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WITCHCRAFT. 
who wished to bewitch another, sought to obtain something 
belonging to him — a lock of hair, a portion of his garment, 
or even some of his food ; this being possessed, he uttered 
certain spells over it, and then buried it ; as the article 
decayed, the individual also was supposed to waste away; 
this was sure to be the case if the victim heard of it, fear 
quickly accomplishing his enemy's wish ; the person who 
bewitched another remained three days without eating ; on 
the fourth he eat, and his victim died. The natives were 
afraid of their food being bewitched ; when they embraced 
Christianity, they were very particular in asking a blessing 
on it, to prevent the evil wishes of their enemies from taking 
effect.* 
The power of bewitching was not confined to the priests, 
but supposed to be possessed by every one, a simple wish 
often being sufficient ; many instances have fallen under 
the notice of the Missionaries, where those bewitched have 
died, although unaware of their being so. In the early 
days of the Mission, those who opposed the Gospel tried 
by witchcraft to destroy the preachers of it; this was fre- 
quently practised upon several of our members, and it is 
remarkable, that the individuals who made the attempt, 
died themselves shortly after, which was attributed solely 
to their having failed in injuring the parties sought to be 
destroyed, this was the case twice with individuals who 
endeavoured to makutu the Missionaries of Otaki and 
Wanganui ; at the latter place, one who sought his death 
was a head chief, he was the very first person killed in 
the war, which immediately afterwards broke out ; two 
others attempted the same, and they also shortly after 
died ; the fact that they have been unable to injure us in 
this way, has caused many to embrace the Gospel, as they 
ascribed our safety to the greater power of our God.f I 
* A native put a question to me relative to food on which a blessing had 
been asked, — Is it right to give even a bone of food thus sanctified to a dog ? 
I replied, that we only asked a blessing On the portion consumed, and not 
on what was left. He might therefore give his dog the fragments. 
f The relatives of Maketu, the chief who had uttered the curse, came, after 
