48 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



And here we should also bear in mmd, 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 Avas 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 pecuharly 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 crt«06!"=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 pecuHar 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. XIII., pp. 5-10, 33, 34, etc. 



