CoLENSO. — 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 

 manghng 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, etc., 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, etc., 

 we shall find (if 1 mistake not), th7-ee things, like three golden threads, 

 always running through them ; viz., (1) their firm belief in their knowledge 



* " Essay on the Maori Eaces," " Trans, N, Z. Inst.." Vol. I., § 29 of Essay. 



