MYTHOLOGY. 
43 
were supposed to be able, at all times, to hold visible inter¬ 
course with them. These gods were supposed even to form 
attachments with females, and to pay them repeated visits.* 
Even the spirits of children are supposed frequently to re- 
so near that some Europeans who were there went in search of them. Meteors 
are very frequently seen in New Zealand. 
* A remai-kable instance of this kind fell more immediately under my 
notice. One morning a native came to me with a very long countenance, and 
said, that the Taupos were coming to fight against us, with a determination 
of putting an end to the “ waka pono,” as the Christian religion is called. I 
inquired where he got the news from; he told me a female named Erina had 
seen the enemy; and upon further questioning him, he said the Atua, who was in 
love with her, had showed her the hostile party. I laughed at him, and replied, 
if that were all he knew about the Taupo enemy, I should not have much fear. 
I went, however, to the woman, and told her I was sorry to hear she had been 
spreading such an idle tale; she said it was not her, but the spirit who came 
to her. I inquired how did he inform you of what is coming to pass. She 
said he bid me hold out my hand, and he put a drop of blood in it, telling me 
to look attentively into it: I did so, and I saw Te Heu-heu Herekiekie and 
several other Taupo chiefs on one side, and on the other the church, with you 
and the teachers standing before it. He told me it was a taua (or war) against 
the church. I said pray what form did the spirit appear in ? She answered, 
he came as a shadow. I was very much struck with the remembrance of this, 
when some years afterwards I read an almost counterpart of it in Lane's 
Egypt. That an ignorant girl should hit upon so close a resemblance was very 
remarkable. 
The Mata Kite or seers pretend to do many supernatural things, and to 
cause their gods to appear at pleasure; but from my personal knowledge of 
many of them, I am persuaded they are ventriloquists, and thus deceive the 
people, although in some cases, they may deceive themselves with the idea that 
the god is in them; generally, however, they are gross impostors, who only 
seek gain or influence by their pretended powers. 
A gentleman who resided several years in New Zealand, and travelled a 
great deal amongst the natives, had once an opportunity of seeing this 
pretended power exercised; he was in company with two young natives, one 
an heathen chief of some rank, who expressed his firm belief, not only in the 
existence of their gods, but likewise in their willingness to appear to their own 
relatives when asked to do so. He was told that he could not believe such to 
be possible, but if he actually saw one in their gods, then he should cease to 
doubt their existence; the young chief immediately offered to give the proof 
demanded, he invited the unbelieving European to accompany him, to an 
old lady, who formerly had exercised this power. It was in the evening 
when the conversation took place; they went directly to her abode. She 
was then living in a little mahinga or cultivation at some distance from 
the village. They found her sitting in a long shed by the side of a fire. 
