XVIII 
WAIOMIO 
457 
its foot. The relatives of the family had torn the flesh of 
their arms, bodies, and faces, so that they were covered with 
clotted blood ; and the old women looked most filthy, disgust¬ 
ing objects. On the following day some of the officers visited 
this place, and found the women still howling and cutting 
themselves. 
We continued our walk, and soon reached Waiomio. 
Here there are some singular masses of limestone resembling 
ruined castles. These rocks have long served for burial-places, 
and in consequence are held too sacred to be approached. 
One of the young men, however, cried out, “ Let us all be 
brave,” and ran on ahead ; but when within a hundred yards, 
the whole party thought better of it, and stopped short. With 
perfect indifference, however, they allowed us to examine the 
whole place. At this village we rested some hours, during 
which time there was a long discussion with Mr. Bushby, 
concerning the right of sale of certain lands. One old man, 
who appeared a perfect genealogist, illustrated the successive 
possessors by bits of stick driven into the ground. Before 
leaving the houses a little basketful of roasted sweet potatoes 
was given to each of our party ; and we all, according to the 
custom, carried them away to eat on the road. I noticed that 
among the women employed in cooking there was a man- 
slave : it must be a humiliating thing for a man in this warlike 
country to be employed in doing that which is considered as 
the lowest woman’s work. Slaves are not allowed to go to 
war ; but this perhaps can hardly be considered as a hardship. 
I heard of one poor wretch who, during hostilities, ran away 
to the opposite party ; being met by two men, he was imme¬ 
diately seized ; but as they could not agree to whom he should 
belong, each stood over him with a stone hatchet, and seemed 
determined that the other at least should not take him away 
alive. The poor man, almost dead with fright, was only saved 
by the address of a chief’s wife. We afterwards enjoyed a 
pleasant walk back to the boat, but did not reach the ship till 
late in the evening. 
December 3 oth .—In the afternoon we stood out of the Bay 
of Islands, on our course to Sydney. I believe we were all 
glad to leave New Zealand. It is not a pleasant place. 
