SUPERSTITIOUS FEARFULNESS. 
94 
time seems more generally to seize them. 1 have 
known them refuse to go out alone, by night 
or by day, if their journey would lead them out 
of the hearing of their friends, or out of sight of 
the village. They are possessed with a kind of 
indefinite fear, and indescribable dread, which, with 
all their efforts, they are unable, or profess them- 
selves to be unable, to shake off: at times, they say 
it is the fear of meeting the Paraus, or slaves, who 
have run away, and are living by murder and 
robbery in the bush; though no one was ever 
known to have been either robbed or murdered 
by them, nor does any person ever recollect to 
have seen one of these poor runaways. At other 
times, it is attributed to the dread of witchcraft ; 
and the certainty they feel, that if met by an 
enemy, open or secret, who possesses this power, 
they shall be bewitched, and their lives taken 
away by secret means, which the persons would 
not dare to do openly or by violence. 
Some very strange ideas exist among them 
with respect to accidents at sea. If a ship is lost 
in entering the harbour of Hokianga, it is attri- 
buted to the anger of the Taniwa, sea-monster, 
or god, who has raised himself under the vessel, 
and overturned it. If ever a person has com- 
mitted a crime, gone over any consecrated ground, 
touched an interdicted article, or in the remotest 
way broken a tapu, he is in the utmost terror 
with respect to this Taniwa, and imagines that 
he cannot possibly go upon the water without 
