NEW ZEALAND. 423 



story is all nonsense, yet the similarity of the foregoing names with 

 those of the people of Savaii, in the Samoan Group, is striking. 

 This, connected with the story, which we shall hereafter quote, of 

 the introduction of the kumara in canoes, taken together, would 

 appear to afford very strong reason for the conjecture that they 

 were derived from the same source. In their native traditions there 

 appears to be some idea of a creation, having a general resemblance 

 to that of the other nations of Polynesia. 



The trade in native curiosities is not quite so great as it used to be, 

 particularly in tattooed heads. So great at one time was the traffic in 

 the latter article, between New Zealand and Sydney, that, in 1831, it 

 was prohibited by law. In Governor Darling's administration of the 

 colony, the chief Shougi is supposed to have made large sums by it, 

 and there are some persons who, in part, impute his wars to his 

 desire of gain ; for, having been in England, he became acquainted 

 with the value set upon them, and the demand for them. It is 

 generally thought that many of the heads thus sold have been pre- 

 pared by the white runaway convicts, who have learnt the mode 

 of doing this from the natives. They are still to be obtained, 

 though great precaution is used in disposing of them. A missionary 

 brig, lying at the Bay of Islands, had many curiosities on board, in 

 the possession of the steward ; and after the buying of mats, &c, had 

 been finished, he invited our officers to step down to his little store- 

 room, under the forecastle, where he had a curiosity which could not 

 be brought out. After this mysterious annunciation, they followed 

 him to the bottom of the ladder ; he then told them he was about to 

 put his fate into their hands, believing that they were too much men 

 of honour to betray him. He then proceeded to inform them that he 

 had two preserved heads of New Zealand chiefs, which he would sell 

 for ten pounds. He could not venture, he said, to produce them on 

 board the brig, but if they would appoint a place, he would bring 

 them. The penalty for selling them was fifty guineas, and he 

 conjured them to the most perfect secrecy. These proved to be 

 beautiful specimens, and now form a part of our collections. So 

 effectually has the fine prevented this traffic, that it is an extremely 

 difficult matter to obtain a head ; they are as rare now as they have 

 been common heretofore ; and the last place in which it could have 

 been expected to find them, would have been on board a missionary 

 vessel. 



The New Zealanders are still cannibals, although in the districts 



