MODES OF WARFARE. 
128 
and the first rush, though they should fall far 
short of the enemy, gives courage to the one 
party to advance to the combat, and intimidates, 
and not unfrequently completely routs, their op- 
ponents. The yell is then kept up, as they pursue 
the enemy, or sing their song of triumph, without 
having slain a single individual. The dreadful 
contortions of the countenance, however fantas- 
tical they may appear to an English eye, are by 
them intended to be significant, and are calculated 
to strike terror into the heart of a New Zea- 
lander ; as he knows tliat, if conquered (and he 
always fears that he shall be), the mouth now so 
vddely and frightfully extended will shortly be 
his tomb. In some cases, such a thought excites 
to courage and to ideas of self-preservation. 
But, however brave they may have been repre- 
sented, as a people they are the most arrant 
cowards, trembling at their own shadows, and 
never venturing to attack, except greatly supe- 
rior in numbers, or in arms and ammunition. 
They have been represented as brave, because 
noisy and furious : they have been considered 
bold, because, at times, reckless and thoughtless : 
but their general character only requires to be 
known, to enable any one to distinguish the broad 
marks of treachery and cowardice which are 
stamped upon it. I do not mean to say that they 
are generally treacherous towards Europeans, as 
in a subsequent chapter we shall have more par- 
ticularly to notice ; but, that they are treacherous 
