miles. The chief was at this time rather notorious from having lately
hung one of his wives and a slave for adultery. When one of the
missionaries remonstrated with him he seemed surprised, and said he
thought he was exactly following the English method. Old Shongi, who
happened to be in England during the Queen's trial, expressed great
disapprobation at the whole proceeding: he said he had five wives, and
he would rather cut off all their heads than be so much troubled about
one. Leaving this village, we crossed over to another, seated on a
hill-side at a little distance. The daughter of a chief, who was still
a heathen, had died there five days before. The hovel in which she had
expired had been burnt to the ground: her body being enclosed between
two small canoes, was placed upright on the ground, and protected by an
enclosure bearing wooden images of their gods, and the whole was
painted bright red, so as to be conspicuous from afar. Her gown was
fastened to the coffin, and her hair being cut off was cast at its
foot. The relatives of the family had torn the flesh of their arms,
bodies, and faces, so that they were covered with clotted blood; and
the old women looked most filthy, disgusting objects. On the following
day some of the officers visited this place, and found the women still
howling and cutting themselves.
We continued our walk, and soon reached Waiomio. Here there are some
singular masses of limestone, resembling ruined castles. These rocks
have long served for burial places, and in consequence are held too
sacred to be approached. One of the young men, however, cried out, "Let
us all be brave," and ran on ahead; but when within a hundred yards,
the whole party thought better of it, and stopped short. With perfect
indifference, however, they allowed us to examine the whole place. At
this village we rested some hours, during which time there was a long
discussion with Mr. Bushby, concerning the right of sale of certain
lands. One old man, who appeared a perfect genealogist, illustrated the
successive possessors by bits of stick driven into the ground. Before
leaving the houses a little basketful of roasted sweet potatoes was
given to each of our party; and we all, according to the custom,
carried them away to eat on the road. I noticed that among the women
employed in cooking, there was a man-slave: it must be a humiliating
thing for a man in this warlike country to be employed in doing that
which is considered as the lowest woman's work. Slaves are not allowed
to go to war; but this perhaps can hardly be considered as a hardship.
I heard of one poor wretch who, during hostilities, ran away to the
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