48 Transactions. —Miscellaneous. 
And here we should also bear in mind, that all this eminently peaceful 
industrious and pleasing agricultural work was the common yearly occupa- 
tion of this people,—of the whole Maori nation throughout the North Island, 
by whom it was heartily loved and passionately followed.* To me, the 
consideration of the manifold useful patient and ornamental industry of the 
ancient New Zealanders,—their untiring interest, the pains, the love, 
formerly bestowed upon the scrupulous selecting, the perfecting, carving 
and decorating of almost all objects of daily use, even when the service 
itself was most common and material (including their wooden spades and 
axe handles, their canoe paddles and balers !), was truly wonderful ; and all 
done without tools of iron or any metal, and ever without thought of pay 
or reward! And all that, too, amid the frequent disturbing and contrary 
heavy labours arising from fratricidal and murderous wars, building of 
forts, storming of towns, and general desolating violence, in which their 
strong natural and uncontrolled passions were too often wholly engaged. 
In conclusion, another curious superstition relating to Pani, sometimes 
observed on the harvesting of the crop of kumara, may also be mentioned. 
At such seasons, a peculiarly shaped abnormal and rather large kumara 
root was met with, though by no means frequently (sometimes not one such 
in the whole cultivation), this was called “ Pani’s canoe”—Pani’s medium, 
between her and the priest and the crop; and was consequently highly 
sacred, and never eaten by the people. To do so would be to insult Pani, 
and sure to cause the rotting of the whole crop when stowed away for 
keeping and winter use in the kumara store-house (a thing to be greatly 
dreaded); besides other serious visitations on the people. It, therefore, 
became the peculiar property of the priest, and was set aside to be cooked 
at a sacred fire as a kind of offering of first-fruits. The finding such a root 
was matter of great gratulation, for now it was made evident that Pani had 
heard and visited and blessed them. And as (from what I could learn) 
such a kumara root was chiefly, if not only, to be found when the crop was 
a very prolific one (which, indeed, was highly natural); this fertility was 
also taken as another proof of Pani’s gracious visit, and, of course, placed 
to the account of the knowing and fortunate priest, who had initiated all 
things so well as to bring it to pass, and so to secure a good crop! 
* See, “ Trans. N.Z. Inst.,” Vol. XIIL., pp. 5-10, 33, 34, ete. 
