DEATH OF A GREAT CHIEF.
A few days after our return to Hokianga we received intelligence that A
Rowa, the father of Mooetara, and the eldest chief in the district, was
dead. These deaths, when they occur among men of rank, are generally
accompanied by some horrible scenes of butchery among their slaves--a
common custom among all savages, but practised here (I was informed) with
peculiar cruelty. We went on shore to witness the ceremony of A Rowa's
lying in state, hoping at the same time that our presence might induce
them to dispense with some of those barbarous cruelties which generally
accompany their funeral rites. We had, indeed, every reason to think we
had conjectured rightly, for nothing of the kind took place; which was
considered by all as a circumstance somewhat remarkable. A great
concourse of savages had assembled all round the village of the deceased
chief, and there was a tremendous firing of muskets, but no particular
marks of grief. I spoke to Mooetara, and requested, as a favour, if it
were not breaking through their established rules, that he would conduct
me to the body of his father. He accordingly led me to the outside of the
village; and under a rude hut (constructed for the purpose) lay the body
of the deceased chief, closely covered up with mats, leaving only part of
the face and head exposed; in his hair was stuck a profusion of long
white feathers, by way of ornament. Two women (whom I understood were his
wives) sat close to the corpse; they were painted all over with red
ochre, and seemed to perform the parts of chief mourners. These kept up a
low moaning noise, and occasionally whisked off the flies from the face
of the deceased. The women, the corpse, the hut, and the ground for some
space round them, were all strictly tapued. Some bundles of fish, and
some calabashes filled with oil, were left close by the body, intended
for his consumption during his passage to the next world.
I imagine that one reason of no outrage having been committed during this
solemn occasion was our brig being on the point of sailing, and previous
to her departure a great deal of traffic was expected to be carried on
with the natives, for there was still a considerable quantity of muskets
undisposed of; and I think, in this instance, avarice overcame filial
affection--the minds of the chief's family being so intent upon obtaining
good bargains, that they had not time to sit and mourn over their
departed parent, nor to work themselves up into a paroxysm of passion
sufficiently violent to cause them to murder their slaves. This afforded
me a convincing proof that as soon as they are occupied by commerce, or
the useful arts, their barbarous rites will gradually be discontinued,
and will speedily cease altogether.
Our brig having sailed, we were again alone with these wild yet
interesting people. We expected our stay might be about six months, and
had provided a stock-in-trade, consisting of a barrel of powder, half a
dozen muskets, some fish-hooks, and a quantity of tobacco. Everything we
possessed we delivered into the hands of the natives, who accounted to
us for the stock thus entrusted to their management with the most
scrupulous exactness. Nothing can be fairer than their mode of bartering
with the Europeans; the prices are fixed; ten large hogs, or 120 baskets
of potatoes (about a ton and a-half), are given for a musket; for small
articles, such as fish, Indian corn, or fruits, the ready money are
fish-hooks and tobacco. As we were now about to become inhabitants of New
Zealand, it became necessary that we should be well acquainted with the
particulars of their methods of "doing business," and that we should
apply ourselves diligently to the study of the language, which we
acquired much more readily than I had anticipated.