130 CANNIBALISM. [PART I. 



agreeable a curious physiological fact, if true ; and 

 they stated the same regarding the flesh of our dogs 

 and the introduced European rat. It appears very 

 doubtful whether they ever killed a slave merely 

 for the purpose of eating him. Where such mur- 

 der was committed there was generally some super- 

 stitious belief connected with the act, or it was done 

 as a punishment. 



The island of Tuhua, or Mayor's Island, in the 

 Bay of Plenty, with a population of about 200 souls, 

 has been subject to many attacks from the tribes of 

 the mainland ; first from the Nga Pui, and after- 

 wards from the Nga-te-Wakaua, in Wakkatane. 

 Their pa being situated on an almost inaccessible 

 rock of craggy lava, the enemy has always been 

 obliged to retreat. The last attack was made in the 

 night, but the inhabitants were on their guard, and 

 allowed the enemy to come to the base of the rock 

 on which the pa stands, and then rolled down large 

 boulders, by which many of the attacking party 

 were crushed ; the rest retreated. They related this 

 the following morning to a missionary, and, on being 

 asked to show the marks of the blood on the rocks, 

 they answered, " Our women have licked it off! " 

 The savage, passionate and furious with the feeling 

 of revenge, slaughtering and devouring his enemy 

 and drinking his blood, is no longer the same being 

 as when cultivating his fields in peace ; and it would 

 be as unjust to estimate his general character by his 

 actions in these moments of unrestrained passion, 



