Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1865-02-23

5 might be left in the canoe on their land
! ing at their pah, and afterwards escap,
by walking round the bay to my tribe
7 On examination, however. | found thi
plan impracticable, as ICcould find no fl
concealment to escape them on landing
| then made up my mind to risk instan
: death, by taking the following bold ad
vantage Of their superstitions. The idol
was about the height of an ordinary
sized man, and was made of wood the
face was painted red with the juice of a
tree which is common in that part Of
New Zealand, and the body was cover.
erred by shawls made of flax. No part
Of the body was visable except the hands.
IN his right hand he held a spear, on
which was !ransfxed serpent, and in
hls left he held the fins of barracuda.
afterwards found meaning of these
emblems. The god was supposed to
have driven all serpents and noxious rep
tiles into the sea-hence the emblem in
his right hand while being supposed to
prote CT the inhabitants of the sea, the
food and riches of the Maori, his left arm
is represented as defending the princi-
pal fish on the coast.
The idea that possessed me was this
to displace the wooden frame to
dress myself in its garb to fling it into
the backmost corner Of thee cave, and to
play the god to the saving of my life
/ acted al once on this idea, and placing
myself on the stone pedestal which was
about SIX feet high, whereon be had
stood, waited ready to play my part on
the first signs of the approach of The
wages. To this end l painted my face
red wi,,h some of the juice which the
80 had left for the adornment of
The IDOL, Tba,,' scarceiiyy taken my stand,
when the wild. chant of he Maorls vas
borne to my ears. As the burden OF
their song was peace and prosperity,ano /
not their harsh and terrible warnotes, it
echoed through the vault with sign
gular beauty. Untaught though they
were in the rules of harmony with which |
the European delights his ear, these
savages kept time, and modulated their
voices in a wonderful manner, consider
inc that nature alone was their teacher.
As their wild chant. waxed louder and
louder, denoting their approaching foot
steps, my heart beat violently; but feel
ING that life or death was in the balance,
kept my composure by an almost su-
perna tural effort, and streatChing out my
arms in the altitude of The idol, kept a
grave and firm expression, and an erect
form, and waited TO act my part. They
made their appearance. Foremost
strobe the chief, Maunwana, the great
leader of the Nooranoos. He was dress
ed in full Maori state costume shawls
of fiax-in making which the MaOris are
so wonderfully expert-hung from his
shoulder, and shining with glass beads
instead of frihges, swept the ground
a plume OIL the feathers of the kaukau
waved over his head, bound round with
strings of beads, and bis general aspect
altogether was far from ignOble. The
others we've dressed in a humble man
ner. Amongst them l noticed one who,
frem his ornaments, must have been a
chief this filed my heart with joy, as |
knew there must be two canoes, as two
chefs never go together IN. one. They
produced their offerings. and laid them
at nv feet Oh the stone. These consis-
ted principally of fishes, but, there
we're few yams and other Maori veg |
etables these latter were probably Of
fered by some inland tribes, as | noticed
.b7 their costume, which was different
from that of the EodranoOss These Of !
ferinqs we're to propitiate the god OF
prosperity and happiness. If they had
been sacrificing to some god Of war, how
awful would have been my position, as
human blood would assuredly have flow
ed at my feet. The offerings being
placed on the altar. they retired, and re-
commenced their wild chant. The chief
seemed to oficiate as high-priest, and
chanted forth petitions TO the deity which
the others chorussed. l Translate the
following:
Chief. 80 great father o mighty
father, o wise father, look on the chill
dren-look, look. look" Others. "Yes
YES, yesP' Chief. 'sLet thy children
not hunger for want of food let not
their eyes be like the eyes of dead
fish with hunger" Others. "Yes, yes,
yes - Chief. 20 great power, lhat
ruleth all fish, drive them into our shores
that the hearts of our wyenas wives
and our pieanninies may be glad. p
Others. Yes = Sc; and 50 on, through.
a long string of desired favors. | now
saw that I should be safe enough under