Ill Manning s ' Old New Zealand' 347 



tion of the body, probably. One popular reason is 

 that the want of animal food was the original cause, 

 and good men have introduced pigs in the cannibal 

 islands to save the native ; but this breaks down on 

 examination, for the custom was rife when the pig 

 and dog were plentiful. My own belief is that the 

 real cannibal sees flesh and eats it without any par- 

 ticular sentiment of any kind, except that of satisfy- 

 ing his craving, more particularly after the excitement 

 and exhaustion of battle.^ 



Some have hinted that over-population may have 

 given rise to this queer custom, but I think on 

 doubtful grounds ; when a South Sea island got 

 over-populated or was too much bullied by its 

 missionary, the surplus used to take to their canoes 

 and emigrate. Still, before we make up our minds 

 on this question, it will be as well to wait and see 

 what happens in Africa, now that the redundant 

 population is no longer tapped for the purpose of 

 procuring the means of civilising new countries. 

 These interferences between native population and 

 the laws under which they have existed for so many 

 thousands of years will lead to some queer results 

 before all is over. Just as our grouse die down every 



1 Of course the Maories had not that tropical yearning for meat, 

 caused by the damp and depressing equatorial climate, of which 

 Livingstone complains, and which Burton tells us is known as 

 Isangii or wamba. In the Fiji, I am by no means sure that this 

 cra\'ing has not been removed by the gentle ' caulker ' of brandy. 

 All cannibals have been water-drinkers if they could get nothing 

 better ; and when they got anything better they ceased to be cannibals. 



