176 
TIME. 
names for the different nights of the moon; for they were 
indeed the children of the night, and not of the day, and 
in this respect resembled the other islanders of the South 
Seas, who had a similar way of reckoning time. But it 
appears remarkable that they should not have a single name 
for any day in the year. It is also a proof of their common 
origin, that many of these names are the same in the 
islands, and that there is not a greater difference between 
them and those of New Zealand, than there is between those 
of the various tribes of New Zealand. 
These names also denote the state of the tide. 
They chiefly counted the moons by different stars as they 
were in the ascendant. 
Summer is named Raumati, from its being the season when 
the leaves fall; there being but one deciduous tree in New 
Zealand, the ko hutuhutu , or New Zealand fuschia, which 
sheds its leaves in winter; for, if any thing, the forest is more 
verdant in winter than summer. 
Winter is called Hotoke, or the season when, from the in¬ 
creased moisture, the earth gives up its worms, which formerly 
were highly prized as food, some attaining a very large size. 
Since the introduction of Christianity, the natives have 
given particular names to three of the week days, which are 
now generally used throughout the country. According to 
their nomenclature, Sunday is called Te Wiki , most probably 
because the week commences with that day, which thus, by 
way of distinction, is designated the week. Saturday is named 
Te ra horoi, or the washing and cleaning-up day, from their 
noticing this custom in all European houses of thus employing 
that day. Friday is called Te ra oka, or the bleeding day. 
I was a long time before I could discover the origin of this 
name, but I found that it is derived from the European custom 
of killing their pigs on the Friday, so as to have time to cut 
them up on the Saturday, and dispose of them before the 
Sabbath. The custom of bleeding animals, which is or ought 
to be general amongst us as Christians, struck the natives 
with the greatest astonishment, that the blood which they 
esteem so highly, should thus be wasted. They have there- 
