WAIOMTO 457 



its foot. The relatives of the family had torn the flesh of 

 their arms, bodies, and faces, so that they were covered with 

 clotted blood ; and the old women looked most filthy, disgust- 

 ing objects. On the following day some of the officers visited 

 this place, and found the women still howling and cutting 

 themselves. 



We continued our walk, and soon reached Waiomio. 

 Here there are some singular masses of limestone resembling 

 ruined castles. These rocks have long served for burial-places, 

 and in consequence are held too sacred to be approached. 

 One of the young men, however, cried out, " Let us all be 

 brave," and ran on ahead ; but when within a hundred yards, 

 the whole party thought better of it, and stopped short. With 

 perfect indifference, however, they allowed us to examine the 

 whole place. At this village we rested some hours, during 

 which time there was a long discussion with Mr. Bushby, 

 concerning the right of sale of certain lands. One old man, 

 who appeared a perfect genealogist, illustrated the successive 

 possessors by bits of stick driven into the ground. Before 

 leaving the houses a little basketful of roasted sweet potatoes 

 was given to each of our party ; and we all, according to the 

 custom, carried them away to eat on the road. I noticed that 

 among the women employed in cooking there was a man- 

 slave : it must be a humiliating thing for a man in this warlike 

 country to be employed in doing that which is considered as 

 the lowest woman's work. Slaves are not allowed to go to 

 war ; but this perhaps can hardly be considered as a hardship. 

 I heard of one poor wretch who, during hostilities, ran away 

 to the opposite party ; being met by two men, he was imme- 

 diately seized ; but as they could not agree to whom he should 

 belong, each stood over him with a stone hatchet, and seemed 

 determined that the other at least should not take him away 

 alive. The poor man, almost dead with fright, was only saved 

 by the address of a chiefs wife. We afterwards enjoyed a 

 pleasant walk back to the boat, but did not reach the ship till 

 late in the evening. 



December loth. — In the afternoon we stood out of the Bay 

 of Islands, on our course to Sydney. I believe we were all 

 glad to leave New Zealand. It is not a pleasant place. 



