92 
NIU. 
of signs and tokens, good and bad ; the throbbing of the pulse 
in the right arm, was a good sign in war; that of the left, a 
bad one. The twitching of the arm, the starting in sleep; in 
fact, the minute distinctions made in all their religious obser¬ 
vances, are perfectly astonishing, and required the skilful 
tohunga to interpret.* 
Different tribes had different ways of consulting the niu, 
but the practice was general throughout the land. A spirit 
called Korohaha Tu , was supposed to reside in the sticks. 
The following was a karakia used when the divination was 
made with the hands, and therefore called, He niu ringaringa 
(a niu of the hands):— 
Kia mana tenei niu; 
Tenei te niu ka rere; 
He niu na Paki 
Ko te he kia puta. 
Let this niu he strong; 
This is the niu, there it goes; a 
niu of Paki. 
The had let it he seen. 
Whilst this was being said, the person kept clapping his hands 
together; if the fingers locked each within the other, it was a 
good sign, for a party wishing to pass along a road, in time of 
war, they would succeed, and arrive safe; if, however, the 
finger ends rested one on the other, it was a sign they would 
be stopped ; if two of the fingers entered and two were arrested, 
it was a sign they would only meet with a travelling party. 
It is remarkable, that although the natives have innumerable 
karakias and rites, yet they had no stated festivals, or any days 
more sacred than others, nor had they any religious system 
common to all ; their religion, indeed, may be regarded as 
Piki mai te rangi tua wa, Piki mai te rangi tua ono, 
Piki mai te rangi tua rima, He rangi he hei te uru. — uru. 
This was a karakia to avert the bad effects of thunder and lightning, which 
were supposed to be occasioned by this potent operation. 
The word Niu is also used in Tonga for a divination by means of a cocoa 
nut, which is spun round on the ground, and according to its motions a favor¬ 
able or unfavorable omen is drawn. 
* Whilst encamped in the forest, an old chief who was with us, threw out 
his arm violently in his sleep ; the act awoke him, and immediately caused a 
general discussion, as to what it portended. One expressed one opinion, and 
another another; at last, the chief said, it means that we shall meet strangers 
to-day. We resumed our journey, and accordingly did meet three natives ; 
all were then satisfied with the correct interpretation of the omen. 
