58 DISEASES ATTRIBUTED [PART I. 



holes, made of wood : the airs produced on it are 

 plaintive, but little modulated. 



The game of draughts is very common, and is 

 called E' Mu: although not played for gambling 

 purposes, it often gives rise to quarrels. It is some- 

 times played differently from our game, but I am 

 not quite sure that it was not introduced by Eu- 

 ropeans. 



The New Zealander is not over-clean in his per- 

 son, but he is very particular respecting his food ; and 

 his dwelling also is kept in as much order as possible. 

 The introduction of blankets and all sorts of ragged 

 European clothing, accompanied with the parasitical 

 flea, which, according to native accounts, only ap- 

 peared with the Europeans, has not improved his 

 sense of propriety or his general appearance. The 

 rigour of the climate and the want of soap are the 

 principal causes of this, as the natives do not cease 

 washing and cleaning themselves when they have 

 plenty of that invaluable article, or when the vanity 

 of the females is in any way concerned. 



Diseases are generally ascribed to the action of a 

 spirit (E' Atua), as a punishment for eating food or 

 doing anything that is " tapu;" or forbidden : in 

 many cases they are believed to originate in witch- 

 craft (Makuta). The latter belief is deeply rooted, 

 and even the Christianized natives cannot divest 

 themselves of it. Bewitching is done by digging a 

 hole, and invoking the spirit of him whom they want 

 to have destroyed, which appears above the hole as 



