terminated. Wealth made him feared by his foes, but gave him no influence
over his friends. All offence offered to any one of a tribe (or clan) is
instantly followed by some act of retaliation by the aggrieved party; and
if one tribe is too weak to contend against the one from whom they have
received the injury, they call in the aid of another. But should the
offence be of a very aggravated nature, and several families be injured
by it, a meeting of the chiefs is called. They assemble in one of their
forts, and, after a discussion, decide either for an amicable adjustment,
or for an exterminating war. Thus these misguided beings are continually
destroying each other for some imaginary insult.

I became acquainted 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
chieftain's residence to another, for the purpose of endeavouring to
explain away insults, to offer apologies, and to strive by every means
in their power to establish peace between those about to plunge their
country into the horrors of war. I have several times met these
benevolent men journeying through the country on these pacific missions;
and twice during my residence here they have been the happy means of
preventing bloodshed. Although the New Zealander is so fond of war, and
possesses such war-like manners, yet are these peacemakers held in the
highest respect, although they do not hold any sacred function--indeed,
no order of priesthood exists amongst the natives. I have never
discovered any symptoms of religion in these people, except it consists
in a great variety of absurd and superstitious 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 country, that they were
idols, to whom they paid their devotions; but in this I was deceived.
They were merely the grotesque carvings of rude artists, possessing a
lively fancy, and were a proof of their industry as well as genius. Every
chief's 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 man's
head; their tradition being that that was the origin of man. The lizard
is sacred, and never injured by them. Several of their chiefs assured me
they believed in the existence of a great and invisible spirit, called