384 NEW ZEALAND. 



for if he had entered, it would have become tabooed ; and the native 

 law, which does not permit any man to enter a house in which a 

 chief has resided, even temporarily, would have compelled him to 

 abandon his dwelling. Women alone are allowed to enter the houses 

 of chiefs. An instance of this was witnessed at the pa of Pomare, 

 and another where we attempted to purchase the prow of a canoe. 

 This prow, which was elaborately carved to represent some non- 

 descript animal, with a human head, having the tongue protruded, 

 was accidentally seen in an out-of-the-way storehouse, and was some- 

 what mutilated ; it had belonged to the late chief Kiwikiwi, and was 

 tabooed in the first degree. Overtures were made to the widow of 

 Kiwikiwi for its purchase. It was evidently considered very sacred, 

 for none of the natives would touch it, or even enter the storehouse in 

 which it was kept. Notwithstanding all its sacredness, it was sold, 

 after a little chaffering, for six dollars. The first price asked was two 

 pounds, but the widow could not resist the chance of its sale. After 

 the bargain was concluded, no native could be found willing to incur 

 the penalty of the taboo, by carrying it. When the transportation 

 was accomplished, a new and unexpected difficulty arose : it could 

 not be carried across the water in a canoe, as it was against taboo to 

 do it. The threat of making them refund the money, and take back 

 the ihu or nose, so worked upon the covetousness of old Kawiti, the 

 chief, that he consented to remove it, and also promised to come the 

 next day and paint it red, after the native fashion. This he punctually 

 performed, using a kind of red earth mixed with water. This is 

 represented in the tail-piece at the end of this chapter. 



The taboo is always resorted to, to protect their kumara-patches, 

 and the fear of breaking it was strongly shown by the intrusion of Mr. 

 Tibbey's goats into the kumara-patch of Pomare, near his pa. No one 

 could be induced to go in to drive them out, for fear of punishment ; 

 and a message was sent to the chief to allow them to be expelled. 

 After the permission was given, the natives could not be induced to 

 enter by any other place but that where the goats had broken through. 



The natives, for the most part, have their permanent residence in 

 towns, or what are here termed " pas," which are generally built on 

 high promontories, or insulated hills, and fortified in a rude fashion, 

 with a palisade of upright stakes, about ten feet high: the houses or 

 huts are all built closely together. 



] ^mare's pa being near our anchorage, was frequently visited. It 

 contained about three hundred huts. There was a main entrance 

 through the palisade, near which are two posts, the tops of which are 

 carved into distorted representations of the human figure. 



