NIU. 
207 
It is remarkable, that although the natives had innumer- 
able karakias and rites, yet they had no stated festivals, or 
any days more sacred than others, nor had they a system 
common to all ; their religion, indeed, may be regarded as 
of an individual rather than of a national character, each one 
being independent of his neighbour, and at liberty to follow 
his own ideas ; although there were persons called priests, 
who officiated on certain occasions, such as before entering 
upon a war expedition, planting or reaping the kumara, 
fishing or hunting ; still this did not interfere with each 
one^s individual right to use whatever karakias he might 
think fit, and whenever he pleased. In this respect they 
differed from most nations, which in general are so tenacious 
of any interference with the rights and privileges of the 
constituted priesthood. 
The freedom in spiritual matters naturally caused a great 
diversity of rites and customs ; often what was practised in 
one place, would be quite different from that in another. 
This chiefly depended upon some individual, whether a to- 
hunga or not, who was supposed to be more gifted in one 
department than another ; for instance, the chief of Waitotara 
was considered to be profoundly wise in the stars, knowing 
all their names and powers ; his people therefore became 
the chief worshippers of the heavenly bodies, and there the 
only resemblance to a stated period of worship existed, for 
each star had its karakia when it was in the ascendant ; so 
also was it with the moon, which the chief of another place 
was supposed to be the best acquainted with ; he had a 
karakia, when the new moon appeared. In one place, the 
hurihanga tau , or new year, was celebrated with a karakia ; 
in another, the most sacred day of the year was that ap- 
pointed for hair cutting; the people assembled from all the 
neighbouring parts, often more than a thousand in number ; 
the operation being commenced with karakia, the operator 
and his obsidian, substitute for scissors, being thus rendered 
peculiarly sacred. 
The piece of obsidian too, with which the hair was cut, 
had this karakia uttered to render it efficacious : — 
