CorENso.—On the Maori Races of New Zealand. 871 
whether visitor or neighbour, friend or relative; always, however, excepting 
their enemies. They were certainly not quarrelsome ; nor were they thievish 
among themselves; excepting the slaves, who often stole from each other. 
They would, however, steal freely from strangers; at the same time, things 
left in their charge by strangers were almost invariably safe. They were 
childishly inquisitive; but this they were with so much artfulness and good 
grace, and from a real desire for information, that it must be classed among 
their good qualities. Lastly, their being able to command sleep at any time 
—by day or by night, in health or in sickness—must not be omitted, for 
by being able to do so they doubtless escaped much Eridi mental and 
physical. 
(2.) Of their bad propensities, the following were among the more pro- 
minent:—Revenge, never weakening, never dying ; ever assiduously cherished 
in their tenacious memories; sucked in with their mother’s milk, and brooded 
over incessantly, with large accruements of interest and compound interest, 
and handed down as a precious legacy from father to son. Their combat- 
iveness, or love of fighting (especially after their fashion), was no doubt 
largely developed ; it seems as if it and its preparations must have taken up 
fully half of their time; for, once fairly roused, a New Zealander shuts his 
eyes to consequences. Akin to this was their cruelty and barbarity, and 
their love of teasing and tormenting—whether the poor and afflicted, the 
unfortunate recent captive, or the innocent dumb animal. Some of the 
barbarities sometimes practised by way of revenge on their newly taken 
prisoners of war were horrifying, and quite equal those of the North Ameri- 
can Indians, or the worse Christian (!) savages of “The Holy Inquisition.” 
They were also hasty, passionate, and envious, and treacherous, especially to 
strangers, and in making war. But their constant suspicion of almost all 
others exceeded everything; no strange canoe could appear in sight, nor 
travelling party, however small, be descried at a distance, but their worst 
suspicions were aroused, and immediately, and by every one, evil was sur- 
mised. So it was of any track or sign of any one unknown having lately 
travelled that way. Their instability and fickleness were also very great, 
and likely to occur at any time—often enough at an awkward time; allied 
to which was their superserviceableness, or over-officiousness ; their inces- 
santly taking on themselves to do something new, or of little use, or not 
wanted ; a trait best known by their own emphatic and peculiarly appropriate 
term, pokanoa (an undesired, causeless, or worthless doing or thing). Their 
disagreeable ever-asking for some wtw—return, payment, recompense, or 
equivalent—for the least assistance or thing (quid pro quo), is more a matter 
of growth during the last twenty-five years—at all events, if latent, it has 
wonderfully developed during that period ; so also has their begging faculty, 
