122 Transactions. 



" Like many otlier savage tribes they were very indolent, seldom seeking 

 food until pressed by bunger. Tbey bad no canoes, tbere being no timber 

 on tbe islands sufficiently large for constructing tbem ; but tbey formed 

 rafts of tbe flower stalks of tbe Plwrmmm tenax lasbed togetber, and baving 

 an uprigbt wooden stem ingeniously carved. Tbe paddles were sbaped like 

 a spade, and were used at tbe stern, very mucb in tbe same manner as a 

 spade would be used in digging. Tbey made stone axes, similar to tbose of 

 tbe New Zealanders, and tbese, witb. clubs, &c., constructed from tbe 

 harder woods growing on tbe islands, formed tbeir weapons. In tbeir own 

 quarrels it was understood tbat tbe first blood drawn terminated tbe battle. 

 Sucb figbts were uncommon, and were generally for tbe possession of a seal 

 carcass, or of some mass of wbale-blubber wbicb happened to be cast ashore, 

 both of which were esteemed choice luxuries. They had no hereditary 

 chiefs, the most successful fisherman, or bird-catcher, or any member of tbe 

 tribe distinguished by extraordinary stature, being looked upon as an 

 authorized leader. Tbey had no idea of a Grod in our sense of the term, 

 nor, so far as I could learn, of evil spirits ; but they looked upon a good 

 fishing or birding ground as being the gift, or rather under the charge, of 

 an"Atua," or good spirit. Tbeir mode of disposing of their dead had 

 special reference to the particular vocation or fancy of the living subjects. 

 If the dead person bad been a good fisherman, for example, bis body was 

 lashed in a sitting posture to a raft, and sent adrift witb a baited line in 

 his hand. If be had been a noted bird-catcher, be was fixed in a stooping 

 position between two trees facing the particular bill or other spot which he 

 usually frequented. If be had no particular vocation, he was put, in a 

 sitting posture, into an open bole in tbe ground, generally about eighteen 

 inches deep, with any favourite piece of carved wood stuck up before him. 

 Mr. Alexander Shand, son of the late Collector of Customs at "Waitangi, is, 

 I believe, well acquainted with tbeir traditions and customs, and will no 

 doubt be able to give you fuU information upon tbe various subjects to which 

 I have thus shortly referred. 



" So far as I could learn, their chronology, unlike that of the New 

 Zealanders, is very defective, and consequently they are unable to fix, even 

 proximately, tbe date of tbeir first arrival in the islands. They say, however, 

 that they came in two canoes, one of which drifted to sea again, but the 

 other was preserved for a considerable period. Tbey are quite in the dark 

 as to where they came from originally ; but as tbey resemble the Mangaia 

 Kanakas, who form a large proportion of the crews of tbe American whabng 

 vessels, I conceive it not improbable tbat they have the same origin. 



" The islands were invaded in 1832 or 1833 by the New Zealanders, by 

 whom large numbers of the aborigines were killed and eaten. In fact, their 



