Dec. 1835. 



NEW ZEALAND. 



513 



and passed through pretty scenery, until we came to a 

 village, beyond which the boat could not proceed. From 

 this place a chief and a party of men volunteered to walk 

 with us to Waiomio, a distance of four miles. The 

 chief was at this time rather notorious, from having lately 

 hung one of his wives and a slave, for adultery. When 

 one of the missionaries remonstrated with him, he seemed 

 surprised, and said he thought he w^as exactly following 

 the English method. Old Shongi, who happened to be in 

 England during the Queen^s trial, expressed great disappro- 

 bation at the whole proceeding : he said he had five wives, 

 and he would rather cut off all their heads, than be so 

 much troubled about one. Leaving this village, we crossed 

 over to another, seated on a hill-side at a little distance. 

 The daughter of a chief, who was still a heathen, had died 

 here five days before. The hovel in which she had expired 

 had been burnt to the ground : her body being enclosed 

 between two small canoes was placed upright on the ground, 

 and protected by an enclosure bearing wooden images of 

 their gods, and the whole was painted bright red, so as 

 to be conspicuous from afar. Her gown was fastened to the 

 coffin, and her hair being cut off was cast at 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, disgusting 

 objects. On the following day some of the officers visited 

 this place, and found the women still howiing and cutting 

 themselves. 



We continued our walk, and soon reached Waiomio. 

 Here there are some singular masses of limestone, resem- 

 bling ruined castles. These rocks have long served for 

 burial-places, and in consequence are held sacred. One of 

 the young men 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 indif- 

 ference, however, they allowed us to examine the whole 

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



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