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The Chief’s Funeral

           Ifheisrelieved,asregardstheseverediet,hisslavesfeedhimwiththeviandsheisforbiddentotouchwithhishands;ifheispoorandhasnoslaves,hehastotakeupthefoodwithhismouth,likeananimal.

           Inshort,themosttriflingactsoftheMaoriesaredirectedandmodifiedbythissingularcustom,thedeityisbroughtintoconstantcontactwiththeirdailylife.Thetaboohasthesameweightasalaw;orrather,thecodeoftheMaories,indisputableandundisputed,iscomprisedinthefrequentapplicationsofthetaboo.

           AstotheprisonersconfinedintheWare-Atoua,itwasanarbitrarytaboowhichhadsavedthemfromthefuryofthetribe.Someofthenatives,friendsandpartisansofKai-Koumou,desistedatonceonhearingtheirchief’svoice,andprotectedthecaptivesfromtherest.

           Glenarvancherishednoillusivehopesastohisownfate;nothingbuthisdeathcouldatoneforthemurderofachief,andamongthesepeopledeathwasonlytheconcludingactofamartyrdomoftorture.Glenarvan,therefore,wasfullypreparedtopaythepenaltyoftherighteousindignationthatnervedhisarm,buthehopedthatthewrathofKai-Koumouwouldnotextendbeyondhimself.

           Whatanightheandhiscompanionspassed!Whocouldpicturetheiragoniesormeasuretheirsufferings?RobertandPaganelhadnotbeenrestoredtothem,buttheirfatewasnodoubtfulmatter.Theyweretoosurelythefirstvictimsofthefrenziednatives.EvenMcNabbs,whowasalwayssanguine,hadabandonedhope.

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