ooed face is well
wrinkled by the hand of time, though her activity in climbing the
different points of interest is marvellous. She speaks English well, is
gentle in voice and remarkable for her good manners, taking great care
that those whom she conducts through these novel scenes shall see and
understand every object of interest. On the green borders of all this
volcanic confusion, as we were leaving Whakarewarewa, a fragrant little
bouquet of the wild blossoms of the manuka were gathered and offered to
us by a Maori girl, who felt so much overpaid by the shilling tendered
her in return as to hesitate to receive it.

On returning to Ohinemutu we found extensive preparations going on in
the Maori hamlet for a grand dance as a sort of winding-up ceremony to
the four days of wailing and feasting over the death of the chief, of
whom the reader has already heard. It was curious to see into what a
state of excitement the natives could work themselves by means of dance
and song. It recalled the infatuation and frenzy of the whirling
Dervishes of Cairo. Alcohol could not more thoroughly excite them or
stimulate their brains. In these exercises the women far exceeded the
men in their extravagance of behavior,--jumping wildly up and down,
thrusting out their arms and legs with perfect abandon and apparent
unconsciousness, distorting their bodies and features, and twisting
themselves generally into most impossible shapes. A dull, monotonous
drum-beat was the only musical accompaniment, which was produced from a
hollow log, both ends of which were covered with sheep-skin. The perfect
concert of action among the dancers was marvellous, the more so because
no consecutive purpose could be divined. The most weird and picturesque
scene we can recall as witnessed in the Lake District was the
performance of one of these dances by moonlight; but it must be
acknowledged that the exhibition was more striking than decorous.
Belonging to this tribe, and indeed to all that are visited by the
whites, there is always a bevy of dancing-girls with a world of passion
in their bold, luminous eyes, and a reckless disregard of all delicacy
in their behavior, ever ready to perform before strangers for money.
Some of these girls have very long, perfectly straight hair and a Jewish
cast of features quite in contrast to the typical Maori faces. The
indifference of parents to the conduct of their daughters is remarkable
even for savages. One great objecti