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The Chief’s Funeral

           Theybelongtothetribe;theywereasortofsmallchangethrownamongthemourners,andthemomentthesacrificewasover,thewholecrowd,chiefs,warriors,oldmen,women,children,withoutdistinctionofage,orsex,felluponthesenselessremainswithbrutalappetite.Fasterthanarapidpencoulddescribeit,thebodies,stillreeking,weredismembered,divided,cutup,notintomorsels,butintocrumbs.OfthetwohundredMaoriespresenteveryoneobtainedashare.Theyfought,theystruggled,theyquarreledoverthesmallestfragment.Thedropsofhotbloodsplashedoverthesefestivemonsters,andthewholeofthisdetestablecrewgroveledunderarainofblood.Itwaslikethedeliriousfuryoftigersfightingovertheirprey,orlikeacircuswherethewildbeastsdevourthedeer.Thissceneended,ascoreoffireswerelitatvariouspointsofthe"pah";thesmellofcharredfleshpollutedtheair;andbutforthefearfultumultofthefestival,butforthecriesthatemanatedfromtheseflesh-satedthroats,thecaptivesmighthaveheardthebonescrunchingundertheteethofthecannibals.

           Glenarvanandhiscompanions,breathlesswithhorror,triedtoconcealthisfearfulscenefromtheeyesofthetwopoorladies.Theyunderstoodthenwhatfateawaitedthemnextdayatdawn,andalsowithwhatcrueltorturethisdeathwouldbepreceded.Theyweredumbwithhorror.

           Thefuneraldancescommenced.Strongliquorsdistilledfromthe"piperexcelsum"animatedtheintoxicationofthenatives.Theyhadnothinghumanleft.

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