6 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



and use of the powers of Nature ; (2) their relying on then- own strength 

 and abihty as able men; and (3) their often invoking their deceased 

 ancestors to help them in times of great need ; or, more fi-equently, 

 encouraging themselves, at such times, with the bare recital or recollection 

 of their ancestors' names" and prowess. 



Now all this strong and common, yet (if I may so term it) quiescent 

 belief in the supernatural or miraculous, in my opinion forms a very 

 peculiar and characteristic trait in the old New Zealander. (I know, of 

 course, of those miracles related in the Old Testament, and that, too, 

 generally, in like simple manner, without note or comment). No doubt all 

 ancient nations felt more or less the influence of the Divine in Nature, or of 

 the power of Nature ; but as they knew her but imperfectly, all remarkable 

 or unusual phenomena appeared to them as manifestations of supernatural 

 powers, divine or demoniac (as the case might be), or as miracles, which, 

 while they inspired some peoples with awe, did not so act on the minds of the 

 ancient Maori. Not but that they had plenty of signs and wonders, akin to 

 the Eoman fictions of prodigia and j^ortenUe,^ which served to announce 

 important events ; but, while they saw and observed, talked of and 

 magnified them, they never feared them ; rather ridiculed them, or treated 

 them lightly ; and even when all things turned out well and satisfactory, 

 and in keeping with their belief in, or expectations from, those higher 

 powers, no such thing as thanksgiving to them was ever dreamt of! 



Moreover, it should also be briefly noticed, that while they laughed and 

 mocked at earthquakes, at pealing thunder, at vivid lightnings, and at 

 terrific storms, they exhibited great dread at merely unexpectedly seeing a 

 small, common, and harmless lizard ; at a gaseous flame suddenly shooting 

 forth, with crackling noise, from their private fire towards them; and at a 

 big spark bouncing therefrom in a similar direction ! etc., etc. 



The subject of my paper this evening will be some of the doings (and 

 their consequences) of a powerful chief, named Uenuku, J who dwelt here on 

 the East Coast of New Zealand, between Table and East Capes, about 

 twenty-five generations back,§ or (say) A.D. 1000, — time of our Danish 



* See " Paikea's Spell," in the Story of Euatapu and Paikea. (infra.) 

 t Livy, III., 10: XLin., etc.; Lucan, Pilars., I.; Pliny, H.N., II., Vni., XVI., etc ; 



Plutarch, Cffis., 63. 



J There were several chiefs and personages of ancient days named Uenuku ; some of 



them bearing an additional suffix to distinguish them. One is said to have dwelt at 



" Hawaiki " before the so-called migration hither. (See Grey's ''Polynesian Mythology" 



p., 123, etc.) Uenuku is, also, a name for the rainbow. 



§ One of the genealogies gives twenty-eight generations, (viz., three additional 



names). This may be owing to an early branch, commencing with the son of another 



wife. (See Appendix, Genealogy). 



