ringly of what they gave us. After this
they took us to a house, and gave each of us a mat and some dried grass
to sleep upon. Here we spent the night, two of the chiefs sleeping along
with us.

"We got up next morning as soon as it was daylight, as did also the two
chiefs, and went and sat down outside the house. Here we found a number
of women busy in making baskets of green flax, into some of which, when
they were finished, the bodies of our messmates, which had been cooking
all night, were put, while others were filled with potatoes, which had
been prepared by a similar process.

"I observed some of the children tearing the flesh from the bones of our
comrades, before they were taken from the fires. A short time after this
the chiefs assembled, and, having seated themselves on the ground, the
baskets were placed before them and they proceeded to divide the flesh
among the multitude, at the rate of a basket among so many. They also
sent us a basket of potatoes and some of the flesh, which resembled
pork; but instead of partaking of it we shuddered at the very idea of
such an unnatural and horrid custom, and made a present of it to one of
the natives."

According to this account, the editor says, the attack made upon the
"Agnes" would seem to have been altogether unprovoked by the conduct
either of the captain or any of the crew; but we must not, in matters of
this kind, assume that we are in possession of the whole truth, when we
have heard the statement of only one of the parties. What may have been
the exact nature of the offence given to the natives in the present
case, the narrative we have just transcribed hardly gives us any data
even for conjecturing; unless we are to suppose that their vindictive
feelings were called forth by the manner in which their pilfering may
have been resented or punished, about which, however, nothing is said in
the account. But perhaps, after all, it is not necessary to refer
their hostility to any immediate cause of this kind. These savages had
probably many old injuries, sustained from former European visitors, yet
unrevenged; and, according to their notions, therefore, they had reason
enough to hold every ship that approached their coast an enemy, and a
fair subject for spoliation. It is lamentable that the conduct of
Europeans should have offered them an excuse for such conduct.

[Illustration: _Christchurch Museum_.

1. Club (_patu_) of wood, inlaid with _paua_ shell and