MIDWIFERY. 129 



part of the abdomen over the region of the womb. 

 As soon as the child is born, the forehead of the 

 infant is compressed, by laying the child upon 

 its back and employing pressure with the foot ; 

 I could not find out for what object this was 

 done, as the pressure was not repeated after the 

 day following the birth of the infant. 



The labours are sometimes tedious, and the 

 suffering attending them severe ; the presenta- 

 tions are generally natural ; when preternatural 

 labours occur, in most, if not in all such 

 cases, they prove fatal for want of assistance.* 

 After the delivery of the woman a belt of 

 opossum skin, called " CumeeV (similar to that 

 worn by the males, when adults) is placed around 

 the abdomen, and is removed after being kept 

 on from twenty-four to forty-eight hours ; the 

 day after delivery the woman goes to the river 



* At New Zealand the women are attended, during labour, 

 by their husbands; but, if it is a difficult labour, they suppose 

 the spirits to be angry, and therefore send for the Tohunga, 

 or priest. On the arrival of the Tohunga, he strides over 

 and breathes on the woman, and then, retiring to a short dis- 

 tance, sits down and prays to the spirits ; if the labour ter- 

 minates favourably, it is looked upon as resulting from the 

 influence of the Tohunga in averting the anger of the spirits; 

 but should the termination be fatal, the priest is considered 

 to have incurred the displeasure of the spirits, and lost his 

 influence. 



VOL. I. K 



