as
regards infants was also noticed by the author both in China and Japan.

As has been mentioned already, the funeral of one of their chiefs had
drawn numerous representatives from other tribes to Ohinemutu, so that
the number of aborigines was largely increased at the hamlet during our
stay. The last day of our sojourning here was Sunday, a certain outward
respect for which is observed by the natives as well as the few white
residents at Ohinemutu. The little rude earthen-floored chapel, where a
Roman Catholic priest officiates, was not large enough to accommodate
both the resident tribe and their visitors at the same time, so they
divided into two parties,--one half attending the services in the
chapel, while the other half remained outside squatting upon their hams
and playing cards for pennies. This seemed to us to be a little out of
keeping with the church-going idea, but the average native is not at all
amenable in his feelings to the conventionalities of the whites.
Gambling with cards under the shadow of the church presented no
anomalous aspect to these waiting worshippers. When the first audience
had completed the usual religious exercises,--listening to prayers read
in Latin, which of course were "all Greek" to them,--then the
card-players changed places with them, and each party did as the other
had just done. The afternoon was devoted to foot-ball by the men, and to
bathing, gossiping, and smoking tobacco by the women. The food and
stimulants had evidently become exhausted, as the visitors prepared to
depart to their homes, but they were dismissed as usual with riotous
tokens of joy.

The Government now owns a considerable portion of land in the Hot Lake
District, which has been purchased at a fair price from the natives. The
region called the King's Country contains at least ten thousand square
miles, lying within clearly-defined boundaries. Its possession is
sacredly secured to the Maoris by treaty with the Home Government of
England. The aborigines however would in no contingency permit any
encroachment upon their present domain; they would declare open war
first, and fight for their rights. It is remembered by the whites that
these natives _can_ fight when incited to do so by their chiefs, and by
a sense of being wronged. This was made clear enough in the early days
of the European occupancy, when it cost the English thousands of lives
and vast amounts of treasure before peace was finally brought abou