a social custom, so far as rites and rules are concerned, and not as the result of a national religion or theological system. Marriage among the low-born people, the common people, of the tribe was ever an event unmarked by rite or invocation such as pertained to marriage among the chieftain class.

When a young girl wished to marry a certain man she would possibly have intercourse with him before informing her elders of her wish. Buf, still, if she was of good family she was thought more of if she went to her elders first and said, “I desire So-and-so.” If they considered him an undesirable person they might say, “He is a tutua (of low birth). Do not have him, but marry So-and-so, who is of good birth, although ill-favoured”; and the girl would probably do as they bid her. Even now it is a common thing when a marriage occurs to hear the remark made, “The tribe married them.” The old-time habits and customs of a communistic people die hard.

The young unmarried girls of the present time are decidedly unchaste, more especially those living in the larger settlements, where the young people are thrown together a good deal. Adultery is of rather frequent occurrence in this district, and generally seems to be detected. For some reason the natives do not seem to be able to keep a secret well In adultery, as in other matters, one of the persons usually mentions or admits the matter.

A considerable number of native women have married Europeans, and many of these women, it must be said, lead most exemplary lives, for many are clean, industrious, and evidently desirous of living as Europeans do. They are often prolific to a white man, families of six and seven being not infrequently met with. They take a pride in being able to cook European articles of food, such as are not used among the natives, and are a great improvement on the native woman as seen in the Maori villages.

As observed, the Maori of old had a clear perception of the desirability of arranging marriages in due orthodox form, or, as he terms it, He mea ata whakarite (a matter carefully arranged), this remark, however, applying principally to the rangatira or chieftain class.

In the days of yore when a man desired a woman who disliked or was afraid of him he would hie him to the village priest and enlist his services. The priest (tohunga) would take some substance, hōrū (red ochre) being often used for this purpose, which he would proceed to render efficient as a sort of love philtre. This he did by uttering over it a charm which comes under the generic term of hoa (ka hoaina e ia taua mea). He then hands the article to the man, who takes it away with him. He must not turn aside on his way back,

nor yet partake of food, but proceed direct to where the desired woman happens to be. Even if she were in a cooking-shed preparing food he would go straight to her and cram the substance into her mouth. That is sufficient. Even though she spits it out, yet the charm will be effective and she will come to him, her dislike will be overcome.

The expression whakawherewhere is applied to conciliation of a desired woman by means of gifts. A man will give or send to a woman some present which he hopes will cause her to like and desire him. The term aruaru signifies “to chase” and “to woo,” while mātŏrŏ means “to woo, pay addresses to.”

The custom known as kai tamāhine was a singular one. A party of young, active, and presentable men would form themselves into a party and go on a visit to some village where resided a young woman noted for her good looks and qualities. The visit was for the express purpose of showing themselves and their accomplishments to the girl, in the hope that she would accept one of them as a husband. The period of the visit would be quite a gay time, for the party of young men would give performances of various kinds, in order to exhibit their skill, grace, dexterity, and so forth, each endeavouring to excel his companions. They would perform haka, or posture dances, of various kinds, and play games of skill. Each would hope that the girl would select himself as a husband.

The term kai tamahine is a peculiar one. Kai signifies “to eat, to bite,” also “food.” Tamahine = daughter. According to Letourneau, when a Kabyle father has married his daughter the phrase in ordinary use is, “He has eaten his daughter.” Among that strange people girls were sold by the father or other relative.

The term ringa hoea (rejected hand) is used among some tribes to denote a rejected suitor. Such a rebuff would sometimes cause the disappointed man to have recourse to magic. He would make use of a magic charm or spell (karakia makutu) known as papaki. This had the effect of killing the hapless woman—so, at least, my informants tell me, and who am I that I should doubt the word of these sages!

In the Legend of Paoa we read that when that old-time wanderer was on his travels he remained at a certain village for some time as a guest. The daughter of his host fell in love with him, and, coming to his side one night, she scratched his hand as a sign of her desire for him. She had already spoken to her parents about the matter and they had consented to her marrying him.

There was a sort of love charm, termed atahu or im, which was formerly much used in order to cause a person of

the opposite sex to entertain affection for the operator. It was also used to influence an absent lover, wife, or husband, and to cause such to return to the lone one. In conjunction with the atahu obtained a singular custom of sending a bird, the miromiro, to carry the love and desire of the operator to the distant woman, wife, or husband. If the rite was properly performed it would cause a woman to come to her lover however distant he might be, or however much her friends might try to prevent her from going. The atahu or iri is a karakia (charm, spell, ritual, invocation, incantation) to cause a person of the opposite sex to love the repeater. When Tamatea-rehe, of the Children of Awa, saw first his (future) wife, Manawa, he was much struck by her, and this feeling increased so that eventually he despatched a miromiro bird to convey his love to that dark-skinned maid. At the same time he utilised the following iri in order to influence the affections of Manawa, and to “bind” her to himself. It is also termed a karakia whakapiri, a “fastening charm”:—

Iri kura, iri kura
Iria te tupua
Tupua nuku
Te whakamaua mai Manawa
Ki toku tinana
Whiti ora a te tahito
Hotu nuku, hotu rangi
Tukia te papa i raro i a Manawa
Te pukenga, te wananga
Whakamaua ki tahito o te rangi
Iri toro, iri toro
He—i.

The following atahu was given by a member of the Ngatiraukawa Tribe. He says, “This is au atahu used to cause a woman to desire a man or a man to desire a woman. When the shades of evening fall the tohunga (priest) goes to the waterside and, having used the water in ancient form, he performs the atahu rite, repeating the following charm:—

“Tu te urunga, hau te urunga
Maniania te moenga
Hakune atu te po, hakune atu te ao
Ko tou aroaro i tahuri mai ki ahau
Ko toku aroaro i tahuri atu ki a koe
He miromiro taku manu ka tukua atu
Hei hiki mai i a koe, E te ipo.

The applicant gives to the priest some article, such as a garment (in modern times often a pipe), in order to give mana (power, prestige, or effectiveness) to the rite.” The expression ipo here used is equivalent to a term of endearment. It means “pertaining to love”: He waiata ipo = a love-song. The two last lines render thus: “My bird sent is a miromiro, to bring you hither, O love!”

Practically all rites performed by the priest of old were executed either at a sacred fire or by the waterside, and nearly always at dawn or dusk, not in the day-time.

An old warlock of Awa discourseth upon the atahu, “The miromiro is a bird employed in the atahu wahine. Should a man desire a certain woman, although she might be a member of a different tribe, yet will he obtain her. Though her home be afar off he will obtain her. He despatches a miromiro bird to fetch her. He notes carefully the wind. If it is blowing in the direction of the home of the woman he desires he then takes a feather, being careful to seize it with his left hand, and passes it under his left thigh, after which, holding the feather upright in his advanced left hand, he recites the following charm:—

“Hau nui ana ra
Ko te hau—e
Te kura i te ipo—e
To ara mai, E te ipo
Haere ki roto i a koe mihi ai
Waha mai te ipo, E te hau—e
Tutakina iho ki au—e
Whiwhia mai, rawea mai
Toro hei.

He then tosses the feather into the air for the wind to carry. (In the charm he calls upon the wind to bear his love to him.) Before long she will have arrived.”

Regarding the passing of the feather under the left thigh: When a priest proceeded to takahi a wounded person, and recite a charm to heal his wound, it was always the left foot that he placed upon his patient, for that is the tapu foot. It is the manea of that foot that gives force, virtue, effectiveness to the rite and charm. The manea is the hau of the human foot or footstep, a sacred or supernatural power, essence, or quality, which has great influence in preserving human life, &c.

When in olden times a young man of the Tuhoe Tribe went through the operation of being tattooed the following atahu was repeated over him by the priest, in order to cause women to admire and like him:—

Taku tamaiti i wehea e au ki te rangi
Ka piri, ka tata
Ka huakina mai Tangaroa—e
Whakina mai ko ou Hine-tuakirikiri
Ko ou Hine-tuarourou
Mai te ruwha, mai te ruwha
Mai te ruwha, mai te ruwha
Mai te aroha, ra koe—e.

Here follows another atahu of the Tuhoe Tribe:—

Takoto ra, E hine!
I to urunga, i to moenga
Iri kura, iri kura, iri toro
Ka whana atu koe i reira

Kia rokohanga mai e koe
Nga tai tu o te akau—e
Ka whana atu koe
Kia rokohanga atu e koe
Nga tai ka tanumi
No Rarotonga—e
Tirotiro ko rangi ki te whetu
Whakataha to mata ki te marama
Whakataha to mata ki te marama
Au nei he motu puhi rakau
Whakina te tau kia rangona
Mokimoki te kakara kia iria—e
Na to ngakau koe i hua kia mahia tiori
Na to matua koe i hua kia mahia tiori
Tu ana a ia ki te rangi, mihi konaki ai
Te ipo e ki te moenga
E tangi ana ra te korori
E tangi ana ra te korora
Taku hei mapuna
Kua riro titapu
Kon te ruru, kou te ruru!
Koul!

And here is another:—

Pu mauri kura
I whanake i te tara o Maninihau—e
Ki horo mai ra tonga
Ka pukea au e te wai—e
Maua ko te aroha
I roto wahine atu ra—e
Tuarua rawa mai ki te moenga
He ringa ta auta rawa ake
Ka ea kai te moenga—e
E tangi ana ra te korori, te korora
Taku hei mapuna
Kua riro titapu—e
Kou te ruru, kou te ruru!
Koul!

The following so-called atahu is a modern one, as will be seen by the English words occurring therein. Nor is it a charm for general use, as are the foregoing. It was composed by a woman named Matua-kore, whose husband had deserted her, in order to express her feelings. She evinces a desire to have recourse to the atahu, but is doubtful as to its efficacy:—

Homai noa nei e te hāhi, e te runanga
He kupu hai whakapaahi
Mo te ngakau o Kuini whaihanga
Tenei to paipa me kawe atu ki a Te Reretautau
Hai iri atu, hai atahu kia hoki mai ai
Nohea e hoki mai
Ka tini, ka mano nga puke
Kai waenga ko Tauaki, ko Takamai
I o Apa ripa tauarai ki o Te Ao
Ki a Te Manihi te aroha nei au
Haere ra, E Ura E !
Korua ko to kakau whakawhana

Waiho au i konei aue kau ai
Aue, te tane ra!
Aue, te tane!
Tee ko mai i te wai para hoanga ki waho
Aue, te ai—a!
Ka whiti nei au kai Rurima, kai Mautoki
Kai Karewa, te motu o te kuia
Ka eke nei au te puke huia
Kai Ruahine au ka taru mate
Ka hinga au ki te whare—i.

The following illustration and imaginary conversation was given by a native in explanation of the atahu and sending of the miromiro: “A man comes to the priest. He says, ‘I have come to you because a man has run away with my wife.’ It is asked, ‘What shall be done?’ And replied to, ‘Do you arrange it as according to ancient custom.’ Very well. When the sun sets, then the miromiro bird will be despatched in order to bring back the woman who has been cajoled and carried off by a man. Although she may be in a house when the bird arrives it will go inside and perch upon her head. Then swiftly the woman returns, like the wind which blows beneath her feet. Ere long she has arrived. This was a very effective rite of the Maori.”

The following modern instance of an atahu was related to me by a Whakatane native, who seemed to believe it (the charm recited has already been given): Himiona, a native now living at Whakatane with his wife Kumara, had left her some years previously in order to visit friends at Poverty Bay. While at the latter place he became attached to a native woman there, and they lived together as man and wife. Kumara heard of this, and at once went to Rangi-taiki in order to consult one Riperata, an old wise woman of that place. She was told by the latter to return in the evening. She did so, and was conducted by Riperata to a stream, who also made her divest herself of her clothing, when the aged one sprinkled her with water and repeated the atahu charm over her. Riperata said, “I can see the wairua (spirit) of your husband standing by your side. Return now to your home; in a week your husband will return to you. When he arrives and greets you do not tangi^* (cry) over him, but both of you go to the water and immerse yourselves therein.” This immersion in water was to cleanse the twain from the tapu of the rite performed. Riperata then despatched a bird, the miromiro, to bring back the errant husband. The bird flew to the East Coast, and to the village where Himiona was living with his new wife. The couple were seated among others in a house at the time. The bird entered the house and alighted upon the head of Himiona. At once he was

seized with a desire for his first wife; his love for her returned. He rose and started to return to Whakatane, a journey of some days. His companions could not persuade him to remain; nor could they catch the bird, which went its way.

It sometimes occurred that the people of a family group or clan would resolve to demand a girl of another village community as a wife for one of their young men. A party of them would proceed to the place and demand the girl for that purpose. If a single woman, she might be handed over without any trouble occurring, provided that she was agreeable to marry the young man. If not she would be held and protected by her people. Sometimes a very stormy scene would follow, as each party strove to gain possession of the girl, who would be seized by the opposing parties, and who sometimes suffered severely at their hands. Even fatal consequences would at times attend these wild scenes. Or, on arrival at the residence of the girl, the party might seize her at once, in which case trouble would be likely to quickly ensue, and the two parties be transformed into a seething mass of excited, yelling beings, resembling maniacs. Scenes of violent abduction were by no means rare in Maoriland. And yet woman occupied among the Maori people a much better position than she occupied among most barbarous races. She was usually upheld by her people when she objected to marry a certain man who had desired or been selected for her. She was to a considerable extent independent, and had a voice in matters affecting the tribe. It was, perhaps, in connection with adultery that her status appeared lowest, for she was then regarded apparently as property, and any one tampering with her must needs pay for meddling with another person's property.

As already observed, many statements have been made by writers that the Maori had no marriage rite, but that a couple simply agreed to live together, and that was all there was about it. But if a marriage between two young people was not he mea ata whakarite (a matter deliberately arranged) by their elders, or by the tribe or sub-tribe, then such a union was much looked down upon and condemned. If the recognised and established usages were not respected and followed, but the union a mere moe noa iho, or random cohabiting, then a child born to such would be termed a poriro (bastard), a moenga hau, he mea kite ki te take rakau, a thing found under a tree.

In speaking or writing of the customs of other peoples, more especially those of the more primitive races, we are much too apt to set up as a standard of propriety, &c., our own rites or customs, and if those of the people under discussion do not coincide with our own, then they are condemned