thout some notions of religion;
and, in many particulars, they are a remarkably superstitious people.
During the whole course of their lives, the imagined presence of the
unseen and supernatural crosses them at every step. What has been
already stated respecting the "taboo" may give some idea of how
submissive and habitual is their sense of the power of the Divinity, and
how entirely they conceive themselves to be in his hands; as well as
what a constant and prying superintendence they imagine him to exercise
over their conduct.

It would be easy to enumerate many minor superstitions, all indicative
of the extraordinary influence of the same belief. They think, for
instance, that if they were to allow a fire to be lighted under a shed
where there are provisions, their god would kill them.

They have many superstitions, also, with regard to cutting their hair.
Cook speaks, in the account of his third voyage, of a young man he had
taken on board the ship, who, having one day performed this ceremony,
could not be prevailed upon to eat a morsel till night, insisting that
the atua would most certainly kill him if he did.

Cruise tells us that Tetoro, on the voyage from Port Jackson, cut the
hair of one of his companions, and continued to repeat prayers over him
during the whole operation.

Nicholas, having one day found another chief busy in cutting his wife's
hair with a piece of sharp stone, was going to take up the implement
after it had been used, but was immediately charged by the chief not to
touch it, as the deity of New Zealand would wreak his vengeance on him
if he presumed to commit so daring a piece of impiety.

"Laughing at his superstition," continues Nicholas, "I began to exclaim
against its absurdity, but like Tooi, on a former occasion, he retorted
by ridiculing our preaching, yet at the same time asking me to
sermonize over his wife, as if his object was to have her exorcised; and
upon my refusing, he began himself, but could not proceed from
involuntary bursts of laughter."

On this occasion, the chief, when he had cut off the hair, collected it
all together, and, carrying it to the outskirts of the town, threw it
away. Cook remarks that he used to see quantities of hair tied to the
branches of the trees near the villages. It is stated, in a letter from
one of the missionaries, that the hair, when cut, is carefully
collected, and buried in a secret place.

Certain superstitions have been connected w