STORIES OF OLD NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11103, 23 October 1901, Page 2

STORIES OF OLD NEW ZEALAND.

I ("Weekly Press and Beferee.") (By Aα Old Settler.)

SI.—MAN-EATING AMONG THE MAOJtIS. • ,'

Is Ix Tetjb that "Tost Ontct Atb Theib EkeKEES TytT,T.«n m BATTLE?" [Let mc preface this paper by spying that >Jfc is nob for delicate people. ; I have written as mildly as I could, but the facts are essentially horrid. Delicate readers are advised to pass on to another column.— O.S.] I have in several parts of these papers referred to cooked girls, or, as in the case of Captain Robertson's second voyage to the Gaatbams, a raw one, quartered and hung on posts for the purpose of drawing him back to Port Nicholson. It may be remembered that Captain Daore had a basketful of cooked girl's breast sent to. him as a great compliment. Rutherford, also, before he escaped, had a similar complimentary present'sent to him, in tfche shape of a kit of cooked girl's thigh—said to be "very nice" by the. Bender. While returning to Hokianga for one or two instances, I may remark that precisely . similar acts to these, and other matters connected with our early days, were being enacted all over New Zealand, just as they were in its northern parte, but it was ohiefly here that whites were found who were able or willing to record the facts they saw. Sfapll, we must remember that only a few cases of such common sights and scenes would be recorded, just as specimens of ordinary events. Wβ were fortunate in having a Dacre, a Maning, a Polaok, an Earle, a.Lieutenant McDonnell to commit a smaU portion of what they saw to paper, and hand it down to us, or we should have no reliable records of many now most interesting events. Thus—to return to my subject— ' Polack says (the names of the people he mentions are omitted, for they and their descendants are well known): —In June, 1831, a Hokianga chief went out shooting. Before he started, he directed, a slave girl, who had been living as his wife for some time, to cook some sweet potatoes, and have them ready for him on his return. This ehe did, but the chief was absent w> long that the kumaras got cold, so she ate them herself. When her lord returned -. ' .■ - ■-■■ • ■ ■■ . -■ —■—

Kβ demanded; hie potatoes. She told him irhafc ehe hajidone. ThU angered him. He called the hapless young woman to him and without speaking on* word dispatched her with a blow from' bis tomahawk on the foreheadJ Then this noble,- of the days of old, «nfc for hie friends to come, and feast with, him. In the meantime the body was dressed and cooking. When his gueste arrived they all eat down and feasted on the poor slave woman. Mr Jfolack was shown the hole ia which the body was cooked, his guide and informant telling him that he had assisted in eating her, and that not a bone was left ungnawed. This little matter occurred about five miles from the residence of the narrator. The same writer, Mr Polack, tells n« that a European trauer named Anscow was' going down the Waihow river, a tidal branch of the Hokianga. He had blankets, powder, tomahawks, etc., to purchase pigs and flax with, and a Maori crew to pull his boat. About sunset he arrived at.a village called Whakarapa, and as the tide had then ceased to flow, he resolved fo put up there for the night. He wae received hospitably, and promised good trade in pigs the next morning early. Provisions were cooked for him and his rowers, and everything, was kindly and pleasant.. Now, while this Mr Anscow was seated enjoying his or liis pipe after that meal, an interesting young slave girl arrived. She was about fifteen years of age. Wheu this nice young creature drew near, the old and decrepit chief woman arose, and, noble old lady though she was, she abused the poor slave, who had been absent, without leave, for, two days. After this good old lady hod abused the girl till site was quite exhausted, she told a powerful young man of her tribe, who stood l>y, to kill the girl. Without one moment's hesitation, or eiga of feeling, thought, or care, this young man ran to Anscow'a boat, which lay $obq by, took one of the tomahawks out of her, and then, running up to the girl, he split her skull with a single blow, so that she fell down dead. This business wae carried out so quickly that the trader h&d no time to realise what was about to happen till the deed was done, all was the work of an instant. Had he known the girl's danger, or understood the position in the .least, he might, and he says he' would, have bought her, without. any trouble, for a musket. Havr, it wae too late. "The body was at once (decollated, opened, and the entrails washed and placed in a basket, the limbs cut in pieces at the different joints, attended witft circumstances at once horrible, disgusting, and obscene." And yet, • this poor girl had probably been a favourite during her life,* and most likeily the playfellow of the children to whom her ghastly head was now thrown. - Hβ goes vn to describe how "these young miscreants" instead of showing the slightest sympathy or feeling for one they must at least have, known all their lives, treated the head as a plaything, turned it into .9. ball, rolling it about, then they poked sticks up the nostrils and into the ears, and when they began to tire of these little amusements they scooped out the eyes and frnmd other devices for sport. Why Anscow should call them "miecreaftts" for this little harmless sport I canaofc tell. Th«y were only doing fathers and mother* had done at the same age. They were only doing as they were now being- taught to do by their parents and guardians. They were not to be blamed, certainly, for amueing,, themselves in the way their parents and all their elders approved and encouraged. Y*t, some way,, it does not feel very proper to us, and the Maoris of "those days thwghfc we had ftraage and foolish ideas on these (subjects- While %> girl meat vas being prepared, fires were lighted, and tie stones heated in the' usual manner. Meanwhile," potatoes " were scraped and oth«r vegetables ..prepared. When the feast was ready*a large party ettt down and ejsjoyed.it. A basket of baked girl was presented to the trader, '■ who was derided far refusing to partake of the cooked body. " . While all this had. been going on, Anscow had been in a state of intense agony, not knowing "what his' own fate might be. ' ' Early the n«s mqnilqg he got his "boat launched. His crew, he cays, did.not eat of the girl, Perhaps, knowing the feelings of their employer, they did not let him see what they ate. Ail his things were honestly nsfcowed in the boat by the villagers, which was well, but they also, in spite of his proteste l put in. several small baskets packed with their fcoyrid. cooked meat,"the remnants of last night's feast. These kite were to bo/taken-tto friends living lower down the Tiv«r,, and. they sent three men to take the &ghly-esteeroed presents to their destinations; they forced Anscow to cany the stuff. They also put into the boat the tomahawk with which the "girl toad been killed. This the white •man threw overboard* when they go*-into deep water, and, was. looked upon as a fool for co doing. ' When they "had go* th« de«ired : distance down the river,' $he three men were landed, and they 'took -their presents up to the villages of fchfe chiefs who were" to reoeive them. Vq tfoftbt",' they took a mea< saee also, mok <& that sent to Rutherford,, viz., that cooked, and These people had absolutely no feeling whatever concerning the death or sufferings of a slave: Eatfle teJls us that on the : very first night of his arrival a* Hoki&nga, a chief had set a' slave boy to watch, his kwnara garden;. The hoy, however, was co interested in watching the vessel sail up the river and drop her .anchor that he, forgot his duties, and 'allowed the pigs to enter the. grounds. The chief,..ooming round at the time, caught the pigs at their feasfe. He raised his tomahawk aiid kiHed the boy with a single blow. Fires were at once lighted, and the people ate the poor boy. It was only an ordinary, eyoryday occurrence. ' When the crew and pMß«ajgers of the 1 ill-fated Boyd, 500 tens, Captain Thomp-

eon, were massacred at Waagaroa, at the \ end of the year 1809/ out of seventy vn. *L fortunate Europeans d.v board only four - were saved alive, two women, one with 7 j aft infant at her breast, and a lad. The second mate also wan taken on shore ahve '.; by a chief, who set him to work to make fish-hooks out of iron hoops. At the end ,j of a fortnight thp chief* nob being satisfied , -r with the work he turned out, juefc killed ■ i and" ate him. This must have appeared /■ the most reasonable vay of turning ma captive to good account, after the trouble he had taken to catch him. A grand race,, truly, but uncomfortable company. At the end of 1814 the Key. Samuel Marsden established the first mission eta. tion i» New Zealand. This was the Church of England Society Mission. In Ibl9 the Bey, Samuel Leigh come ta the Bay of Islands to look for a location, and «cc what prospect offered for the c*. tabiishment of a Wesleyan mission station : there. The first thing the rev. jgentiemaa . had offered to him was * lot. of twelve dried heads,,which be declined to purchase* . ttreatlv to the astonishment and disgustof - ■ the Maoris who desired to sell. He did not want beads; he wanted cooked boy*,, ; , He found a nice one roasting on the fire,, and bought the whole lot for an axe. Then what dla this silly stranger do? Eat him? No, he took the boy and buried him, great- '{_ ly to the astonishmeut of the natives, who had never heard of such wasteful ways, and did not think it could be right. Whe- . ther the boy waa raised again in the night and served up cold for breakfast or not is , not stated. Those who know the race, as they were> may have their own opinions. The boy afc Hokianga was killed for letting the pigs into a chief's kumara grounds. This unfortunate lad had been tomahawked by his owner for eating some of the tubers that grew under the plants. Hβ would not have dared to dig a plant, but probably p\illod a few of the eweet, nutty tubers out of the* soft sand with his fin- ' ;-. gers. They were nob worth muoh, hut -- ? bis life was worbh less. The cbief caaght ! him munching them, killed him. afc once, ; ( and set his people to clean and oook the ' body. They loet no time in sentiment; : ' v that wasn't their way. . , I have confined myself in this paper to single cases of deliberate killing, mostly of young boys and girls The more whole- ■ . sale slaughters after battle, or as a mark -. of respect to some great warrior guest, seem of a different complexion. There was no great pro\ocation or inducement required -? to make a chief indulge in the feast he ; loved so well; yet, it has often been said, "They only ate their enemies killed in . battle." Indeed , .