of the canoe, was ornamented with carved work painted red, and strung with a profusion of feathers. This canoe was propelled by ninety naked men, who regulated the movements of their oars by a song, led by three men, and in which they all joined; the owner sat at the stern and steered. This canoe moved with great rapidity, and would cross the Bay of Islands in perfect safety, when the sea was so rough as to render it imprudent to lower the ship's boats.

1

Among the customs which prevail in New Zealand, in common with all the South Sea Islands, are those denominated tattooing and tabbooing.

The tattoo consists of artificial punctures in the skin so applied as to become permanent, and represent certain figures according to the fancy of the individual or the fashion of his tribe. The pattern after which the face of a chief is tattooed is a kind of a coat of arms, which descends from generation generation, and which they call amoco.

1

to

The tabboo is of very extensive application. In general, any thing which is consecrated, or considered sacred, or which is forbidden to be touched, is said to be tabbooed. The term is applied indifferently to persons and things, and denotes equal. ly the object prohibited, the prohibition itself, and the persons against whom the prohibition is intended to act. Many tabbooes are laid by direct imposition for specific purposes, and when they have the nature of a consecration, they are imposed by a -priest. Many tabbooes, also, are accidental, or arise from certain acts of the tabbooed person, as touching a dead body and such like.

The penalty for breaking a tabboo varies according to the degree of sacredness, which is supposed to be attached to the particular kind of tabboo violated. It does not appear, that any civil penalties are instituted or corporal punishments inflicted; the transgression seems to be considered as wholly an offence against the gods, for which an atonement is necessary, either by a sacrifice, or some ceremony, the particulars of which have been defined and established by custom.

Little is known of the religion of the New Zealanders. They believe in the existence of invisible, spiritual agents, who have controul over the winds, the waves of the sea, the weather, and to a certain extent, over their own persons. These spirits are denominated Atuas, and it is supposed that death is caused by. the presence of an Atua. They believe that chiefs and persous of distinction exist after death, or become Atuas, but coo kees, or slaves, they suppose to have no future existence. They have numerous priests, whose principal employment is, to impose tabbooes, regulate the weather, still the winds when they are too high, and raise them when the canoes are becalmed. They were surprised that the missionaries should pray every day, and said, they saw no motive for praying, except when they wanted the assistance of an Atua.

The language of New Zealand resembles, in its outlines, the kindred dialects spoken in all the South Sea Islands. Otaheite is fifteen hundred miles from New Zealand, and yet the languages are so much alike, that the natives of the two islands understand each other without difficulty. Professor Lee, of Cambridge, has lately constructed a grammar and vocabulary of the New Zealand language, aided by the manuscript papers of the missionaries, and by the chiefs who resided in England. It has no declension of nouns nor conjugation of verbs. In nouns the purposes of declension are answered by particles and prepositions; and in verbs, the distinction of person, tense, and mode, are determined by adverbs, pronouns and other parts of speech. It is a language easily acquired, abounding in the vowel sounds, and harmonious to the ear.

Asiatic Entelligence.

'CUTTACK.-We are happy to notice the formation of an English Charity School, at this station. It is an attempt to do "something for the uninstructed, orphan, and frequently, in knowledge and habits, semi-heathen, children of professed christians." Our friends were encouraged to make the attempt, by the suggestion and liberal offers of the late Judge of the district; and drew up a circular stating the object, and the proposed regulations of the institution. "The most respectable gentlemen at Cuttack, Balasore, and Pooree, affixed their names to the circular, engaging a monthly subscription of ninety-nine rupees, contributions to the amount of 390 rupees, with the addition of a small annual subscription. Thus encouraged, application was made to Mr. J. Penny, of the Benevolent Institution, Calcutta, for a young man qualified for the situation of teacher. He was enabled to comply with this request, and on the 14th of October the School was opened. Fourteen children have been admitted, and more, both residents in Cuttack, and at the other stations in this province, are expected. Mr. J. J. Carapeit, the teacher, has been engaged at 50 Rupees per month, with an expectation of increase of salary as the school may prosper. The necessities of some of the poor children call for assistance both for food and raiment, and it is with much pleasure that resources now appear to lead this neglected class of youth to habits of cleanliness, learning, morality and religion. A ticket is given, on Sabbath morning, to those who are present at worship; an extra one for catechism, hymns, &c. The school is taught in the mission chapel; and the master resides on the premises, and is almost like one of the family. seminary prepare many uncultivated minds for usefulness! "We hope this plain statement of facts will stimulate the friends Cofman in general and of charity,in particular, not to suffer the smallest group of children called Christian to remain without some of that attention which is so liberally bestowed upon the children of Hindoos and Moosulmans."

May this

DACCA.-In October last, Mr. Leonard had occasion to visit Se rampore, and some time after his return to Dacca, he sent us the following interesting narrative.

"It is high time to apprize you of my arrival in Dacca, and of other circumstances, in which I am aware you will feel interested, that have taken place since I had the pleasure of seeing you. You will call to remembrance that I complained of indisposition of Lody when at Serampore, but entertained a hope of relief by means of the river breeze, on my way to Dacca. This however, was not exactly the case; and to add to my distress, I was overtaken by a severe storm at a place called Jaffergunge, just as I entered the great Purda, which could scarcely, be less than four miles broad. We

had timely notice of the storm, as it advanced with a thick mist, and eventually a heavy shower; but unfortunately we were driven with violence upon the leeward shore, under a high bank, against which, notwithstanding our most strenuous efforts, there was the ut most danger of our being dashed. Little if any hope remained of our boat's riding out the storm, for, to add to our anxiety, a boat went down not above ten yards a-head of us. At this critical moment, almost at my wit's end, I sat down upon the bamboo platform, or deck, along side of the old Ameen, (the brahmun to whom you delivered the books for Dacca) to consult him relative to an attempt to get up the steep bank, in time, as the waves ran so high, and dashed so furiously against it, that there would be little hope of our escaping if the boat went down. We were then in a line, with my right knee touching his left, seated within about sixteen inches of the foot of the mast, when I became instantly insensible and fell backward. However I recovered before I reached the deck, and cast my eyes towards the right, where the poor old man sat, who appeared in the act of rising, (having been knocked on the broad of his back,) in a most frightful condition, with his whole frame convulsed, and his body scarified in almost every part, as if performed with a knife, the web between the fore-finger and thumb cut to the bone, and the thumb turned down upon the wrist, a severe wound upon the breast, and the leaders of his hams shrunk up, which totally deprived him of the use of his legs. Happy indeed was I when he accosted me, although in a tone something like that which proceeds from a man about to breathe his last, "O! Sir what has befallen me?" when instantly a clap of thunder struck us dumb for some seconds, and at once accounted for the fearful disaster, as we perceived no lightning when struck. However it pleased God to restore my mind, and afford me strength to offer a word of consolation to my

fellow-sufferer, to whom I had talked much, on the preceding night, of the glorious plan of salvation, and the boundless love of the Father towards perishing sinners, in delivering up the Son of his eternal love to die for them. Taking him by the arm, I told him, the Lord Jesus had saved his life, and entreated him to look up to him with his whole soul, and render him due praise for so signal a mercy-indeed I every moment (from his fearfully distorted countenance, and convulsed frame) expected his end. On hearing the name of Jesus, tears gushed copiously from his eyes, and it drew forth this hearty prayer, "O Lord Jesus, thou hast saved the vilest of sinners; a rebel worthy of a thousand deaths, acknowledges with a heart full of gratitude, that thou, and thou alone, hast snatched me, vile wretch, from the very jaws of death!" This fervent, and, from all I then witnessed I am constrained to believe, sincere prayer, thanksgiving, and humble confession, drew forth tears of gratitude from me, and urged me to press the Saviour's Jove home to his soul, with redoubled energy; when he extended his bleeding arms, and eyes as if fixed for death, towards heaven, and with a loud voice in the ears of nine persons then in the boat, appealed to heaven for the sincerity of his prayer; adding in the most solemn, and indeed awful, manner, "If I do not believe in and love the Lord Jesus, and acknowledge with my whole heart that his arm saved me from instant death and destruction, may another thunderbolt be hurled upon my head, and destroy me finally!!” I must acknowledge that this solemn appeal filled me with awe.

"The storm still raged, through which I made an attempt to spring. towards the bank, after having arranged matters so as to have the Ameen either dragged or carried out, when I discovered that I had. lost the power of both legs, especially the left; but by striking and friction, I recovered the use of the right, and made a desperate effort, trusting in that merciful arm that had just preserved me from immediate death, and succeeded in getting up the bank; on which I experienced fresh cause for thankfulness, as there was a very old man, one of the boatmen, crying out most piteously for help, with half of his body under the boat, which seemed as if pressing him to death, as he also, poor old man, was deprived of the use of his legs; however I succeeded in dragging him out to a place of safety, when the cry became universal that the boat was on fire in every direction within side. I therefore found it necessary to make