CANNIBALISM AFTER BATTLE. JQQ 
to one another ; and no means are neglected of 
cutting off an obnoxious party, if it can be 
done without danger to themselves. The Bay- 
of-Islanders pride themselves much on their 
frankness and openness ; and on no person’s hav- 
ing it in his power to lay it to their charge, that, 
where they have shown friendship, they have been 
insincere ; or that, where they have been trusted, 
they have behaved treacherously. There is, in- 
deed, no doubt but the southern tribes are much 
more treacherous than any of those in the Bay. 
Cruelty, and a desire to inflict pain, mark all 
the proceedings of a New-Zealand battle. The 
blood of the victim is slowly drained from the 
most sensitive parts of the body ; and not unfre- 
quently quaffed, to slake the thirst or to gratify 
the revenge of the conqueror. The almost-uni- 
versal conclusion of these bloody scenes is, la- 
menting over the dead bodies of their friends, 
cutting off the heads of their enemies, and pre- 
paring the bodies for a feast. No doubt can for 
a moment be entertained, that these people are 
to be ranked among the Anthropophagi ; as, with 
very few exceptions, they eat the bodies of the 
chiefs whom they have slain. I cannot, however, 
think that it is from any desire that the generality 
of them have to satisfy or to gratify their appetite 
for human flesh ; but from the diabolical spirit of 
revenge with which they are actuated, which ap- 
pears in all their movements, and which is never 
satisfied till exercised to the utmost upon its 
object. 
