354 
CHIEFS. 
travelled man, the Maories appear to have had a natural 
love of it, and yet this could only be indulged by making 
war on the parts they wanted to visit. Such was their 
divided state in former times, that not only was there no 
intercourse between neighbouring tribes, but little or none 
amongst the different hapus or their subdivisions ; even 
in times of peace they could not visit one another, ex- 
cept in very large parties, and then by express invitation, 
and in such cases there was much danger of treachery. 
To go to a different part of the country, was almost 
equivalent to attacking it, and this had another advantage, 
that of making their travelling pay its own expenses. 
Eoads were formed by chiefs in their raids, and were 
generally known by their names, as Te Ara o Taraia, the 
road of Taraia, a dreaded Thames chief, it runs from the 
Murimotu plains to Manawatu. When a visit by express 
invitation was paid, a grand feast was prepared for the 
guests, large presents of food were given on such occa- 
sions, also fine mats, meres, and other ornaments; these 
were received as though snatched from the hands of an 
enemy, kapo rere, as a dog seizes a bone, with great 
delight ; still a feast of this kind entailed upon the re- 
ceivers the obligation of returning the compliment, with 
even more than an equivalent, pare mata, at some future 
period, for the Maori had no such thing as a free gift. 
There was also another motive for visiting a different tribe, 
as a friend or foe, viz., to add to the number of his wives, 
whom he either took by force or demanded of the tribe, 
whether acquired with or without consent, according to 
the lady^s rank, he obtained a hold on the tribe, and his 
children inherited their mother’s lands ; if the lady were 
freely bestowed, then the chief became one of her hapu, 
and would have to reside there several years, at any rate 
until the lady was agreeable to change her abode; but more 
frequently raids were made for this express purpose, and the 
females were carried off by violence, and not unfrequently 
killed or severely wounded in the struggle ; nothing could 
be done without the semblance of war ; on such occasions 
