UAE0C203986

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<title > UAEoc203986</title>

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 PAGE 3986

by skill and industry he raised himself to an equality with the greatest men of
his country; and as every chief who employed him always made him some handsom
e present, he soon became a man of wealth, and was constantly surrounded by s
uch important personages as pungho pungho, ruky ruky, kivy, kivy, aranghy too
ker, etc.. etc. my friend shulieta king geroge sent him every day the choicestthings from his own table. though thus basking in the full sunshine of court f
avour, aranghie, like a true genius, was not puffed up with pride by his suce
sses, for he condescended to come and take tea with me almost every evening.
he was delighted with my drawings, particularly with a portrait i made of him
. he copied so well, and seemed to enter with such interest into the few lessons
of painting i gave him, he copied so well, and seemed to enter with such int
erest into the few lessons of painting i gave him, that if i were returning f
rom here direct to england, i would certainly bring him with me, as i look up
on him as a great natural genius. illustartion: specimens of tattooed faces and
thigh. from expedition de lastroble. one of the important peronanges who came
to the village to employ the talent of our artist was a mr. rooky rooky and
he was always very particular in remembring the mister; he brought four of hi
s wives with him, leaving six more at home polygamy in new zeland being allowed to any extent. one of this mans wives was a litttle girl not more than ten ye
ars of age, and she excited a great deal of interest amongst us, which, when
he discovered, he became very anxious to dispose of her to any of us. he im
portuned us incessantly on the subject, saying she was his slave, and offered her in exchange for a musket. cahpter xxxiii.tribal government and religon. tho
ugh from my increased knowledge of the language, i was enabled to hold longer
conversations, i would not discover that the new zealanders had any universal f
rom of government: there appeared to me to be no public bodies, or any functi
onaries employed by the people. each chief seemed to posses absolute power over
his own slaves, and there his authority terminated. wealth made him feared by
his foes, but gave him no influence over his friends.a ll offence offfered t
o any one of a tribe or clan is insytantly followed by some act of retaliatio
n by the aggrieved party; anf if one tribe is too weak to contend against the on
e from whom they have receieved the injury, they call in the aid of another.
but should the offence be of a very aggravated nature, and several families b
e injured by it, a meeting of the chiefs is called. they assemble in one of t
heir forts, and, after a discussion, decide either for an amicable adjustment, o
r for an exterminating war. thus these misguided beings are continually destr
oying each other for some imaginary insult. i became acquianted with a few ve
nerable men of truly noble and praiseworthy charatrs, such as would do honour
to any age, country with a few venerable men of truly noble and praiseworthy characters, such as would do honour to any age, country, or religion. they had
passed their whole lives in travelling from one chieftains residence to anoth
er, for the puropse of endeavouring to expalin away insults, to offer apologi
es, and chieftains residence to another, for the puropse of endeavouring to expl
ain away insults, to offer apologies, and to strive by every means in their p
ower to esrablish peace between those about to plunge their country into the
horrors of war. i ahve several times met these benevolent men jourening throu
gh the country on these pacific missions; and twice during my residence here the
y have been the happy means of preventing bloodshed. although the new xelande
r is so fond of war,a nd possesses such war like manners, yet are these peace
makers held in the highest respect, although they do not hold any symptoms of
religion in these people, expect it consits in a grat variety of absurd and 
posseses such war like manners, yet are thse peacemakers held in the highest res
pect, although they do not hold any sacred function indeed, no order of pries
thood exits amongst the natives. i ahve never discovered any symptoms of reli
gon in these people, expect it consits in a great variety of absurd and super
statious ceremonies. before i visited this island i used to imagine, from seeing
so great a variety of carved figures which had been brought from this countr
y, that they were idols, to whom they paid their devotions; but in this i was
deceived. they were merely the grotesque cavings of rude artists, possessing
 a lively fancy, and were a proof of their industry aa well as genious. ever
y chiefs house is adorned with an abundance of these carved monsters. one of
their favourite subjects is a lizard taking hold of the top of a mans head; t
heir tradition being that that was the origin of amn. the lizard is scared, ans
 never injured by them. several of their chiefs assured me they believed in t
he existance of a great and inmvisible spirit, called atna, who keeps a consa
tnt cahrge and watch over them; and that they are constantly looking out for
tokens of his approbation or displeasure. there is not a wind that blows but 
they imagine it bears some message from him.a nd ther are not wanting crafty men
who pretend to a 

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