filthy, disgusting objects. On 

 the following day some of the officers visited this place, and found the 

 women still howling and cutting themselves. 



We continued our walk, and soon reached Waiomio. Here there 

 are some singular masses of limestone, resembling ruined castles. 

 These rocks have long served for burial-places, and in consequence 

 are held too sacred to be approached. One of the young men, how- 

 ever, cried out, " Let us all be brave," and ran on ahead ; but when 

 witnin a hundred yards, the whole party thought better of it, and 

 stopped short. With perfect indifference, however, they allowed us to 



