OLD POKENI-THE

CHAPTER II.

MOKO" OR TATTOO-NOT A MARK OF RANK

KOHI'S TALE - MOTIVES WHICH LED HIM TO CONSENT TO BE STRANGLED-THE CHIEF TAIAROA-A MISSIONARY AND POLICE MAGISTRATE DECEIVED-NATIVES NATURALLY PRONE TO FALSEHOOD, BUT EQUALLY READY TO CONFESS THE TRUTH AFTERWARDS-STRIKING OR SHOOTING A PERSON BY PROXY

A "KANGA,' OR CURSE, VERY INSULTING TO A NATIVEMISSIONARIES LIABLE ΤΟ CURSE INADVERTENTLY -MISHAP WHICH THUS BEFEL A CLERGYMAN-RELIGIOUS OBJECTIONS OF THE NEW ZEALANDER TO ALLOW FOOD TO TOUCH HIS HEAD OR BACK - HIS IDEAS OF THE CAUSE OF DISEASE-GREAT VALUE OF THE STONE CALLED "POUNAMU"-WHENCE OB

TAINED-HOW WORKED ITS VALUE IN CHINA-ITS COMPO

SITION.

NEAR us lived an old chief, named Pokeni, who frequently made inquiries about Te Rauparaha, towards whom he expressed the greatest hatred. I found that many of his family had lost their lives in wars with that chief, and that he was an uncle of Tamaiharanui, whose tragical end has been related. He had outlived all those of

his own times and age, and was scarcely ever to be seen unaccompanied by a child, the greatgrandson of his wife's elder brother, who cccupied all his cares.

The old man had the oddest looking being for a wife I had ever seen. One half of her face was tattooed in every respect like that of a man, while the other had no more marks than her sex entitled her to; so that two persons, who stood opposite each other, each viewing a different side of the face in profile, while she, perhaps, sat wrapped in her blanket, with a pipe in her mouth, would have pronounced the object to be a man, or a woman, according to the circumstance of his position. I afterwards met with several other old women of this tribe, who had similarly engraved on their faces many of the marks, which in the north island I had never seen but on males.

It may not be out of place here to observe, that the tattoo or "moko," as it is termed in native language, is neither intended to constitute a distinctive mark between different tribes, nor to denote rank, as has been variously stated. It is, in fact, only a mark of manhood, and a fashionable mode of adornment, by which the young

men seek to gain the good graces of the young women. It only so far denotes rank, that the poor man may not have the means of paying the artist, whose skill is necessary.

This engraving represents one side of a tattooed face, the numbers, 1, 2, 3, &c., having reference to the names of the several scrolls or figures of which the "moko" is composed. Sometimes the space, commonly filled by scroll No. 11, has in its place one very similar to scroll No. 12. This is

the only notable variation I have ever seen, and this is merely a matter of taste. As a general rule, two fully marked faces selected at hazard from distant parts of the country would, on comparison, manifest merely some slight dissimilarities, attributable to the difference of skill or taste of the artists who had executed the work. The operation of tattooing is performed with a very small chisel, and being extremely painful, can only be done bit by bit, according as the patient has courage to endure it.

LIVEWITT

The women have usually merely the lines on the lips, and a scroll depending from the angles of the mouth, as shewn in the accompanying drawing; the fine blue lines, or scratches, which are often to be seen

on their cheeks, arms, and breasts, being the offspring of each person's fancy.

One day Pokeni came to me with a complaint that the father of Timoko, the child of his adoption, had, a short time before our arrival, been murdered by another chief of this place, named

Karetai, and some others. I had learnt to be cautious in believing the whole of a native's tale, and therefore walked over to Karetai's place of residence, on the eastern Head, to hear what he

had to say to this charge. I found him very willing to meet his accusers at my house, in order that the truth might be discovered. This he did the next day, and the case was fully heard in the presence of all parties interested, except a chief named Taiaroa, when the following strange tale came to light.

Karetai, Te Matahara, Kohi, and others, had bought a sealing boat among them, each having contributed a portion of the payment.

Kohi

* The following statement of the amount of property contributed by each of the natives, ten in number, who had a share in the boat, was made during the investigation of the case :

If we suppose the potatos worth sixpence per basket of 35lbs., and the pigs twelve shillings each, which is a moderate estimate, the sum paid was at least £42, a very handsome price for a secondhand boat.