Cotenso.—Traditions of the Maoris. 5 
Of their human sacrifices and cannibalism, which always and everywhere 
nationally accompanied their battles, I would say nothing at present; only 
(as I have before observed),* that I never could consider those savage 
customs as even approaching, in cruelty and abomination, the well-known 
doings of that thrice-accursed institution of the so-called Christian Church— 
‘‘the Holy Inquisition!” in which Christian kings and queens, bishops, 
priests, and saints (!!) took their unholy and murderous parts with a zest! 
Indeed, I hesitate not to affirm, that all such conduct as that of the New 
Zealand savage towards the dead—and that, too, in hot blood, after a 
deadly hand-to-hand combat with sticks and stones,—is as nothing when 
fairly compared with the modern and Christian (!) modes of wholesale 
mangling and destroying the living! (it may often be innocent and unoffending 
women and children, in the sieges and assaults of towns !) with shells, bombs, 
mines, mitrailleuses, dynamite, torpedoes, etc., etc. 
Those historical stories will also show much of the cool courage, 
stratagem, endurance, patience, ete., of the ancient Maoris. From them we 
shall gather not a little every-way applicable to the so-called « Spiritualists ” 
of the present day, showing, at least, that their modern lying “ mediums’ ”’ 
deception was known long ago to the savage New Zealander! From those 
narrations we may also learn that such preternatural doings as that of 
Joshua commanding the sun to stand still,—of Jonah and the whale,—of 
supernatural visitants from the sky,—of wonderful achievements and 
miracles,—of miraculous conceptions,—of resurrections from the dead. »—and 
even of ascensions into heaven, were not unknown to the ancient New 
Zealander. From them we may learn not a little of their (supposed) skill and 
belief in controlling and commanding the higher powers of Nature; and all 
this, too, both quietly and unostentatiously done and related without a 
single extra remark of the wonderful, or a note of admiration! And from 
them we shall also learn a good deal of their prayers (?), charms, spells, 
exorcisms, adjurations, and religious ceremonies—of their great simplicity 
and (may I not add?) utter uselessness, Or, rather, perhaps, not quite 
‘‘utter uselessness” in one sense at least, for they, no doubt, felt 
strengthened in their belief, that, having followed closely in the footsteps of 
their forefathers, having done all that was required, they should certainly 
reap a corresponding benefit. And this belief would naturally re-act upon 
them, and stimulate them to continuous and future exertions to bring about 
the same, and thus would prove beneficial. In all those charms, spells, ete., 
we shall find (if I mistake not), three things, like three golden threads, 
always running through them; viz., (1) their firm belief in their knowledge 
* “Essay on the Maori Races,” ‘ Trans, N. Z. Inst..” Vol. L, § 29 of Essay, 
