THE ABORIGINES OF NEW ZEALAND.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 3, Issue 75, 6 November 1851, Page 3

THE ABORIGINES OF NEW ZEALAND.

Two Lectures delivered by the Rev. Thos. Buddle, Wesleyan Minister, at the Auckland Mechanics' Institute, on the evenings of the 25th March, and 12th May, 1851. LECTURE I. Places also nro often lapued. Houses because of some i H'ence to a chief", anJ.ro.ld4 ami liveis to that canoes ccuUl i.ot pass. A watchman is placed va the banks to protect the tapu ; and they «ho dare to pass violate the law, anil must pay the penalty. A chief had only to say court ruing a p'ace ho wished to tapu, Takn iici tuition, " such a place or path is my back.hour. This was enough lo render it sacred in their estimation. The resting place of a corpse is always sacred, ami n canov! in « hicli a corpse his been carried. The place of se, ullure is rejtnrd.-il with great veneration and awe ; no foot will dare to Head the s.itted dust.ntul no hand he sos.ieii/igimis as 10 touch an object in the sacred enclosure. The penalties ul this law partake bnlh of a temporal anil supernatural character. The transgressor was liable to have lis plantations burnt up or his (uod taken away, or his canoes broken up, besides being exposed to the ftntjer of his gods. How buiileusomo is such a religion as this ! A more powerful system of religious despotismcould hot have been devised. Its exnclments were of the most humiliating and troublesome description ; —it any thing had been wanting to complete the bondage in which the New jfcnlatidcr was field by superstition, this certainly would perfect and perpetuate his slivery end his fears. 4?o nave got liJ of such a burden cinnot but have been a great deliverance. Poinieily R great portion of this country wns tapu. Tliey could neither travel over it, nor hunt over it, nor cultivate, nor make nny kind of use of it. Now it is all available. Thcv travelled in dread, lest they should stumble on some tabued spot; now they go without fear. Their peisons and their properties were in constant danger ; but cliiistianity has freed them from these burdensome rites olid distressing superstitions. WitciicAaft. The belief in Witchcraft was deeply rooted

must other nations lucy h«ve fiau ineir • km maktttu," i. e., sorcerers, wizards, ami witches. Throughout the I'jcificsorcery has been one of Satan's most powerful agencies. It Ins exerted a fearful influence—stultified the intellect,' ailed inio existences thousand fears, destroyed mutual confi'lrnce, perpetuated their mintd and spiritual bond.ige, and so much if not more than any other sup rs'ition, impeded the progress of - the Gospel. When we remember how very extensive a belief in the existence of witches, and in their power over the fates of men has prevailed, even in the civilized nations of Kurope, and especially in l£ugl.ind, we cannot feel suppris-Ml to find it nmong the New Zeal.iuders, whose mythology brings them into such close and constant communication willi infernul spitits, and whose ignorant c and suprrsti ion make them the easy dupes of designing men. Witchcraft anions the New Zea'anders belonged to the priesthood. A certain c'nss of pilosis, c.i'l d 'languid mukulu, n'one were able to practise the iirt. Tlie mysteiies of their profession mid the power to practise, they liiindi'd d iwn from generation to generation. Their chiUlreo of both sexes were supposed to he ini'iatnd. They were employed for pay by parlies wishing to avenge some realm* stippised insult. They had.-cveral causes for which thevconsidered it lawful tobtwitch, as —" He Kaihaii," i. e., the payment for a certain nriicle going elsewhere. A man receives a garment for which be promises to give some other article hut violates his pronvse by sending it elsewhi re. This is a great offence. Knvy induced it. A man was .11 favourite; had distinguished himself in war J his fame, is su-ig by his friends, and some envious compeer who likes not 10 be cast into the sha'le employs a witch 10 take bim uway. Squabblos about land, nii.l je.ilousy among rival wives,, often led to it. A "Tangula Kaipwu," 1. c. niggardly mm, a man close list id, was greatly dislike-.!, and his niggardliness would often bring the wizards ■.■■■ on Him, A degrading address wou'd sometimes be the cause. If I wera sittir.g river the fire and were to s.iy tonne (oniiug to join me, "he ui tapu" " tin's fire is sacred " I sliou'd degrade liim, he would feel insulted, and resort to the black art for ulu. Cursing, too was another cmse, and it was ma »uv of punishing a thief. The following ij a prayer to bewitch thieves. ■-TIIO 1 shah be held hv the power of Runutunu ! by the p.mur of Kopave, and l.y the |iov\er of Wliiwhiot-irawe, thou shaft he lirmighl forth und hunu upon a tree to dry. Thou hist 110-v a s.vellinr in thy vitals; Oh the liimU think of this! "